Versailles Restaurant

Versailles is billed as the world's most famous Cuban restaurant, and in Little Havana it is far more than a place to eat. Founded in 1971 by Felipe A. Valls Sr., a native of Santiago de Cuba, the restaurant on Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) has spent decades as ground zero for Miami's Cuban-American exile community, a gathering spot where politics, nostalgia and celebration are served alongside the food.

The grand dining room seats hundreds beneath golden chandeliers and walls of mirrors, an affectionate nod to the Hall of Mirrors at the French palace that gave it its name. The menu is a tour of Cuban classics: palomilla steak, ropa vieja, moros, sweet maduros, croquetas and tamal en cazuela. Out front, the legendary walk-up window, the ventanita, serves cafecito, cortadito and guava pastries to a steady stream of locals trading opinions over tiny cups of coffee.

Visitor tip: stop at the ventanita for an authentic cafecito even if you do not sit down for a full meal, and visit during a major news event to witness the famously animated sidewalk debates. It is an essential stop on any Little Havana food crawl.