A coffee moment in Miami.

La Colada Gourmet

Little Havana · 1518 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33135

Make Calle Ocho your starting point. La Colada Gourmet is a family-run coffee business in Little Havana, where Cuban-style coffee is as much about sharing a moment as finishing a drink. Its name celebrates the colada: a sweet, concentrated coffee served in small portions to share. Ask for a classic Cuban coffee and let the staff help you choose a serving for your group. Take a small sip and pay attention to the balance between sweetness, roasted flavor, and texture. How long does the finish stay with you? Ask which house coffee is being used and whether beans are available to take home. Cuban-style describes a tradition of roasting and preparation; it does not necessarily mean the beans were grown in Cuba.

Source: La Colada Gourmet’s official location and coffee pages. About the café. Cuban coffee ordering guide from Greater Miami & Miami Beach. Location information checked October 2026. Confirm the current location and opening hours before going.

A small guide to ordering Cuban coffee.

Start with the kind of coffee moment you want. These are the classic orders; serving sizes and sweetness vary by café.

• Cafecito (café cubano): a small, sweetened coffee without milk.
• Colada: a larger serving of sweet Cuban coffee, portioned into tiny cups for sharing.
• Cortadito: sweet Cuban coffee softened with a little steamed milk.
• Café con leche: coffee with a more generous helping of hot milk.

If you prefer less sweetness, ask about sugar before ordering. For your tasting notes, describe the drink as served rather than assuming it needs anything added.

Bring the idea home.

Bring the sharing ritual home with a moka pot and a few small cups. Brew a full pot according to its capacity and the guide below: fill below the safety valve, level the grounds without tamping, and use gentle heat. For a Cuban-inspired sweet foam, put two teaspoons of sugar in a separate heat-safe jug, add a teaspoon of freshly brewed coffee, and beat briskly until pale and thick. Slowly stir in about 60 ml of the remaining coffee and divide into small servings. This is a suggested starting point, not La Colada Gourmet’s recipe; adjust the sweetness on your next batch. The whipped sugar foam is often called espumita. A moka pot makes concentrated coffee rather than true espresso, so expect a different texture from a café machine. Invite someone to share it and note what you would change next time.

Three notes to take.

• What coffee or drink did you order?
• What did you notice before adding anything?
• What would you like to try in your next home cup?