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 Cuba
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Varadero
The best coffee in Cuba outside Havana is ignored by most of Varadero's tourists simply because they don't know about it. The reason: this open-all-hours…
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Matanzas
Matanzas has recently made a giant leap into a new artistic domain, thanks largely to places like this smart cafe-cum-art-collective on riverside Calle…
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Trinidad
While other restaurants send their waitstaff out into the street to fish for customers, La Botija crams half the town into its lively corner bar without…
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Santiago de Cuba
Slip up to the 5th-floor roof of Casa Granda for the most breathtaking sunset in Cuba. Views of the scene in Parque Céspedes and the dramatically lit…
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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…
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Factoria Varadero 43 Cervecería
Varadero
Specializing in large, super-chilled jars of house-brewed beer served a drunken stumble from the beach, La Factoria is related to a similar well…
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Havana
This fabulously chilled tapas bar occupying an unsignposted villa in the diplomatic quarter is where hip habaneros come to consume cocktails and art…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Holguín
Perched above Salón 1720, this is the city's poshest spot. Cocktails are in order as you drink in the views over Parque Calixto García while listening to…
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Holguín
There's a young, trendy vibe at this place on Parque Calixto García. If you can't dance, stay static sinking beers on the adjacent Terraza Bucanero (entry…
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Cienfuegos
At ye olde yacht club, this bar is great for cocktails and beer. Sunsets are sublime.
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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…
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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…
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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)…
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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…
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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…
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Trinidad
Located in an actual cave, this frenetic disco heats up (literally – there's little air circulation down there) around midnight. Entry includes one drink;…
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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…
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Cienfuegos
Cafe, souvenir stall and nightly music venue, this small space wedged between the Teatro Tomás Terry and the neoclassical Colegio San Lorenzo is the most…
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Santiago de Cuba
You know Cuba is changing when you find an actual warehouse-style brewpub filled with locals quaffing pints brewed on-site. The four beers at this noisy,…
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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…
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Varadero
In recent years, Varadero has sprouted a copy of Hemingway's favorite Havana dive bar, aka La Bodeguita del Medio, a cool place where musicians strum in…
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Varadero
In the Miami-esque Marina Gaviota at the eastern end of the peninsula, you get a Miami-esque cafe. The Isabelica tries to impress Starbucks-starved…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Matanzas
The city's famed drinking hole is a frenetic place housed in the ruins of a 19th-century, bay-facing warehouse. Drinks and grilled meats are served on an…
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Camagüey
The aesthete's choice. At the top of the Gran Hotel, its cocktail maestro will prepare mojitos and daiquiris while you gaze at the city's premier vista –…
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Matanzas
Dark, coolly air-conditioned and rather swish for Matanzas, this small, mod bar has tables that light up to show old city landmarks. Cocktails are…
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Varadero
New cafe specializing in hot or cold mugs of Baracoan chocolate, a concoction that manages to taste both sweet and bitter at the same time. There’s inside…
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Matanzas
What begins as an old-school art-supplies shop and exhibition venue leads back into a courtyard reminiscent of bohemian Paris, where artsy culture…
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Trinidad
This place is famous for its eponymous house cocktail made from rum, honey, lemon and water. Local musicians regularly drop by for off-the-cuff jam…
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Varadero
Set in the transition zone between old and new Varadero, this simple snack bar attracts clientele from both ends. It's good for a cheese sandwich during…
