Bar entertainment in Havana
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A
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.
reviewed
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B
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.
reviewed
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C
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.
reviewed
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D
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.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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E
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.
reviewed
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F
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.
reviewed
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G
Monserrate Bar
Hit the Monserrate Bar where daiquirís are half the price due to the fact that Hemingway never drank here.
reviewed
