In Miami Beach, a great night doesn’t necessarily begin with dinner. Between the end of the afternoon and the moment you sit down for a meal, there’s a perfect window to slow down, order a cocktail, and share a few appetizers while deciding where the night will take you.
For those looking for pre-dinner drinks in Miami, Havana 1957 turns that moment into an experience with Cuban character. Monday through Friday, from 4 PM to 7 PM, its Happy Hour features cocktails, mojitos, and small plates to share at its Ocean Drive and Española Way locations, two distinct settings for starting the evening in South Beach.
What are pre-dinner drinks?
The idea is simple: meet up before dinner without necessarily making that first stop the main event of the night.
It can be a cocktail after work, a drink before a reservation, a meeting point with friends, or simply a spontaneous stop while exploring Miami Beach. Unlike dinner, pre-dinner drinks don’t require much time or too many decisions: the drinks come first, followed by a few bites to share, and the rest of the night can unfold as you go.
In a city where afternoon and evening seem to flow naturally into one another, looking for cocktails before dinner in Miami is also a different way to experience South Beach.
Miami Beach aperitivo, with a Cuban spirit
If the European aperitivo revolves around a drink and something small to eat, Havana 1957 brings that same idea to the Caribbean.
Here, the mojito is the natural star. The menu lets you start with a Classic Mojito or explore fruity variations featuring tropical flavors such as mango, passion fruit, coconut, guava, or strawberry. For those who prefer other Cuban and Caribbean classics, the selection also includes the Cuba Libre and frozen cocktails such as the Daiquiri and Piña Colada.
More than simply a prelude to dinner, this aperitivo in Miami Beach becomes a small ritual for shifting gears: leaving the beach, shopping, or the workday behind and gradually easing into the evening with a cocktail on the table.
Cocktails and Cuban bites: what to order before dinner
A good pre-dinner experience needs enough food to complement the drinks, but not so much that it becomes a full dinner.
That’s why Havana 1957’s small plates work especially well for sharing. The Croquettes offer a taste of one of the most recognizable bites in Cuban tradition, while the Truffle Yuca Fries take fried yuca in a more contemporary direction with truffle oil, Parmesan, rosemary, and cilantro aioli.
There are also more savory options, such as the Masitas de Cerdo, small bites of fried pork served with Cuban mojo. The idea isn’t to work your way through the entire menu, but to choose two or three dishes for the center of the table and let the cocktails set the pace of the gathering.
For a group of friends, a combination of mojitos, croquettes, and yuca can be enough to turn simple early evening drinks in Miami into the beginning of a night out.
Ocean Drive: cocktails before the night begins
On Ocean Drive, pre-dinner drinks come with an added attraction: the setting.
Havana 1957 is located on one of Miami Beach’s most recognizable avenues, surrounded by Art Deco architecture, palm trees, and the constant energy of South Beach. Arriving between 4 PM and 7 PM lets you experience that particular moment when afternoon begins to turn into evening.
A Classic Mojito or Cuba Libre paired with a few Cuban bites works just as well for those who have a dinner reservation later as it does for those who still haven’t decided on their next stop.
And that’s exactly one of the advantages of this plan: you don’t need to have the entire night mapped out. Ocean Drive can simply be the starting point.
Española Way: pre-dinner drinks that may last a little longer
Just a few blocks away, Española Way offers a different experience.
The historic pedestrian street provides a more intimate setting to gather around a table and ease into the evening without rushing. Havana 1957 fits naturally into that atmosphere, with Cuban cocktails and appetizers that can accompany the conversation before deciding whether the night continues there or somewhere else in South Beach.
For those looking for after-work drinks in Miami Beach, it’s also an appealing option: arriving during Happy Hour lets you move directly from the pace of the workday into a much more relaxed atmosphere, without having to wait until dinner time.
Happy Hour or pre-dinner? There’s no need to choose
Although Happy Hour is often thought of simply as an opportunity to find better prices, it can also be the perfect time to start a night out.
At Havana 1957, early Happy Hour in Miami runs Monday through Friday from 4 PM to 7 PM, exactly during those hours when a get-together can remain just one drink or spontaneously turn into an entire evening.
You can start with a mojito, add some Croquettes or Truffle Yuca Fries, and decide what comes next. Maybe you’ll stay for a Cuban dinner at Havana 1957. Maybe you have a reservation at another restaurant. Or perhaps that first cocktail will change the plans completely.
Start your night at Havana 1957
The best pre-dinner drinks in Miami don’t require a complicated itinerary. Just a great place, freshly made cocktails, something to share, and enough time to decide what comes next.
On Ocean Drive and Española Way, Havana 1957 offers exactly that starting point: mojitos, Cuban classics, and appetizers in an atmosphere inspired by 1950s Havana.
Monday through Friday, from 4 PM to 7 PM, Happy Hour is an invitation to arrive early. Dinner can wait; the night has already begun.