Ensign Bitters: The Nightclub That Lit Up the Mayfair

Back in the neon-soaked nights of 1980s Coconut Grove, one place stood out as the epicenter of cool: Ensign Bitters. Tucked discreetly inside the Mayfair Hotel, this now-lost nightclub was a glittering secret passed from local to local, a magnetic hotspot for the creative, the chic, and the curious.

Named after a cocktail ingredient few could pronounce (but everyone ordered at least once), Ensign Bitters wasn’t just a bar — it was a vibe. Guests would slip past sculptural hallways and lush courtyards, drawn in by the hum of live jazz, and a spinning disco ball.

The entrance was subtle, almost hidden — a nod to its insider status. But once you found your way inside, it felt like stepping into a dream. The lighting was low, the music was loud, and the crowd? Effortlessly stylish. Think silk shirts unbuttoned just enough, gold lamé minis, teased hair, and cologne that lingered in the air like a good secret.

The club pulsed with everything from jazz to synth-pop. One night, you might sway to a live saxophonist in a white blazer and shades; the next, a DJ spinning New Order or Grace Jones remixes to a packed dancefloor. People didn’t come to Ensign Bitters to be seen — they came to feel something.

It quickly became a favorite of local fashion heads, artists, and Grove bohemians. Rumor has it that on certain nights, you could spot Madonna or Gianni Versace slipping through the crowd. No photos, no selfies, no distractions — just music, movement, and Miami magic.

To bring you deeper into the world of Ensign Bitters, I sat down with longtime Grove resident María Elena Portuondo, now 64, who spoke about her love affair with the club — and the love she found there, too:

“It was the kind of place where you didn’t check the time — you just danced until the lights came on. I remember wearing a black lace dress with rhinestones to there. It was 1986. I was standing at the bar, sipping a Campari soda, when this guy walked up to me and said, ‘You look like trouble… the good kind.’ That man turned out to be my husband. We’ve been married 37 years.”

She still has that dress. And yes, she still has the man, too. María Elena also remembers the club’s signature cocktail: a spicy gin-and-bitters concoction served in a short glass with a twist of orange. The music, the velvet banquettes, the wild conversations in the courtyard — “It felt like Europe and Miami had a love child,” she laughed.

Today, Ensign Bitters is no more — its doors long closed, its memories flickering like the glow of a neon sign in a rearview mirror. But the legend lives on. In whispers between old friends. In the dusty corners of vintage magazines. And at places like Turn Back The Clock Shop, where the music, the fashion, and the soul of the 1980s never really left — they just moved into a new zip code.

So the next time you’re in Coconut Grove, pause for a moment in front of the Mayfair’s intricate tilework and winding courtyards. If you listen closely, you might just hear the faint echo of high heels on mosaic floors… or the opening notes of a forgotten dance track.