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Each month, we offer personal reviews of mojitos made by various bars and restaurants.
Our rating system is based on a scale of one to five muddlers, five being the best.
If you have had a particularly good (or bad) mojito, let us know so that we can consider including it in on our website.
Miami Beach
Nikki Beach,
One Ocean Drive,
Miami Beach
Imagine you`re on a white sand beach.
A beach decorated with lush palm trees and bamboo tiki huts.
But instead of waves crashing or seagulls crying in the background, music is pulsing.
And instead of sitting in your beach chair, you`re relaxing on a gigantic white bed or in a towering white tent.
For those of you who have experienced Nikki Beach, you know this article can`t truly convey its atmosphere.
Although Nikki Beach has expanded and now has locations worldwide, we are most familiar with the Nikki located in
South
Beach.
It will come as no surprise that this location is a popular destination for spring-breakers and other partying tourists.
But hey, welcome to
South
Beach.
Nikki Beach is the quintessential
South
Beach -- expensive prices, white-clad bartenders, and overdressed (or undressed) patrons.
(Note: this is one
Miami hot spot that actually does not seem to enforce any type of dress code).
Joking aside, there is no better place to be in
Miami at sunset.
Fortunately, in addition to offering one of the most unique venues in
South
Beach, Nikki Beach makes a great mojito.
While all the Nikki bartenders have mastered Muddling 101, that`s where their traditional mojito really ends.
Although Nikki Beach does not use any artificial mixes, the choice of ingredients is atypical.
Without giving away any secrets, we’ll say that the end result is a nice balance of sweet and sour, using just the right amount of mint.
We give Nikki Beach 4 1/2 muddlers.
We still don't think you can top the original mojito and sometimes Nikki`s version is too sweet.
It is hard to say which is better, the mojitos or the atmosphere at Nikki Beach.
Next time your in
Miami, decide for yourself and stop by Nikki Beach to try a mojito -- we recommend going with a pitcher.
Who wants to wait for refills anyway?
Delano Hotel,
1685 Collins Avenue,
Miami Beach
Although locals are few and far between, the
Delano has become a
Miami Beach landmark.
It represents everything
Miami -- fame, fortune, and beauty.
Fortunately for you, you don`t have to stay at the
Delano to take in its beautiful surroundings.
The
Delano is as much a part of
Miami’s nightlife as it is a piece of
Miami’s history.
There are several things you need to know before ordering a mojito at the
Delano. First, you will need to cough up $15.
And no, that does not include tip.
Second, under no circumstance should you order a mojito from the Rose Bar, the bar located inside the hotel`s lobby.
The
Rose
Bar gets its name from the pink-colored walls and the pink light that is emitted from beneath the bar.
For reasons that remain unknown, these bartenders do not make mojitos using sugar or sugar-syrup and instead use lemon-lime soda.
Simply put, it doesn't work.
Proceed outside to the bar past the pool.
(Note to newcomers: do not get sidetracked by the candelabra-clad table in the pool.
Sitting here is neither prestigious nor cool.)
At the back bar you can get a very decent mojito even on the busiest nights.
The
Delano ingeniously fills cups with lime, mint, and sugar before the crowds arrive to make mojitos quickly and efficiently.
You can confidently order a mojito even when you`ve got three people behind you waiting to order.
However, what is gained by quick service is lost in the lack of muddling.
For this reason, we can`t give the
Delano a higher score – they usually do not muddle your mojito (except during the off-season or on a slow night).
Instead they shake it which, alone, does not do the trick.
For safety reasons, your drink arrives in a small plastic cup.
All things considered, we give the
Delano’s mojito 3 muddlers.
When in
Miami, visit the
Delano no matter what you order.
Should you choose a mojito, you probably won’t be disappointed.
Ola Restaurant, 1745 James Avenue, Miami Beach
Ola recently moved its restaurant from its "South of Fifth" street location to the Sanctuary Hotel, nestled on a residential street between the bustling Collins and Washington Avenues. The Sanctuary is small boutique hotel in a quiet, but convenient location in South Beach.The new Ola is bit more modern and chic and is essentially squeezed into the hotel's lobby.
While we do not typically offer food critiques, (not to say that we don't feel qualified), we will briefly mention that the food at Ola is very good. Ola's cuisine stands out in taste and creativity among hundreds of other Latin-American and Spanish-inspired restaurants in Miami Beach. Serving this type of cuisine, it comes as no surprise, the mojito is a house speciality.
Like its food, Ola has mastered the basic mojito-making process. Ola offers its basic mojito with several different rums -- a typical white rum, a lemon-lime rum, and an aged dark rum. Ola also offers some other fancier variations of the mojito and caipirinha, but we recommend sticking with one of these three. These are genuine, freshly made mojitos, far superior to those made at the fancy hotel bars on nearby Collins Avenue. We give Ola's mojito 4.5 muddlers. Next time you are in Miami Beach, venture off the beaten path, and stop by the Sanctuary Hotel for a real mojito.
Sushi Samba (Dromo),
600 Lincoln Road,
Miami Beach
In
Miami Beach, Sushi Samba is located on the café-lined
Lincoln Road, a popular area for tourists and locals
alike.
The restaurant has several locations throughout the world, including
New York and
Chicago.
The cuisine at Sushi Samba is fairly unique in that it combines Japanese and Latin-American elements, namely Brazilian and Peruvian.
It is a fun place to eat because you can choose a variety of very different dishes from citrusy ceviches to unique sushi rolls to always popular churrasco (grilled skirt steak).
Given its Brazilian influences, we recommend trying the caipirinha, which is done as well at Sushi Samba as any other restaurant in
South
Beach.
Sushi Samba’s mojito is sweet and potent, made with a healthy amount of mint and about half a lime.
The bartenders muddle each and every mojito – they are not pre-made like many other bars in
Miami.
Our one complaint is that the mojito, like all of the cocktails with the exception of the martini, is served in a very short rocks glass.
This glass does not have enough volume for a proper mojito. We give Sushi Samba’s mojito 3 ½ muddlers for great taste, but average presentation.
Bond Street
,
150 20th Street,
Miami Beach
Bond Street
is a NYC restaurant that has also opened a
South
Beach location.
In
Miami,
Bond Street is tucked down on the lower lobby level of the Townhouse Hotel.
The Townhouse hotel itself is practically unnoticeable, as it is sandwiched on a side street between the more massive Setai and the popular Shore Club.
Bond Street has a small number of tables and reservations are highly recommended – at least several days in advance of Friday and Saturday nights.
Bond Street serves up excellent sushi and Japanese cuisine.
The portions are small but comparable to other modern hip restaurants in
Miami Beach.
Bond Street
puts a different spin on the mojito.
They muddle the typical lime, mint, and sugar combination, but top off the cocktail with champagne instead of club soda.
Champagne gives the mojito a frothy top and a slightly more complex taste.
The sweetness of the champagne works well
in the mojito and it is nice to see a slight variation that maintains the mojito’s core ingredients.
The glass is too small and does not have enough volume, but otherwise this is a mojito that is definitely worth trying either over dinner or when just stopping in at the bar.
For its originality, we give 4 muddlers to
Bond Street’s mojito.
While you are there, take the elevator to the top floor and then walk upstairs and around the corner where you will find a rooftop deck and bar overlooking
South
Beach.
We would not necessarily recommend ordering a mojito up there, but there is a great view of
South
Beach.
SegaFredo Café,
1040 Lincoln Road,
Miami Beach
SegaFredo is an Italian coffee house, famous for serving espresso by the same name.
SegaFredo Café in
Miami Beach is an extremely popular destination for locals and tourists.
Without a doubt, this is one of the best places to people watch in
Miami – both the patrons of SegraFredo and the people walking down
Lincoln Road.
Trust us, you will not be disappointed.
The mojito is probably not the most popular cocktail at SegaFredo, but they are made often enough that the bartenders have pre-muddled the lime, mint, and sugar in glasses before the crowds arrive.
Although the glasses are kept in a refrigerator, the freshness of the mint is lost.
SegaFredo’s mojito is garnished with a whole fresh strawberry – reminiscent of the Italian mojitos garnished with a cherry.
SegaFredo makes a strong mojito with a decent taste, slightly less sweet than average.
Overall, we give SegaFredo’s mojito 3 muddlers.
Next time you are on
Lincoln Road, stop by SegaFredo, grab a table outside, and order a mojito.
Miami
Grass Lounge, 28 NE 40th Street, Miami (Design District)
Grass recently re-opened its doors in its same location in the Design District after having been closed for more than a year.
The Design District still seems somewhat isolated as it is not an easy location to maintain a restaurant or a bar.
At one time, Grass served one of the best mojitos in
Miami – a watermelon mojito, made with fresh chunks of watermelon.
In our opinion, Grass is one of the coolest venues in
Miami.
It has a great open space that is protected from the elements but is still open enough that you feel like you are outdoors.
Imagine giant tiki-hut meets swank lounge.
We visited Grass the night after its (re)grand opening and the crowd was fairly thin (even for a Thursday night), but this let us take it all in.
When we asked if they were serving watermelon mojitos, the look on the bartender’s face was something like, “Um…that was like the old Grass, this is like the new Grass.”
Instead, she replied, “Oh, let me get you our new menu!”
Ok, so we can appreciate that.
There are a number of very fancy muddled drinks, including versions of the mojito, caipirinha, and a caiprioska (vodka instead of cachaca).
The “plain” mojito was freshly muddled and served in a tall glass – sweet, but not too sweet.
Overall, we give the “new” Grass mojito 3 ½ muddlers.
Key West
Blue Heaven Restaurant, 729 Thomas Street,
Key West,
Florida, 33040
Just a stone’s throw (or a three hour drive) from
Miami,
Key West is the epitome of relaxation.
And by relaxation, we mean drinking.
Best known for its laid-back atmosphere,
Key West attracts a diverse, fun-seeking crowd year-round.
While the typical hot spots are often teeming with tourists, Blue Heaven, a lesser-known treasure of Key West, is full of people in-the-know and in search of a good meal (Note to Key West newbies: beware of creepy man in key lime shop near Captain Tony`s who will recommend just about any restaurant that will give him kick-backs.
Another free tip: do NOT give this man money in the hopes of one day becoming the owner of his shop.
No one is dumb enough to give away a store in exchange for your $25 and your sob story).
The mojitos at Blue Heaven are among the best in
Key West.
They are made by lightly muddling mint with three lime quarters, topped with simple syrup, white rum, and club soda, and served in a pint glass.
There is something especially refreshing about sitting outside on a hot (and we mean HOT) night in Key West, among the chickens running free, knowing that the mojito you are drinking may be your first of the night, but it certainly won’t be your last.
When visiting Blue Heaven, make sure to stop by the bar before sitting at your table.
You never know what entertainment you will find there.
Trust us – these people are hilarious.
If you’re going to be waiting a while, you can even take in a game of ping pong (the best sport EVER!) at the table located behind the bar.
This is sure to warm you up (even more…) for a night of drinking.
To top off the great drinks, Blue Heaven also serves great food.
While it is not particularly innovative, the food at Blue Heaven is consistently well-prepared and extremely satisfying.
The seafood specials, such as snapper or tuna (get it while it lasts!), are usually the crowd favorites.
Overall, we give Blue Heaven’s mojito four muddlers.
El Meson de Pepe,
410 Wall Street,
Mallory Square,
Key West,
Florida
33040
When in
Key West, it is critical that you watch at least one sunset at
Mallory Square, the waterside area where crowds gather every evening to enjoy drinks, music, and bizarre entertainment as the sun goes down.
Situated on Mallory square is El Meson de Pepe, a Cuban restaurant with an outdoor bar where you can get one of the strongest mojitos around.
The restaurant’s menu even boasts that its mojito is made using 2 shots (that’s 3 ounces, people) of white rum.
The mojito is strong (almost a little too strong), but otherwise it tastes great.
Made with muddled mint, lime, lots of rum, simple syrup, and club soda, El Meson de Pepe’s mojito from the outside bar is served in a clear plastic cup (this is probably necessary for safety reasons, as proven when said plastic cup is thrown on the ground by attention-seeking drunk person).
We can say one thing about El Meson de Pepe’s mojito – if you drink more than one at sunset, your night will end a lot earlier than expected.
Or at least a lot messier. Definitely worth trying, though. We give El Meson de Pepe`s mojito 3.5 muddlers.
National Chains
The Samba Room (
Denver,
Dallas,
Ft.
Lauderdale,
Houston,
Orlando)
The Samba Room is a Latin-inspired restaurant that serves the mojito as a house specialty.
Since the Samba Room churns out so many mojitos, it has formulated a pretty tasty recipe, although it cuts some corners in the very important mojito-making process.
The first thing you`ll notice about the Samba Room’s mojito is that it looks impressive.
It`s served in a tall, narrow, frosted glass and is garnished with a mint sprig and sugar cane stick.
In terms of glassware and garnish, the Samba Room does it right.
We’re not sure who decided to ban muddling at the Samba Room, but the bartenders skip the muddling process altogether.
Without muddling, the mojito is just not the same.
At the Samba Room, the lime juice is pressed out into large jugs and sweetened before it is brought to the bar.
The sweetened lime juice mixture tastes as if a small amount of orange juice has been added to it.
Presumably this makes the lime juice mix last longer and is considerably cheaper.
The slight orange flavor could also come from triple sec, the Samba Room’s unusual addition to the mojito (and one that we think better left for the margarita).
In the all-important taste category, the Samba Room’s mojito is very sweet, almost too sweet. The mojitos go down very smoothly, both because of the sweetness and the clean consistency.
There is no noticeable lime pulp which may be the result of using a mix instead of fresh lime juice. Unfortunately, the flavor reminds us a little too much of a sweet margarita.
The Samba Room is a great place to try a mojito (along with a few tasty appetizers).
Its surroundings are modern and lively. Overall, we give the Samba Room three muddlers out of five for their impressive appearance, but less than classic taste.
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