Bar entertainment in Cuba
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El Floridita
Promoting itself as the ‘cradle of the daiquirí,’ El Floridita was a favorite of expat Americans long before Ernest Hemingway dropped by in the 1930s (hence the name, which means ‘little Florida’). A bartender named Constante Ribalaigua invented the daiquirí soon after WWI, but it was Hemingway who popularized it and ultimately the bar christened a drink in his honor: the Papa Hemingway Special (basically, a daiquirí made with grapefruit juice). His record – legends ha it – was 13 doubles in one sitting. Any attempt to equal it at the current prices (CUC$6 a single shot) will cost you a small fortune – and a huge hangover.
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Casa de la Música
Aping its two popular Havana namesakes, this place has quality live acts and a definitive Cuban feel. It’s in town and attracts a local crowd who pay in pesos.
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El Ranchón
Atop a long flight of stairs at the western end of Coroneles Galano, El Ranchón mixes an exhilarating hilltop setting with taped disco and salsa music and legions of resident jineteras (women who attach themselves to male foreigners for monetary or material gain) . Maybe that’s why it’s so insanely popular. Watch your step on the way down – it’s a scary 146-step drunken tumble.
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Opus Bar
With individual candlelit tables, overstuffed chairs and Sly and the Family Stone on the airways, this is Habana’s (good) approximation of a lounge. The wall of windows make it a great sunset spot and performances in the Teatro Amadeo Roldán downstairs are broadcast via closed-circuit TV – a good alternative if the show is sold out.
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E
Bar Dos Hermanos
This bar has (so far) managed to remain off the standard Havana tourist itinerary. Out of the way and a little seedy, it was a favorite watering hole of Spanish poet Federico García Lorca during a three-month stopover in 1930. With its long wooden bar and salty seafaring atmosphere, it can’t have changed much since.
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La Dichosa
It’s hard to miss the rowdy La Dichosa on busy Calle Obispo, despite the fact that it doesn’t display its name outside. Small and cramped with at least half the space given over to the resident band, this is a good place to stall for a quick drink before heading off down the road.
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Bosque Bologna
A fern-filled terrace that fills the space of a demolished building on Calle Obispo, the Bologna is always busy with drinkers and diners drawn in by a combination of its effervescent music and highly persuasive waiters. It’s a perfect warm-up for an extended Habana Vieja bar crawl.
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G
Bar La Fontana
Could it be the lounge trend has hit Santiago de Cuba? You might think so walking into this cocoon off José A Saco with low stools grouped around individual tables lining the wall. Just don't order any apple martinis; it's strictly peso beer and rum at this cool saloon.
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H
Prado No 12
A slim flat-iron building on the corner of Prado and San Lázaro that serves drinks and simple snacks, Prado 12 still resembles Havana in a 1950s time-warp. Soak up the serendipitous atmosphere of this amazing city here after a sunset stroll along the Malecón.
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La Confronta
Amid the well-worn bar stools and Benny Moré paraphernalia you can sample 25 different varieties of cocktail and all the prices are in Cuban pesos, a tempting proposition for a Convertible-loaded traveler. There’s also a limited food menu.
reviewed
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Uneac
You can catch heartfelt boleros on the flowery patio here in the former home of disgraced first president Tomás Estrada Palma, who is largely blamed for handing Guantánamo to the Yanquis.
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Restaurante Moscú
Walk left, past the scale model of the Kremlin, and down a fluorescent-lit hall. Push through the door in the back and step into the hushed red hues of (what else?!) the Moscú lounge.
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K
Marylin
Standing room only at this rough-hewn counter on Saco where you can quickly fortify yourself with an eye-watering shot of Ron Caney before walking in a straight line up the street.
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L
El Baturro
In the long tradition of drinking houses situated next to train stations, El Baturro is a rough-and-ready Spanish bistro with a long wooden bar and an all-male drinking clientele.
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Bar Mirador
On the top floor of the Dupont Mansion, Bar Mirador is Varadero’s ultimate romantic hangout where ‘happy hour’ conveniently coincides with sunset cocktails.
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Monserrate Bar
Hit the Monserrate Bar where daiquirís are half the price due to the fact that Hemingway never drank here.
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La Taberna
For something grittier, try this dark, 2nd-floor saloon with faux stained-glass; it's tucked away behind Tropi Crema.
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Las Palmas
A good starlit night out for a fraction of the price of the Tropicana shindig can be had at this ARTex place.
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Kon Tiki Club
If you'd like to touch base with the city's underworld, try this gloomy place behind Marylin.
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Bar Dragón
Connected to the Lai-Lai mansion-restaurant, this is good for a drink or three.
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Café El Patio
This venue has a nice courtyard for a drink; and no cover charge.
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