Felipe Valls, Founder of the Iconic Versailles Restaurant on Calle 8, Dies at 89

November 27, 2022

Felipe Valls, founder of the famous Cuban restaurant Versailles, passed away in Miami on November 26, 2022, according to several media reports.

Valls arrived in Miami in 1960 after some of his family businesses in Santiago de Cuba had been confiscated, and he later founded the Versailles restaurant in 1971 with the idea of creating a gathering place for the growing Cuban community in South Florida.

The restaurant, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, is the center of Cuban life in the capital of Cuban exile. Beyond the food, Versailles is a must-visit destination for all newcomers to the city and a meeting point for the Cuban community residing in South Florida. The Versailles restaurant is a piece of the Caribbean island in the heart of Little Havana.

Valls and the group he represented already owned 18 restaurants in Miami, including La Carreta and Casa Juancho.

Felipe Valls' restaurant has been visited by presidents, celebrities, and those nostalgic for the old and new times.