Must see nightlife in Havana

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Art and coffee go together like Fidel and Che in this wonderfully reimagined mansion with an interior that features revolving local art. Seating is…

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Excellent coffee, fine croissants, suave non-reggaeton music and Charlie Chaplin movies playing on a loop in a scarred Centro Habana apartment – what more…

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…

This fabulously chilled tapas bar occupying an unsignposted villa in the diplomatic quarter is where hip habaneros come to consume cocktails and art…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

El Floridita was a favorite of expat Americans long before Hemingway dropped by in the 1930s, hence the name (which means 'Little Florida'). Bartender…

Made famous thanks to the rum-swilling exploits of Ernest Hemingway (who by association instantly sends prices soaring), this is Havana's most celebrated…

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)…

This sometimes suave, sometimes frenetic lounge upstairs at Teatro Nacional de Cuba hosts everything from young rap artists to smooth, improvised jazz…

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…

Cafe, English-language bookshop, socially responsible community resource, and a great place for Cubans and non-Cubans to interact: Cuba Libro plays many…