MIAMI
La Cañita Brings Bold Caribbean Flavors to Kendall with New Flagship Location
By Eric Barton | Feb. 27, 2025
8405 Mills Dr | Website | Instagram
When publications like this write articles about the best neighborhoods for restaurants in Miami, you’ll read about Wynwood, Coconut Grove, all the regulars. Kendall doesn’t typically get that kind of attention, which is a shame since that’s where you’ll find Chef Adrianne's Vineyard and Apocalypse Barbecue, among other stellar restaurants.
One newcomer to Kendall that just might help convince eastern Dade hipsters to drive east is La Cañita, the latest venture from James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband, restaurateur David Martinez.
The duo—who already run some of Miami’s buzziest spots, including Café La Trova, Sra. Martinez, and Sweet Liberty—first introduced La Cañita in 2021 at Bayside Marketplace, a spot that’s not exactly a spot where locals will typically fight the crowds of cruise ship tourists. Now, they’ve expanded the concept into a full-scale restaurant at Palms at Town & Country, bringing a more ambitious menu, a next-level cocktail program, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to linger.
The Food: Caribbean Inspired
If you’ve ever eaten Michelle Bernstein’s food, you know she doesn’t do generic. At La Cañita, she’s pulling flavors from across the Caribbean—Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti—along with a few nods to Central and South America. That means conch fritters dusted with powdered sugar and served with a key lime dipping sauce that tastes like South Florida in a bite. A mixed seafood ceviche that balances sweet potato and cancha for a perfect blend of textures. And a lechón asado, because, I’m guessing here, slow-roasted pork might be the greatest culinary invention of all time.
For entrées, there’s a Caribbean bouillabaisse with shrimp, fish, calamari, and shellfish in a sofrito-lime broth, and a churrasco ropa vieja, a fusion of two Miami staples. Even the potato gnocchi carbonara—an unexpected choice on a Caribbean menu—gets the tropical treatment with crunchy prosciutto and roasted tomatoes.
The Drinks: A Rum-Soaked Love Letter to the Islands
The cocktail list leans heavily on the flavors of the islands, paying homage to Miami’s deep rum culture. You could start with the Mojito, a classic done with four-year Flor de Caña, lime, and bitters. Or go for something more adventurous, like the Cacao Negroni, which swaps the usual gin for Mijenta Reposado and adds cascara vermouth and crème de cacao. There’s also the Margarita Queen, a tequila-forward drink with salted air foam.
The Space: A Tropical Escape
If La Cañita’s food and drinks don’t transport you to the islands, the design hopes to do just that. Locus Architecture designed the 5,434-square-foot restaurant, with interiors curated by Bernstein’s sister, Nicolette Bernstein. The vibe is chic rum distillery, with breezy open spaces, a block-sized bar, and an al fresco patio.
For Martinez, the expansion into Kendall is long overdue. “La Cañita’s expansion has been years in the making, and we are so excited to bring its full vision to life,” he says. “We wanted to create an experience that showcases the vibrant flavors of the Caribbean—not just from Cuba and Puerto Rico, but from Haiti and all the amazing cultures that contribute to the local flavor of Miami.”
An Optimistic Prediction: Likely a New Kendall Mainstay
With its ambitious menu, deep bar program, and a space that feels like an instant vacation, La Cañita sounds like a great addition to Kendall. Whether you’re here for the ceviche and a cocktail or settling in for a full lechón feast, one thing’s clear: Kendall just got a whole lot more interesting.
