From left: A cocktail from Italian aperitivo bar ViceVersa in downtown Miami and a Cuban-inspired cocktail from Cafe La Trova in Little Havana.
Left photo by R.C. Visuals, Right photo by Cafe La Trova
For Miami’s bar scene, the validation came fast and loud Wednesday night.
When the annual North America’s 50 Best Bars list dropped on Wednesday, April 22, two familiar names to New Times readers made the cut. Café La Trova landed at No. 42, and ViceVersa entered the prestigious “Top 50” grouping for the first time since its opening. It debuted at No. 46, marking a major milestone for the Italian aperitivo bar.
Both are currently featured in New Times’ Top 50 Bars in Miami Right Now list, a reminder that the city’s best drinking destinations are not just local favorites, but contenders on an international stage.
However, beneath the celebration, sits a more complicated story.
Famed Miami bartender Julio Cabrera was inducted into the Bartender Hall of Fame at Café La Trova, honoring his legacy, passion, and Cuban cocktail culture.
Café La Trova Remains Miami’s Most Acclaimed Bar
Few bars in Miami carry the cultural weight of Café La Trova.
Founded by world-famous Cuban cantinero Julio Cabrera and James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, the Calle Ocho bar has been Miami’s crown jewel since it opened in 2019. In 2022, it debuted on the coveted list at an impressive No. 6, followed by No. 9 in 2023. Then, in 2024, it ranked No. 13 on North America’s 50 Best Bars list. That same year, it landed the 66th spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars ranking. But these numbers are mostly frivolous — what makes a great bar isn’t its “ranking,” but its soul.
Cabrera has made cocktail-making the heart and soul of Café La Trova. “Being again on the list of the 100 World’s Best Bars for the fifth year in a row is an amazing accomplishment and achievement,” Cabrera told New Times in a 2025 interview. “Every day, it gets harder to be on that list. A lot of great bars open every year around the world, and we’re proud to represent Miami, the state of Florida, and the whole Latin community in the U.S. We are also so proud to be on Calle Ocho in Little Havana. We want to thank all our team, the ones who work tirelessly every day to give their best to our guests, who are the reason for what we do.”
Between the live music played nightly behind the bar and on stage to his own cantinero bartending school, the bar is a living, shaking, stirring tribute to the golden age of Cuban cocktails and bars. Essentially, Café La Trova has become not just a national destination, but a worldwide one. This is why this year’s ranking feels complicated.
Cabrera has made cocktail-making the heart and soul of Café La Trova.
The Shift Means More Competition
In 2025, Café La Trova held the No. 13 spot. This year, it dropped to No. 42. A 29-place fall is not subtle. It’s a shift that invites scrutiny, especially for a bar that has not lost its identity, its talent, or its ability to deliver one of the most immersive hospitality experiences in the country.
Inside, little has changed. The cantinero tradition remains intact, rooted in the legacy of Havana’s El Floridita. The cocktails are still built on rum, citrus, and technique. Bernstein’s menu continues to anchor the experience with dishes that feel both nostalgic and precise, from croquetas and buñuelos to mojo-laced entrées that carry the same energy as the drinks.
So, why the drop? The answer may have less to do with Café La Trova itself and more to do with the cities surrounding it on the list.
New York and Mexico City have tightened their grip on the upper tiers
Screenshot via Instagram/@50bestbars
The Rise of New York and Mexico City
This year’s rankings reflect a broader shift in North America’s cocktail landscape.
New York and Mexico City have tightened their grip on the upper tiers, sending more bars into the Top 50 and reshaping the balance of power. These cities benefit from dense hospitality ecosystems, constant reinvention, and an international talent pipeline that fuels rapid new openings.
Miami, by comparison, has always moved differently. It thrives on personality, on cultural specificity, on rooms that feel alive rather than overly engineered. That identity has earned global attention, but it does not always align with how ranking bodies reward innovation, consistency, or expansion across multiple venues.
A drop like Café La Trova’s does not signal decline. It only signals competition.
The “Poesia” cocktail by ViceVersa
ViceVersa’s Ascent Signals a New Wave
If Café La Trova represents Miami’s foundation, ViceVersa points to where the city is headed.
The bar, led by Italian expat Valentino Longo, enters the Top 50 at No. 46 after sitting at No. 56 last year. The climb marks one of the most notable upward movements for a Miami bar this cycle.
ViceVersa leans into contrast. Its design blends Miami’s glow with Italian futurism, from a curved illuminated backbar to interiors that feel pulled from a stylized Roman past. The menu follows suit, drawing on the Futurist “Polibibita” philosophy, in which cocktails are built around tension. Saline meets floral. Bitter meets bright. Texture becomes part of the experience. Drinks like the “Little Tonico” and the “Forza!” are not just balanced. They are composed with the intent to surprise. Behind the bar, Longo’s technical precision is matched by a sense of play that mirrors the city outside its doors.
In the kitchen, chef Justin Flit keeps the momentum going with a menu that emphasizes clean flavors and strong sourcing. The result is a bar that feels contemporary without losing warmth.
ViceVersa’s rise suggests that Miami’s next chapter may be defined by hybrid bars that merge global technique with local energy.
Bar Kaiju in Little River was just ranked among the top 100 bars in North America
Photo by Anthony Nader/52 Chefs
Bar Kaiju Climbs Upward
In 2025, five Miami bars ranked within the extended Top 100 list. This year, that number drops to three. Bar Kaiju, which climbed from No. 77 to No. 70, is one of the few to move upward.
The neon-drenched, monster-themed cocktail den that earned a spot on New Times’ Top 50 Bars 2026, was named one of the top 100 bars in North America. The recognition came Tuesday, March 31, when North America’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, revealed its extended 51-100 list. At Bar Kaiju, creativity is the entire point. While many speakeasies lean into Prohibition-era nostalgia, this Miami standout looks elsewhere for inspiration: Japanese monster movies.
Inside, the space glows with neon hues, vintage film posters, and bold Japanese artwork. The menu reads like a cinematic universe, with cocktails inspired by iconic creatures and characters.
Therefore, as the stage grows more crowded each year, Miami continues to make its presence known.
The “Martini Doppio” from ViceVersa in downtown Miami
Where Miami Stands Now
All in all, there is so much to celebrate in the Magic City this year. Two bars making the Top 50 is no small feat, and three in the Top 100 is spectacular.
Both Café La Trova and ViceVersa represent distinct sides of Miami’s identity, one rooted in heritage, the other in evolution. On the other hand, Bar Kaiju leans into creativity and fun. Together, they tell a story of a city that refuses to be boxed into a single style.
“Happy to see Miami rebound with two bars back in the Top 50 and with Bar Kaiju at No. 70,” adds New Times contributor and acclaimed mixologist, Giovanny Gutierrez. “To think we [Miami] got on the map in 2022 with Sweet Liberty, Broken Shaker, and still the champ, Cafe La Trova, that debuted at No. 6.”
Miami is now competing against cities with a longstanding history of investing heavily in hospitality as both art and industry. And it’s safe to say it’s becoming a cocktail destination to be reckoned with. Cheers to you, Bar Kaiju, Café La Trova, and ViceVersa.
Bar Kaiju. 8300 NE Second Ave., Second Floor, at the Citadel, Miami; barkaiju.com.
Café La Trova. 971 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786-615-4379; cafelatrova.com.
ViceVersa. 398 NE Fifth St., Miami; viceversamia.com.