The Best Things To Do In Little Haiti

Explore Little Haiti

Little Haiti is a true melting pot of Miami’s cultures and communities. Long home to Miami’s Haitian diaspora, you’ll find authentic Creole cuisine, Haitian bookstores and a thriving cultural center. The creative community has also gravitated to Little Haiti in recent years, bringing with them contemporary art galleries, hip restaurants and a brand new food hall. It’s one of Miami’s most exciting neighborhoods where it seems there’s always something new popping up on every corner. Read on for your insider’s guide to this fascinating, dynamic neighborhood.

Little Haiti Cultural Center

The Little Haiti Cultural Center is an arts center and museum serving as a beacon for the community. Showcasing Haitian art, sculpture and crafts, it also offers classes, ranging from ceramics to Afro- Caribbean folk dance. Home to a 270-seat theatre, you can also catch live music and dance performances. Come out on the first Friday of the month for Sounds of Little Haiti when all are welcome to immerse themselves in Haitian culture through live music, creole cooking, hand-crafted art and plenty of dancing. They also host community market days on Saturday’s at the historic Caribbean Marketplace, which will transport you to Port-Au-Prince with its colorful architecture, arts and crafts.

Sweat Records is Miami’s locally owned, indie record shop and a true community gathering spot. You’ll find a treasure trove of records curated by founder Lauren “Lolo” Reskin (who’s also a local DJ) and her staff—old school, hip hop, rock, experimental, metal, folk, punk, you name it. They also host a slew of live events, ranging from music to comedy shows, and boast an onsite vegan coffee shop. Of course, it all centers around getting your hands on the vinyl. Your turntable will thank you.

Miami’s local gallery scene has grown in Little Haiti in recent years, making it the perfect neighborhood for a gallery crawl. You’ll experience some truly cutting edge contemporary art from local and international artists. Emerson Dorsch is one of the trailblazers with a commitment to a core of select South Florida artists, as well as emerging and mid-career visiting artists. Nina Johnson’s curatorial focus is on design and sculpture, representing both international and Miami-based artists, like Bakti Baxter and Emmett Moore. Run by a husband and wife duo, &gallery is one of the newer galleries on the scene with an exclusive commitment to artists practicing in South Florida.

Libreri Mapou bookstore is a true cultural gem in Little Haiti. Founded by Jan Mapou, a Haitian playwright and activist, in 1986, you’ll find a selection of rare books in French, Creole and English ranging from folklore to sociological studies, novels and language and grammar books. You’ll also find a selection of international newspapers, ranging from Port-Au-Prince to Paris, where the Haitian diaspora community is strong. It’s a great place to linger, thumbing through pages and discovering something new.

The Citadel

Miami’s newest food hall opened in Little Haiti in January 2019. The Citadel space combines a smorgasbord of local restaurants with maker-driven pop-up retail, known as The Finery, and a rooftop lounge that often hosts live musicians. With over 15 food vendors, including craft cocktails, you can sample tacos from Taquiza, Chinese cuisine from Palmar, coffee from Vice City Bean and so much more. It’s designed as a gathering place to celebrate Miami’s creative community.

If it’s a taste of Haiti that you’re after, look no further than Chef Creole, featuring signature Haitian recipes with a focus on seafood, courtesy of beloved, longtime owner chef Wilkinson Sejour. The restaurant’s cuisine showcases traditional Caribbean flavors in dishes like whole fish, seafood criollo stew and platters of fried lobster, shrimp and fish.

Whether it’s a table in the cozy dining room for brunch (offered Tuesday through Sunday) or cocktails at the bar that spills out to their inviting back patio, Sherwood’s Bistro & Bar is a new and welcoming spot for a delicious meal and a convivial hangout in Little Haiti. At brunch, try the cowboy steak and eggs or a croque madame, and don’t skip the honey crullers. It’s also hard to pass up their lobster tail sandwich served in a baguette with bacon, arugula and hollandaise, which pairs nicely with their Pamplemousse Smash, made with vodka, grapefruit liqueur, mint and citrus—or, really, anything off the cocktail menu!