This Havana-inspired cocktail bar with a secret entrance just reopened in Miami Beach

After almost two years, The Regent Cocktail Club has opened its (hidden) door once again.

The Havana-inspired bar and lounge, located inside the Gale South Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton, closed in March 2020 as the COVID pandemic hit Miami.

It was a tough break for The Regent, which opened in 2012 and was named one of the Top Ten Hotel Bars in the World in 2017 by Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. The bar had just undergone a renovation in 2019 before the shutdown. The space, which used to be home to the underground nightlife spot Rec Room and can seat up to 200 guests, is three times the size of the original club.

You still enter through the speakeasy-esque entrance behind the host stand at Dolce Italian Restaurant. Head down the neon-illuminated stairway to enter the lounge, which is reminiscent of a 1940s speakeasy, with a 12-seat bar, leather banquettes and comfortable chairs throughout the room.

Come early to hear live jazz; stay late as the volume pumps up with resident DJs.

But we know why you’re here: The cocktails. Inspired by the original menu by Bar Lab, the new cocktail menu is all about liquid perfection. You can order concoctions like The Champiña (Grey Goose, vanilla-infused Chinola passion fruit liqueur, charred pineapple, lime juice and egg white topped with bubbles) or Peach One (Ketel One Cucumber, Pêche de Vigne, cucumber, citrus, and Fever-Tree soda). The Guava Paloma blends Patrón Reposado, pink guava, habañero shrub, lime juice, and Fever-Tree grapefruit soda.

Or try the Regent Club, with Oxley London Dry Gin, Aperol, pomegranate grenadine, lemon juice, raspberries, egg white, and cherry bitters. Or get devilish with the savory El Diablo with Cazadores Reposado, lime juice, agave, jalapeño, and crème de cassis, topped with Fever-Tree ginger beer.

There’s also a light food menu, with staples like chicken empanadas, yuca croquettes and meat and cheese plates.

John Meadow, founder and CEO of LDV Hospitality, said he is happy to finally be welcoming guests back.

“From an iconic Miami night out with friends to a laid-back evening with smooth cocktails and Cuban beats, every experience at The Regent Cocktail Club is memorable,” he said in a statement.

The Regent Cocktail Club

Where: Gale South Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton, 1690 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

Hours: 7 p.m.-2 a.m., Thursday-Saturday

More information: RegentCocktailClub.com