El Floridita

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  • Address
    at Av de Bélgica, Obispo No 557, Centro Habana
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  • Phone
    867 1300
  • 11:00 - 24:00

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Lonely Planet review

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'). Indeed its fame began soon after WWI when a bartender named Constante Ribalaigua began using shaved ice to make frozen daiquirís.

Hemingway developed a penchant for the refreshing cocktail and ultimately they christened a drink in his honor: the Papa Hemingway special (basically, a daiquirí made with grapefruit juice). His record - legend has it - was 13 doubles in one sitting. Any attempt to equal it at the current prices (around 6.00 a single shot) will cost you a small fortune - and a huge hangover.