Julio Cabrera's cantineros throw daiquiris in white jackets while the trova band plays. Little Havana's most decorated room.
Cafe La Trova opened in 2019 at 971 SW 8th Street, where Maestro Cantinero Julio Cabrera and James Beard Award winning chef Michelle Bernstein rebuilt the Havana cantina for Little Havana. The bar team works the theatrical cantinero style codified at Havana's El Floridita, white jackets and thrown daiquiris included.
The hardware matches the theater. North America's 50 Best Bars keeps La Trova on its list, and the same organization named Cabrera its Industry Icon in 2023.
Who would hate it? Anyone hunting a hushed speakeasy. The trova band plays loud, the floor fills, and the energy is the point.
The front room runs as a Cuban cafe with Bernstein's kitchen behind it; the back belongs to the cantineros and the stage. Time Out writes that La Trova brings Old Havana's spirit to the heart of Little Havana, and the 1950s styling carries the claim. Arrive before 8pm for a bar seat; after that the band turns the floor into a party.
Start with the frozen daiquiri built Floridita style, then let a cantinero throw a Periodista or stir an El Presidente. Cocktails run around $16 before tip.
Bernstein's Cuban menu, croquetas through whole fried snapper, keeps the night upright. Order food early; the kitchen crowds after the band starts.
Multigenerational Cuban Miami shares the floor with cocktail travelers working the 50 Best list. Friday and Saturday pack by 9pm; Sunday afternoons run gentler.