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…
Must-see nightlife in Havana
Vedado
Behold the backlit photo art, the sofa shoehorned into the trunk of an American car, and the globes doubling as lampshades. The Belview, bivouacked in a…
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…
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…
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…
Vedado
Art and coffee go together like Fidel and Che in this wonderfully reimagined mansion with an interior that features revolving local art. Seating is…
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…
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…
Havana
This fabulously chilled tapas bar occupying an unsignposted villa in the diplomatic quarter is where hip habaneros come to consume cocktails and art…
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…
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…
Vedado
Vedado flirts with bohemia in this dimly lit gay-friendly bar that might have materialized from Paris’ Latin Quarter in the days of James Joyce and Ernest…
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…
Vedado
Housed in an 1880s mansion, La Esencia is among Havana's trendiest bars due to its ambience, retro-style decoration and consistent cocktails. It also…
Vedado
Tucked behind a residential building in sight of the Hotel Meliá Cohiba, this small walk-up bar offers an astounding 97 fresh juice combinations using the…
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…
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…
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)…
Vedado
This sometimes suave, sometimes frenetic lounge upstairs at Teatro Nacional de Cuba hosts everything from young rap artists to smooth, improvised jazz…
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…
Vedado
Cafe, English-language bookshop, socially responsible community resource, and a great place for Cubans and non-Cubans to interact: Cuba Libro plays many…
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…
Vedado
Below the Teatro Nacional de Cuba (side entrance), this hip disco offers live salsa music and dancing as well as bar snacks and food. It has earned a…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Vedado
No ice cream here, just movie memorabilia. This is the HQ of the Cuban Film Institute and a nexus for coffee-quaffing students and art-house movie addicts…
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…
Vedado
An ice-cool place to see and be seen, this tiny but super-slick bar-club close to the Malecón is full of dry ice and well-off Cubans enjoying nightly…
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…
Vedado
If you want to salsa dance, this is the place to go: after the Sunday-night show literally everyone takes to the floor. It's at the far-western end of the…
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…
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…
Vedado
The Vegas was once a rough and slightly seedy local music dive, but these days it's better known for its late-night drag shows and is one of Havana's most…
Cervecería Antiguo Almacén de la Madera y Tabaco
Habana Vieja
Down by the docks lies one of only two brewpubs in Havana, which makes and serves three Austrian-style beers in an old lumber and tobacco warehouse. Craft…
Vedado
Olalá (aka Sarao's) seems more Miami South Beach than traditional Havana, and the music veers toward hip hop and reggaeton as opposed to trova and son…
Centro Cultural Recreativo los Orishas
Regla, Guanabacoa & the Forts
Situated in a hotbed of Havana's Santería community, this bar-restaurant used to host live rumba music on weekends, including regular visits from the…
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…
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…
