Must-see nightlife in Havana

  • El Dandy

    Habana Vieja

    More stylish man-about-town than vain popinjay, El Dandy is an unpretentious cafe by day and a cool cocktail bar by night. A casual greeter shakes your…

  • Azúcar Lounge

    Habana Vieja

    From a 2nd-floor balcony, high above the architectural beauty contest that is Plaza Vieja, there’s no better place in Cuba to savor a piña colada than…

  • El Chanchullero

    Habana Vieja

    'Aqui jamás estuvo Hemingway' (Hemingway was never here) reads the sign outside Chanchullero, with more than a hint of irony. It's a key point. Since the…

  • Café Fortuna Joe

    Havana

    There are a lot of seriously weird (in a good way) places to drink coffee in Havana, but Café Fortuna Joe stands alone, mainly because of its original…

  • Café Arcángel

    Havana

    Excellent coffee, fine croissants, suave non-reggaeton music and Charlie Chaplin movies playing on a loop in a scarred Centro Habana apartment – what more…

  • El Patchanka

    Habana Vieja

    Live bands rock the rafters, locals knock back powerful CUC$3 mojitos, and earnest travelers banter about Che Guevara's contribution to modern poster art…

  • Espacios

    Havana

    This fabulously chilled tapas bar occupying an unsignposted villa in the diplomatic quarter is where hip habaneros come to consume cocktails and art…

  • Rooftop Bar, Hotel Inglaterra

    Havana

    The rooms may have lost their luster, but the Inglaterra’s open-air roof terrace remains one of the best free-entry bars in Havana for live music and…

  • Siá Kará Café

    Havana

    In Starbucks-free Havana, every cafe is individual and Siá Kará exhibits its character with graffiti-covered tables, an old tie collection and a parody of…

  • La Taberna del Son

    Habana Vieja

    A hurricane of Cuban energy, this tiny dive just off Plaza Vieja gives at least half of its space over to the nightly band, most of whom are older than…

  • El Floridita

    Habana Vieja

    El Floridita was a favorite of expat Americans long before Hemingway dropped by in the 1930s, hence the name (which means 'Little Florida'). Bartender…

  • La Bodeguita del Medio

    Habana Vieja

    Made famous thanks to the rum-swilling exploits of Ernest Hemingway (who by association instantly sends prices soaring), this is Havana's most celebrated…

  • Sloppy Joe's

    Havana

    Opened by young Spanish immigrant José García (aka ‘Joe’) in 1919, this bar earned its name for its dodgy sanitation and soggy ropa vieja (shredded-beef)…

  • Museo del Chocolate

    Habana Vieja

    Chocolate addicts, beware: this state-run museum-cafe in Habana Vieja's heart is a lethal dose of chocolate, truffles and yet more chocolate (all made on…

  • Cafe El Louvre

    Havana

    The animated sidewalk cafe at the Hotel Inglaterra is an open terrace bar where mojitos and Cuba libres are served well before noon. It’s the perfect…

  • La Factoria Plaza Vieja

    Habana Vieja

    Havana's original microbrewery occupies a boisterous corner of Plaza Vieja and sells smooth, cold, homemade beer at sturdy wooden benches set up outside…

  • Espacios Old Fashioned

    Habana Vieja

    An offshoot of the hip Miramar bar, Espacios inhabits a smaller abode in Habana Vieja but, like its bigger sibling, adorns its walls with eye-widening…

  • Art Pub

    Habana Vieja

    Worth incorporating into a neighborhood bar crawl, even if the 'pub' moniker is a bit misleading (the only beer it has is bottled Heineken). The eclectic…

  • Bar Dos Hermanos

    Habana Vieja

    This once-seedy, now polished bar by the docks broadcasts a list of former rum-slugging patrons on a plaque by the door: Federico García Lorca, Marlon…

  • Café Taberna

    Habana Vieja

    Founded in 1772 and glowing after a 21st-century makeover, this drinking and eating establishment is a favorite of cruisers and tour groups, who prop up…

  • Café París

    Habana Vieja

    Rough-hewn Habana Vieja dive bar, with outdoor seating, a gregarious, tourist-heavy atmosphere and a constant diet of live music. On good nights (which is…

  • Monserrate Bar

    Habana Vieja

    A couple of doors down from the famous Hemingway drinking haunt of El Floridita, Monserrate is a Hemingway-free zone, meaning the daiquiris are half the…

  • Prado No 12

    Havana

    A slim flat-iron building that serves drinks and simple snacks, Prado No 12 resembles Havana in a 1950s time warp. Soak up the atmosphere of the city here…

  • La Lluvia de Oro

    Habana Vieja

    The ominously named 'golden shower' on Obispo always has live music belting through the doorway, so it's always crowded. But with a higher-than-average…

  • Café el Escorial

    Habana Vieja

    Once the only cafe on Plaza Vieja, this state-run staple encased in a finely restored colonial mansion has recently been outclassed by newer private…

  • Bar Luna

    Habana del Este

    With its luminous interior and open terrace overlooking the street, the Luna is all restaurant but is more popular for its drinks and nighttime action…

  • Café Neruda

    Havana

    A romantically disheveled place on the Malecón that's named after Chilean man of letters Pablo Neruda, this cafe is better for its drinks than its food…

  • La Dichosa

    Habana Vieja

    Through good times and bad, the music has never stopped at La Dichosa on busy Calle Obispo. Small and cramped, with at least half the space given over to…

  • Cabaret Guanimar

    Habana del Este

    This outdoor club in Guanabo is really just a disco with a dancing show (at 11pm) and a heavy assemblage of jinetero/as (touts). Don't expect the…

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