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Mesón De La Flota
The Mesón is Cuba's take on an earthy Andalucian flamenco club (not to mention a restaurant and hotel). The Cubans have taken to this traditionally Spanish musical art with gusto and stamped their own authority on such classic flamenco toques (forms) as seguiriyas and soleares . Over the course of the night, the in-house band and dancers raise the stakes as they search for the indefinable and elusive spirit that aficionados know as duende.
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Monserrate Bar
Traveler's tip: the Monserrate Bar daiquirís are half the price of those sold at the El Floridita one block down the road, thanks to the fact that a certain Ernest Hemingway never drank here. Skip the cheap food (it's cheap for a reason) and concentrate on cramming in the cocktails.
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Multicine Infanta
Habana's fanciest cinema was refurbished for the prestigious 2006 Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, and its four auditoriums sparkle afresh.
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Opus Bar
With individual candlelit tables, overstuffed chairs and Sly and the Family Stone on the sound system, 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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Palermo
Don't tell the respectable owners of your casa particular (private house that lets out rooms to foreigners) you're heading here - they'll run a mile. Palermo is a dance club with a heavy rap scene. Fun but fuerte (tough).
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Patio de María
Rather unique in Cuba for a number of reasons, the Patio de María is a nexus point for Habana's burgeoning counterculture, hosting everything from rock music to poetry readings. You can catch all kinds of entertainment here, from videos and debates to workshops and theater, but best of all are the rock nights (to canned music) that take off most weekends. Check the schedule posted at the door.
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Piano Bar Delirio Habanero
This suave and sophisticated lounge upstairs in the Teatro Nacional hosts everything from young trovadores to smooth, improvised jazz. The deep-red couches abut a wall of glass overlooking the Plaza de la Revolución and it's stunning at night with the Martí memorial alluringly backlit. This is where to escape when the action at the adjoining Café Cantante Mi Habana nightclub gets too hot. There's a daily peña (musical performance) at .
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Pico Blanco
An average hotel with a surprisingly less-than-average nightclub, the Pico Blanco is situated on the 14th floor of the Hotel St John's in Vedado. The program can be hit or miss: one night it's karaoke and cheesy boleros , another it's jamming with famous Cuban musicians. Check the schedule posted in the hotel window. The rooftop bar has terrific views.
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Prado No 12
This slim flat-iron building on the corner of Paseo de Martí and San Lázaro serves drinks and simple snacks. Despite a major renovation five years ago, Prado No 12 still seems to be in a 1950s time warp. Soak up the atmosphere of this amazing city here after a sunset stroll along the Malecón (Av de Maceo).
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Sala Teatro El Sótano
If you understand Spanish, it's well worth attending a performance of the Grupo Teatro Rita Montaner in the Sala Teatro El Sótano, not far from the Hotel Habana Libre. The best shows are on Friday and Saturday evenings, and late Sunday afternoons. This is cutting edge contemporary Cuban theater at its best.
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Sala Teatro Hubert De Blanck
This theater, named for the founder of Habana's first conservatory of music, is home to Cuba's leading theater company, Teatro Estudio. You can usually see plays in Spanish on Saturday and Sunday evenings; tickets are sold just prior to the performance.
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Salón Rosado Benny Moré
For something completely different, check out the very caliente (hot) action at this outdoor venue. The Rosado packs in hot, sexy Cuban youths dancing madly to Los Van Van, Pupi y Su Son Son or Habana Abierta; it's a fierce scene and female travelers should expect aggressive come-ons. Some travelers pay pesos, others dollars - more of that Cuban randomness for you. Friday to Sunday is best.
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Taberna de la Muralla
Set up by an Austrian company in 2004, this unique no-nonsense drinking establishment serves smooth, cold homemade beer at sturdy wooden benches set up outside on the cobbles or indoors in an atmospheric beer hall. Get a group together and the staff will serve the amber nectar in a tall plastic tube; you draw the beer out of a tap at the bottom. There's also an outside grill here where you can order good helpings of chorizo, fish and kebabs.
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Teatro Amadeo Roldán
Constructed in 1922 and burnt down by an arsonist in 1977, this wonderfully decorative neoclassical theater was rebuilt in 1999 in the exact style of the original. Named after Amadeo Roldán, the Cuban composer who was responsible for bringing Afro-Cuban influences into modern classical music, the theater is one of Habana's grandest, boasting two different auditoriums.
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Teatro América
Housed in a classic Art Deco rascacielo (skyscraper), Teatro América seems to have changed little since its theatrical heyday in the 1930s and 40s. It plays host to vaudeville, comedy, dance, jazz and salsa; shows are normally staged on Saturday evenings and late Sunday afternoons. You can also inquire about dance lessons.
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Teatro Brecht
Habana's many theaters are testament to its healthy cultural scene. The Brecht has varied performances on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Tickets go on sale one hour before the performance.
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Teatro Fausto
Another Art Deco eye-catcher on Paseo de Martí, the Teatro Fausto is renowned for its sidesplitting comedy shows on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There's an open-sided theater bar across the street on the corner of Colón.
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Teatro Karl Marx
This ugly but great venue puts other Habana theaters in the shade, seating 5500 in a single auditorium. The biggest events in Habana happen here, like the closing galas for the jazz and film festivals and rare concerts by trovadores such as Carlos Varela and Silvio Rodríguez. It also hosted Welsh group the Manic Street Preachers in 2001, the first Western rock band to play live on the island (Fidel Castro was in the audience).
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Teatro Mella
Occupying the site of the old Rodi Cinema, the Teatro Mella is named after the famous Communist and revolutionary hero Julio Antonio Mella. The program here is really comprehensive, offering an international ballet festival, comedy shows, theater, dance and intermittent performances from the famous Conjunto Folklórico Nacional. If you have kids, come to the children's show on Sunday morning. The theater has a seating capacity of 1475.
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Teatro Nacional De Cuba
One of the twin pillars of Cuban cultural life in Habana, the Teatro Nacional de Cuba is the modern rival to the old-world Gran Teatro in Parque Central. Built in the 1950s as part of Jean Forestier's grand city expansion, the complex hosts landmark concerts, foreign theater troupes, La Colmenita children's company and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba.
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Teatro Nacional De Guiñol
The Teatro Nacional de Guiñol, underneath the Focsa building, presents fun puppet shows for children on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Sunday mornings.
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Tropicana
A city institution since it opened in 1939, the world-famous Tropicana was one of the few examples of Habana's Las Vegas-style nightlife to survive the clampdowns of the Castro revolution. Just as it always did, the Tropicana features a bevy of scantily clad señoritas who climb down from the palm trees to salsa dance amid colorful flashing stage lights. The only difference these days the jaw-dropping price of admission.
