Entry No. 3 — the Miami file — filed under: speakeasy
Kaona Room
A 'speaky-tiki' hybrid hidden behind a deliberately blank, unmarked entryway on a side street downtown — built secretly behind the scenes of the old Esotico tiki bar and revealed to guests in November 2022. Inside: Polynesian carved-wood details, jazz-club lighting, flaming-ice drink presentations, and a hard cap of 45 guests at a time.
The story
Before November 2022, if you walked down NE 1st Avenue in Edgewater, you would have had no idea a hidden bar was being framed behind a blank exterior wall. Built secretly in the shadow of the Graspa Group's Esotico tiki venue, Kaona Room was carved out as an intimate back-room hideaway and unveiled without a marquee or sidewalk sign.
The owners dubbed the concept a 'speaky-tiki'—a dark hybrid that trades loud neon and plastic palm fronds for heavy carved Polynesian woodwork, dim jazz-club lighting, and serious spirits. The back bar houses a curated library of over 50 rare rums, built for targeted flights and craft tropical cocktails that frequently arrive set ablaze.
What it's like
Finding the door means hunting down a deliberately featureless entryway along 1600 NE 1st Avenue. Step inside and you enter a low-lit pocket room holding a hard limit of 45 guests, meaning you'll never have to fight four-deep at the bar for a drink. The move is to claim a two-top, order a rum flight or something served flaming, and settle in under the dark wood detailing. Because of the strict headcount, reserve a table via SevenRooms well before turning up for their Wednesday-through-Saturday evening window.
The move: Book a two-top for the '2-hour vacation to paradise' the room is built around — split a rum flight from the 50+ bottle list, order whatever cocktail arrives with fire on it, and let the low-lit, jungle-jazz room do the rest.
- 📍 Edgewater / Arts & Entertainment District, Miami
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1600 NE 1st Ave, Suite 102, Miami, FL 33132
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Bacardi Buildings / The Jewel Box — Inspect Biscayne Boulevard's mid-century rum architecture half a mile north before sampling rare rums behind Kaona's unmarked door.
- Miami City Cemetery — Take a quiet, historical walk through Miami's oldest municipal cemetery just two blocks south before stepping into the low-lit tiki hideaway.
- Museum of Graffiti — Explore Wynwood's outdoor mural alley under a mile away before retreating to Edgewater for evening drinks.
Good to know
How do I find the entrance?
Look for a blank, unmarked door along 1600 NE 1st Avenue (Suite 102) in the Arts & Entertainment District / Edgewater, located behind the Esotico space.
Do I need a reservation?
Yes. The venue enforces a strict 45-guest capacity, so locking in a table via SevenRooms in advance is strongly advised.
What are the operating hours?
Kaona Room is open Wednesday through Saturday starting at 6 PM, and is closed Sunday through Tuesday. Check current hours before heading out.
What kind of drinks do they serve?
The focus is on craft tropical cocktails with dramatic flaming presentations, alongside a list of more than 50 rare rums available as flights or pours.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: graspagroup.com · Official site · Time Out
last checked: 2026-07-19