Cubaocho Museum & Performing Arts Center

I am totally in love with this place… The art all around, the best mojitos i’ve had in town the ambiance and the people, make this my new to-​go place for refreshing my Cuban roots. It is simply gorgeous!

Cubaocho is conveniently located next to Ball and Chain, also appropriately named Cubaocho (perhaps after the same street Cale Ocho) and has outdoor seating where one can enjoy a good Cuban cigar which we did with an 8 year Añejo rum from Guatemala. The list of rums is extensive and there are plenty of cigars to choose from as well. The outside wall art features local and nonlocal musicians from the Beetles to Pitbull.
In side of Cubaocho a live band was also playing but we took our cigar and rum and seated ourselves amongst the art and pedestrian traffic taking it all in. The cigar and rum are always a nice way to relax after a good dance.

Beautiful place to learn about the Miami/​Cuban history, the bartenders are awesome… friendly and willing to recommend the best for your taste…
Can’t wait to come back for Salsa nights and live music scene…

Great atmosphere and amazing run and mojito. Amazing atmosphere a real piece of Cuba in Miami.

While on vacation, my friend and I came across the amazing CubaOcho. As soon as we walked in there, I noticed all of the beautiful artwork everywhere; there is a collection of beautiful paintings all over the walls, on the bar, the ceiling, the tabletops, it was all so beautiful. We had a mojito which was really refreshing and good, probably the best one I’ve had in a long time. We also had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners-​Mr. Carlos Ramos. He is so passionate about the artwork, the history of cuba, I feel like I learned so much from him and am happy that as a collector of art he and his brother choose to share the art with the public. I really enjoyed my visit there and will definitely be going back. The live music was also wonderful and everyone seemed to be having a lovely time. I hope others who go can have the same great experience I did. Thank you!

Cubaocho has a unique vibe, and it’s very own swag. But, I must admit, I think that one of the greatest assets to this place is Frank Alonso, one of the bartenders. He just knows how to attract clients, eventually transforming them into regulars. So yes, it’s all about FRANK ALONSO.

I love this place! Talk about an authentic Cuban Bar/​Lounge. The best mojito I’ve had in Little Havana, and that’s saying something, considering every place in little Havana claims to have the best mojito. They also have a very good s lectionaries of cigars, although you have to smoke them sitting down on oversized couches up front or better yet, in their courtyard (my favorite place). This place recently received Museum status, I realized that when I started to pay attention and noticed the paintings all around the bar were actual original works by Cuban masters. When I asked the owner, he said that originally, CubaOcho was meant to be a cultural center, but as more friends gathered, it became what it is now, an amazing lounge with live bands on the weekends and a place to meet friends.

Fantastic times to be had. An assortment of rum you’re unlikely to see anywhere else, and a wide array of cigars. Whether you wanna drink, smoke, or look at art, you’re in luck. It’s a cool place to chill, and the owner is a real character. I highly recommend it.

Amazing spot that we just ended up at. Very chill and relaxing if you enjoy a good cigar. The owners are usually there and wonderful characters. Talk to them if you get a chance. He has entertaining stories! Will be back!

I liked the blending of art, music, cigars & booze. The outdoor foyer area was a welcomed site to escape the crowded «dance floor» to chill out. It would’ve been a much better experience had there been a band playing instead of the DJ.
The façade of the building is worth checking out before going inside.
Best mojito? Not really. It was pretty weak actually. The bar area is so small & cramped and is located right at the entrance that is creates a bottleneck. They seemingly have enough staff to serve the sizable late-​night crowd but it’d be a good idea to add another bar out back to thin out the log jam a bit.
Warning: If you pay by credit card, an automatic gratuity will be added to your bill regardless of cost/​size of party. I don’t understand how this is permitted. Are you that concerned that your bartenders won’t be properly tipped? Employ better staff then.

This is an interesting space for an art gallery and bar. A decent place to grab a drink or two, and strike up a conversation.

Cubaocho is a beautiful bar/​cabaret on 8^th street *(hence the name). I love the décor, done in good taste with lots of beautiful authentic art and antiques from the interior patio to the bathrooms. Live music, excellent mojitos, one of my favorite places in the city.

Super nice place with a big courtyard where you can sit and enjoy the drinks and cigars.
It’s an eclectic place with paints in everywhere and interesting old books.
An awesome full bar with a big collection of Rum although they are a lot of whiskey too.
I like that place.
The atmosphere is completely welcoming.

In Little Havana. Stumbled upon this place to check out the artwork and then had the BEST MOJITO I have ever had. I may come back just for another. Astrid, our bartender, has the perfect «formula» for the mojito.
This place is more than a bar, it has Cuban artwork and antiques all over and I’ve never seen a bar or club like this one. Full of culture and creativity unlike other mainstream bars and lounges that are common. I’ll be back to check out their salsa dancing and concert on Fridays.

Pulled up in front of the place in a metered public parking spot 8^th street and a crazy drunk woman who said she was the owner came out saying she was holding the spot and freaked out on us… It was a public metered spot!!! Literally screaming at us for parking there… If the service is anything like the owner then I certainly will never go in

Simply amazing! The mood and look of the club is like a 1920s pre-​prohibition speak easy. You can’t help but move and dance. The colorful band plays live salsa and other Popular Hispanic music. The cocktails are delicious too. And whether your there to dance or just watch others it will be an unforgettable night.

Tourist Trap in little Havana.
I’ll preface this by saying that I am born and bred in Miami and have travelled the world…
I was also mesmerized by the charm of the art and décor as many Unilocalers have been. I spent about 2 hours sitting at the bar while the place was empty. Empty as in myself, my friend and one guy next to us. My friend reminisced about how her father brought her to this place when she was younger and the guy next to us told us he was there to photograph a tango class that was scheduled that evening. The bartenders kept pushing us to order mojitos and we did. They were good, but not excellent. The sign above the bar reads «World’s Largest Rum Selection» and so of course we asked for the best… 2 at $ 23 each. The price wasn’t a big deal, we were feeling nostalgic and having a «moment».
Tango finally started and the room filled with patrons. We sat on one of the tacky ornate sofas and entertained ourselves with the eclectic mix of tango students. The more time we spent there, the more we wanted to tell all of our friends about this charming neighborhood find.
But that all ended very quickly when we went back to the bar and asked for our bill. I dine and drink out A LOT and only in certain areas (like SoBe) do I receive a check with a 20% Tip included. The last place I would expect an automatic tip to be included is in Little Havana. When I asked the bartender, she said it’s 18% not 20% — clearly she failed math. We paid and as we were about to leave, we decided that we should tell the manager that adding a 20% tip to a bar tab in Little havana seems a little unnecessary.
Her response was that they are a very nice place with expensive art and that buses full of tourists come all the time and so they increase the automatic tip to 20% on the weekends when they expect tourists. She even made a comment that her bartenders can’t tell if we are tourists or not… We visited them on Tuesday, the first day they are open for the week and she said the computer was not adjusted for the local crowd which would include an 18% tip. The conversation got worse and we realized there was no reasoning with this person…
As I’m typing this review, I decided to change my rating from 2 stars to 1 star not only because of the manager’s ridiculous explanation, but also because I just looked at my receipt and noticed that in addition to including a higher than normal tip they also calculated the 20% tip based on the total PLUS taxes. So we tipped on the tax as well.

A hidden gem in calle ocho. This place has it all great cigars, full bar, amazing patio, and music takes you way back. It’s a must, you will not be disappointed. Staff is very helpful and friendly.

Terrible experience, never coming here again.
I often attend the Viernes Culturales events held in Little Havana. I was hungry after the walking tour, and my friends headed to Cubaocho to hang out and catch the Heat game. Their food menu consisted of a few combinations of appetizer foods that just did not seem tasty, so I left my friends, crossed the street and went to The Exquisito restaurant (incredible little gem) to get some real food. I was out for about 15 minutes getting my food to-​go, and when I got to Cubaocho, a very rude lady tells me I have to pay a $ 10 cover. WHAT?!? I tell her I was just there 15 minutes before and all my friends are inside waiting for me. She gave he a hard time and did not let me through. I gave up trying so I called one of my friends to meet me at the front so I can say goodbye… I tell him what the situation was and he persuades girl to let me through. So now we’re all sitting there ordering rounds of drinks. We felt parched after a while and we request water. Our cocktail waitress was not only rude to us, but she DENIED US WATER. And there we were, fighting with the cocktail waitress because we’re trying to get water. After all of that back-​and-​forth, we finally end up getting the water. Just when we’ve all calmed down and relaxed ourselves, the girl from the front door approaches us and tells us that we have to leave because there will be live music and we didn’t pay a cover. Unbelievable… we were still consuming drinks, we’re sitting down with a good crowd around us watching the 3^rd quarter of the Heat game, and once again, the staff managed to tick us off. At that point, we were so upset with our experience that we all left as soon as we finished our drinks. I have six years of restaurant experience and knowing how the industry is, it takes A LOT to get me to write a bad review on Unilocal

The atmosphere is great. There’s art everywhere and live jazz music. However, the food tasted horrible. It was not fresh at all. We ordered hummus and guacamole. The drinks were not fresh either — sangria.

We were there some days ago to enjoy an excellent jam session by Maestro Quintero and other excellent blues players but this place got my attention. The atmosphere is like a museum or library but with drinks and tapas. The smoking patio is a plus too. We will return asap

This place is gorgeous and if I were reviewing it only based on its décor, art, and live music, I would give it 5 stars. But they also serve food and drinks and herein comes the service. Unfortunately, the service is pretty bad.
We had a Groupon for tapas and 2 drinks for 2 people and they were completely confused. Noone could read English, so I ended up spending about 15 minutes of my time giving them an impromptu Groupon lesson.
If you have a Groupon, beware. If you’re going to eat, you might consider eating elsewhere, and if you’re into wine, just know they are not. Our red wine was warmer than a Miami summer day.
If you’re going to enjoy the art and music, go for it!

The best word to describe this place is… interesting. Inside there is an enormous amount of art lining the walls, mostly Cuban themed paintings. The furniture looks as if they ransacked a pre-​Castro Cuban mansion. It’s all very eclectic and beautiful.
I’ve stopped in during the day to have a look around and one time on a Saturday night. Outside there were young and old people having a drink outside along with some cigars. Inside Top 40 music was playing which seemed a bit odd especially considering there was a Cuban couple in their 80s sitting down on the couches. A few feet away some girls were twerking to the music. The bar looked as if it had the largest rum collection in the world. Despite that, I had some coffee with my friend on the couches, which can be expected in Calle Ocho was perfect. Stop by whether you’re a tourist or local. It’s an interesting place.

Not only is this place absolutely beautiful, the coffee here was the best I’ve ever tasted! The décor is this place is so original and unique. There’s artwork, books, antiques, etc. I loved the ambiance and loved that it felt like home. I’d totally book this place for a private event or a party. I want to come back soon to really savor it for what it really is — a Cuban Museum!
Make sure to park in the garage that is attached to the building if you can’t find street parking.