Palapa — Restaurant in Miami

We had a wonderful time Friday night at Palapa! We were there to see Orientica, the open-air acrobatic circus style cabaret. It was our first time there and we went to celebrate my birthday. First of all, the entrance to the place is fascinating with all the exotic decor and lights and creativity. No waiting in line, we were taken to our table, which was very close to the stage with a great view. The show was amazing and the talented acrobats did not disappoint. Great songs and music. The lady who did the solos has the voice of an angel! The male acrobats were all very handsome and had great moves. The women were gorgeous. You could feel what the Troupe was trying to convey. The gentleman who did the comic opening act was amazing and stole the show! He even gave me a hug and kiss with best wishes for my birthday. He was very entertaining with all the guests. You can order food and drinks there but we only ordered wine because we wanted to pay attention to the show. The crowd seemed enthused and happy. I think we all needed some normalcy after 2 years of the pandemic. Everything was great except for trying to find a parking spot on the street. You just have to get creative or do...

5 star for the intimate experience, but really not good with service. We bought tickets on-site to a show the same evening. The person told us after the 2 hour show we could hang out in the area until 1am to finish drinks and stuff. And each drink was $17 ($22-23 with tax, tip etc). We ordered a first round, and then got a second round because we were told that we could hang after the show. But then the show ended. We wanted to use the bathroom and were taking the drinks with us when the guard said we can’t and that we should leave them on a table nearby and he’d keep an eye on them. Our drinks were half full. But when we got back they cleared them out. When we asked if they can offer any refunds they said they can’t find the bill (there were maybe 30 tables in total, and it’s not hard to find a bill with 4 drinks where I was telling them the exact price). They offered discount for next time, but for visitors that’s not possible. Really not happy how they decided to treat this mess up entirely on their part. And then they say the guard doesn’t work for the venue… we should’ve told one of them. As if we’re keeping track of who works there and...

The ambiance here is everything! They do a very good job of bringing an eclectic mix of many aspects into a single presentation. The various DJs bring a nice energetic vibe without wearing you out. There were also performers of which we got to see twice. They were very professional and skilled and this was very apparent in their performance. For this particular evening it was an aerial and balancing act of two girls. The costumes and props were on point with the surroundings.

The food comes from the various venues around the bar and everything was just as eclectic as the surroundings. if you are not into exotic food then this is probably not your best choice for dinner but you can certainly enjoy the drinks from the bar and catch the show. All of the plates, cutlery, straws, etc we're all sustainable and or recyclable.

The servers were always readily available and always kept an eye on their tables which is very important to me. I will definitely make another visit here again...