I recently had a brief layover in Miami found a great coffee just a few paces from my gate.
Great Coffee In Miami International Airport (MIA)
Stepping off my American Airlines flight from Los Angeles, I noticed Versailles right outside my gate (D5). It was 3:00pm, the perfect time for an afternoon coffee break.
I’m not a regular visitor to Miami, but apparently Versailles is one of the most famous Cuban restaurants in Miami. What surprised me was how cheap the coffee was. I’m used to pay $3-4 for a cup of coffee at most airports, but here the espresso was just $1.00 or a cortado (espresso with a bit of steamed milk) was $2.00. Not only did the coffee look great, but it was cheap!
The Cuban-American lady who rang me up addressed me in Spanish and so I did my best to speak it. Sin azúcar (no sugar) was the most important point I stressed! She tried to upsell me on pastries or sandwiches, but I just wanted coffee.
I highly recommend the cortado: it was fabulous. Before leaving, noting that my upgrade would not clear on the flight back, I ordered a Cuban sandwich (sweet ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles on a toasted Cuban bread) for the flight home (plus another espresso).
I ended up not eating the sandwich on the flight, took it home, and re-heated it in my oven. Even seven hours later, it was delicious!
Versailles has five locations at MIA. One is pre-security in Concourse F. The four locations past security are at D5, D21, D44, and E30.
CONCLUSION
The sandwiches aren’t bad at Versailles, but the coffee is really tasty. I look forward to enjoying a cortado every time I fly through MIA.
Where is your favorite coffee shop in Miami International Airport? Should I try another place next time?
Cuban food is the bomb. Drats, now that the word is out the lines will be long!
Yes, the coffee is good and moderately priced – but no fun when the triple 7’s from LAX arrive MIA at the furthest gate in the end of the terminal – and there are only a couple moving sidewalks – one not operating on my day of arrival – it makes for a looooong walk through the terminal. Admirals club upstairs was a nice respite though.
The trans-con-lite business class service between LAX and MIA was actually quite good and personable – a surprise from most AA flights in premium cabins pre-pandemic. The FA’s were attentive and coming through regularly in my section of the front cabin. Food service was ok – considering the lack of catering on other AA domestic flights – and everything was served on one tray – except cocktails and the pre-arrival cookie.
I”m hopeful the good service I received continues on AA’s LAX-MIA/JFK transcons….we’ll see.
SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT
La Caretta is a must!
The lady did not try to upsell you on the pastries. She was trying to make sure you didn’t miss on them. They are fabulous. The guava and cheese pastry and the dulce de leche one are to die for. Next time when she offers you a pastry you should take it. Also, La Carreta is another fantastic Cuban cafe in Miami which has stores at MIA.
Miami’s Cuban sandwiches are good, but the best ones are in Tampa.
La Carretta was the only source for a crew meal for months. They stayed open and fed the employees. You are spot on with the coffee review and at any time you know the good places because you will see Crews and Employees lining up. The coffee is the life blood keeping thing moving behind the scenes and deep within operations at the Airport.
Qué suerte!!! en febrero, finales justo el 26…. 3.00am, aeropuerto de Miami, volaba a Stgo de Chile nada abierto, desesperada por un café, ….
When I used to occasionally fill in for United’s MIA Chief Pilot when he went on vacation, I used to start the day with a Cortado from the Versailles coffee shop. Early in the morning, there was as long line of tarmac crew and bag handlers all getting their powerful shots there – that coffee was strong enough to fire you up for several hours, and with the heavy load of sugar most of them all added, I can imagine that the tarmac worked pretty efficiently right up to their lunch break, when they all lined up again!
During my years flying with United, that MIA coffee was the best I found at any airport north of Sydney, Australia.