It’s not every day that a typical Cuban restaurant serving old-fashioned Cuban comfort food gets touted by Michelin, but that’s the case with Miami’s iconic Versailles.
Michelin Guide 2023 includes iconic Versailles restaurant among its recommendations
The prestigious Michelin Guide has included the iconic Versailles restaurant in its recommendations for 2023. Versailles is located on Calle Ocho in Miami’s Little Havana.
“Everyone knows this corner of Calle Ocho,” the Michelin Guide says on its website. “It is packed day and night with locals who have been eating there since they were children. They are joined by tourists and politicians who wish to be seen.”
The review also highlights the restaurant’s decor: “engraved mirrors on all sides and bright chandeliers make the dining room feel even more cavernous.”
Regarding the menu, it noted that it is “immediately appealing” with its wide variety of classic Cuban dishes.
“Find simple, homey pleasures in bowls of fluffy arroz con pollo, flaky empanadas and warm yuca fritters. For those in a hurry, stop by the bakery next door for a quick cafecito and pastry. For everybody else, this food will always be worth the wait.,” said the Michelin Guide.
Founded in 1971 by the Cuban exile from Santiago de Cuba, Felipe A. Valls, over the years Versailles restaurant has become one of the main gathering places for the Cuban exile community.
Versailles is a café, restaurant, and bakery with a seating capacity for 370 guests. It is adorned with crystals, statues, and excellent lighting. The restaurant offers a wide range of Cuban cuisine. One of its greatest peculiarities is the “ventanita” (little window) through which hundreds of people pass each day to have their Cuban espresso.
As critic and journalist Alejandro Ríos noted for this publication, “Versailles brought the omnipresent ‘ventanita,’ later reproduced in every corner of the city, where freshly ground coffee is served and the possibility of a free Cuba is openly discussed.”
As Yogi Berra would say: Nobody goes there anymore. It is always too crowded. (Ahi ya no va nadie. Siempre esta muy lleno).