Little Havana

The story

Little Havana's shopping street is Calle Ocho, SW 8th Street, between roughly SW 12th and 17th Avenues. It is the heart of Cuban Miami: cigar rollers work in storefront windows, guayaberas hang in family shops, and walk-up coffee windows pour cafecito all day.

The strip is straight and easy to walk, with Máximo Gómez Park, better known as Domino Park, at SW 15th Avenue as its center; regulars play dominoes there every day. A few of the best stops sit outside the core: El Titan de Bronze at 1071 SW 8th St on the east end, Sanguich de Miami at 2057 to the west, and Versailles at 3555 SW 8th St, a short drive west.

What to Expect

Much of what's sold here is made in front of you. Three shops roll cigars on site: El Titan de Bronze, Little Havana Cigar Factory (1501 SW 8th St), which serves cafecito in its lounge, and Cuba Tobacco Cigar Co. (1528 SW 8th St). Havana Collection Experience (1421 SW 8th St) is the guayabera shop, with a small museum of Cuban history inside. D&D Art Gift Shop (1465 SW 8th St) sells handmade goods, jewelry and Cuban-inspired art, and La Colada Gourmet (1518 SW 8th St) sells coffee beans and mugs to take home. For art, Cubaocho combines a museum, gallery and bar, Futurama 1637 houses studios for mostly Cuban artists, and KDR305 shows contemporary work a few blocks south.

Best Time to Visit

Shops typically run 10am to 6pm daily, and El Titan de Bronze opens at 10am, so a weekday morning gets you the rollers at work and easy parking. For the street at its liveliest, come on the last Friday of the month for Viernes Culturales, the art-and-music night based at Futurama 1637. At night, Ball & Chain stays open until 3am Friday and Saturday.

If You Only Have an Hour

Start at Havana Collection Experience (1421 SW 8th St) for a guayabera, then walk to Domino Park at SW 15th Avenue and watch a few hands. Cross to Little Havana Cigar Factory (1501 SW 8th St) to see the rollers, and finish next door at Azucar Ice Cream Company (1503 SW 8th St) with a scoop of Abuela Maria: guava, cream cheese and Maria cookies.

Where to Eat

Sanguich de Miami (2057 SW 8th St) holds a Bib Gourmand for its Cubanos, built from house-cured pork and house-baked bread. Versailles (3555 SW 8th St) has been the Calle Ocho landmark since 1971; get cafecito and croquetas at the ventanita, or ropa vieja in the mirrored dining room. For dinner, Café La Trova (971 SW 8th St) pairs Michelle Bernstein's food with live music, and Lung Yai Thai Tapas (1731 SW 8th St) takes no reservations, so expect a wait.