SPP E-Book

DON'T MISS

THE BACK ALLEYS OF HAVANA

Havana has a handful of easy-to-miss callejones (back alleys), each brushed with its own distinctive personality. Here is the leading quartet:

Callejón del Chorro

Habana Vieja’s culinary alley was once a forgotten cul-de-sac that contained nothing more than a graphic artist’s co-op at one end. Now it is a beehive of mega-popular private restaurants packed with alfresco seating and guarded by a gauntlet of over-keen waiters. Notwithstanding, the Chorro, which sits pretty just off Plaza de la Catedral, contains some of Havana’s best restaurants, including Doña Eutimia.

Callejón de Hamel

Havana’s most famous back alley is located in a small sub-neighborhood of Centro Habana called Cayo Huesco and is dedicated to street art, live music, Afro-Cuban folklore and Santería.

Callejón Espada

Named after a reformist 19th-century Havana bishop, Espada cuts diagonally across the Habana Vieja grid in the increasingly genteel Santo Ángel neighborhood. Reclaimed as a community project a few years ago, its repaved sidewalks are often filled with seniors playing dominoes, or tourists sitting outside one of several new restaurants that furnish Cinco Esquinas de Santo Ángel where Espada merges with Calles Cuarteles and Habana.

Callejón de los Peluqueros

This small 100m stretch of Calle Aguiar on the north side of Habana Vieja has been improbably transformed into a hairdressing-themed art project by a local barber named Gilberto Valladares, aka 'Papito,' in tandem with the City Historian’s Office. Anchored by Papito’s own salon, which doubles as a museum called Arte Corte, the street has been augmented by an art studio, a clothes boutique, several restaurants and a kids' playground.

Centro Habana

Pastelería FrancesaCAFE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Parque Central No 411; snacks CUC$1-2; h8am-midnight)

This cafe has all the ingredients of a Champs-Élysées classic: a great location (in Parque Central), waiters in waistcoats, and delicate pastries displayed in glass cases. But the authentic French flavor is diminished by grumpy staff and the swarming jineteras (female touts) who roll in with foreign tourists for cigarettes and strong coffee.

NazdarovieRUSSIAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-860-2947; www.nazdarovie-havana.com; Malecón No 25, btwn Prado & Cárcel; mains CUC$10-12; hnoon-midnight)

Cuba's 31-year dalliance with bolshevism is relived in this new and highly popular restaurant in prime digs overlooking the Malecón. Upstairs, the decor is awash with old Soviet propaganda posters, brotherly photos of Fidel and Khrushchev and slightly less bombastic Russian dolls. The menu is in three languages (to get in the real spirit, try ordering in Russian).

Choices are simple but classic: beef stroganoff, chicken kiev and borscht are all listed and they're all good. For cocktails try the James Bond option: a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred). From Russia with love.

Castas y TalCUBAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-864-2177; Av de Italia No 51, cnr San Lázaro; mains CUC$6-9; hnoon-midnight)

In its short life the C&T has gone from old-school paladar (ensconced in someone's 11th-floor apartment) to trendy bistro-style restaurant. High-quality and adventurous food, such as lamb with Indian masala, or chicken in orange sauce, comes backed up with Cuban classics (lashing of rice and beans are served on the side). It's all beautifully presented, too.

CastropolSPANISH$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-861-4864; Malecón 107, btwn Genios & Crespo; mains CUC$9-20; h6pm-midnight)

Castropol is run by the local Spanish Asturianas society, and its reputation has expanded in line with its fleshed-out restaurant space over the last few years. Word is now out that the venerable two-story establishment, with its upstairs balcony overlooking Havana's dreamy sea drive, serves some of the best Spanish and Caribbean food in Havana.

Pizza, pasta and the like are served downstairs. Upstairs is a little posher, with paella, garbanzos fritos (fried chickpeas), prawns in a tangy sauce, and generous portions of lobster pan-fried in butter.

Casa AbelINTERNATIONAL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-860-6589; San Lázaro No 319, cnr San Nicolás; mains CUC$7-16; hnoon-midnight)

Rum and cigars dominate the proceedings at Casa Abel. Several food dishes on the menu contain meats marinated in Cuba's favorite tipple (including chicken marinated in rum and then smoke-roasted with beer!), while on the floor above the dining room you can puff away till your heart's content (or lament) in a smoking room, with puros (cigars) chosen from a special menu.

Casa MiglisSWEDISH$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-864-1486; www.casamiglis.com; Lealtad No 120, btwn Ánimas & Lagunas; mains CUC$6-12; hnoon-1am)

There’s a place for everything in Havana these days, even Swedish-Cuban fusion food. Emerging improbably from a kitchen in the battle-scarred tenements of Centro Habana, comes toast skagen (prawns on toast), ceviche, couscous, and the crème de la crème: melt-in-your-mouth meatballs with mashed potato.

The owner’s Swedish (no surprise) and the decor (empty picture frames, chairs attached to the wall) has a touch of IKEA minimalism about it.

Los NardosSPANISH$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-863-2985; Paseo de Martí No 563; mains CUC$4-10; hnoon-midnight)

An open secret opposite the Capitolio, but easy to miss (look out for the queue), Los Nardos is a semi-private restaurant operated by the Spanish Asturianas society. The dilapidated exterior promises little, but the leather and mahogany decor and generous-sized dishes inside suggest otherwise – Los Nardos is touted in some quarters as one of the best cheap eateries in the city.

The menu includes lobster in a Catalan sauce, garlic prawns with sautéed vegetables and an authentic Spanish paella. Service is attentive, there are usually more Cubans than tourists, and the prices, for what you get, are mind-bogglingly cheap.

Restaurante Tien-TanCHINESE$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-863-2081; Cuchillo No 17, btwn Rayo & San Nicolás; meals CUC$7-12; h10:30am-11pm)

One of Barrio Chino's best authentic Chinese restaurants, Tien-Tan ('Temple of Heaven') is run by a Chinese-Cuban couple and serves up an incredible 130 different dishes. Try chop suey with vegetables or chicken with cashew nuts and sit outside in action-packed Cuchillo, one of Havana's most colorful and fastest-growing 'food streets.'

oSan CristóbalCUBAN$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-867-9109; San Rafael, btwn Campanario & Lealtad; meals CUC$9-18; hnoon-midnight Mon-Sat)

San Cristóbal was knocking out fine food long before the leader of the free world dropped by in March 2016, although the publicity garnered from President Obama's visit probably helped. Crammed into one of Centro Habana's grubbier streets, the restaurant has a museum-worthy interior crowded with old photos, animal skins, and a Santería altar flanked by pictures of Maceo and Martí.

The menu is Cuban with a touch of Spain. Obama had the solomillo (sirloin), while the First Lady had tentación habanero (fajitas with fried plantains).

La GuaridaINTERNATIONAL$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-866-9047; www.laguarida.com; Concordia No 418, btwn Gervasio & Escobar; mains CUC$15-22; hnoon-3pm & 7pm-midnight)

Only in Havana! The entrance to the city's most legendary private restaurant greets you like a scene out of a 1940s film noir. A decapitated statue at the bottom of a grand but dilapidated staircase leads up past lines of drying clothes to a wooden door, behind which lie multiple culinary surprises.

La Guarida's lofty reputation was first fermented in the 1990s when it was used as a location for the Oscar-nominated film Fresa y Chocolate. Not surprisingly, the food is still up there with Havana's best, shoehorning its pioneering brand of Nueva Cocina Cubana into dishes such as rabbit pâté and oxtail risotto. Reservations recommended.

Vedado

El BikyCAFETERIA$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-870-6515; cnr Calzada de la Infanta & San Lázaro; sandwiches & burgers CUC$2-5; h8am-11pm)

Havana needs more places like El Biky, a kind of upscale diner with quick service, cozy booths, walls covered in retro 1950s photos and the option to choose either a snack or a full meal. There's an affiliated bakery next door selling the best chocolate croissants in Havana (which you can have brought in to your table).

Café PresidenteINTERNATIONAL$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-3091; cnr Av de los Presidentes & Calle 25; breakfast CUC$4-6.50; h9am-midnight)

With its red awnings and huge glass windows doing a good impersonation of a Champs-Élysées bistro, the Presidente delivers the goods on Havana's very own Champs-Élysées, Av de los Presidentes. It's the kind of place where you won't feel awkward popping in for a quick milk shake or plate of pasta, but it also does killer breakfasts and coffee.

Camino al SolVEGETARIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 3 363, btwn Paseo & 2; CUC$1-4; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat; v)

In a country where the national dish is pork and no meal is considered complete without meat, this vegetarian hole-in-the-wall is truly a find. The chef uses locally grown vegetables such as eggplant, okra, corn and yuca to make anything from a pie to a veggie burger. The homemade pasta is especially delicious.

This spot is ideal for lunch, but be prepared to stand up as seating is limited.

La CatedralINTERNATIONAL$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-830-0793; Calle 8 No 106, btwn Calzada & Calle 5; meals CUC$4-6; hnoon-11pm)

It's not anywhere near the cathedral nor does it look particularly ecclesial, but no matter. The best thing about La Catedral is that, by offering very reasonable prices, it attracts a local Cuban clientele and not just tourists. The restaurant tackles a number of culinary genres – including pizza, tapas and a tremendous tres leches cake – and in big portions too.

If the size of the dishes defeat you, they will bag them up for you to go.

Restaurant Bar RazonesCUBAN, INDIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-8732; Calle F No 63, btwn Calles 3 & 5; mains CUC$4-7; hnoon-midnight)

Since Havana no longer has a pure Indian restaurant, it's left for Razones to pick up the spicy pieces, bravely inserting a couple of curry dishes onto its multifarious menu. It also does interesting things with lobster (flavored with pineapple sauce and even coffee extract).

The clientele is mainly Cuban, meaning the prices aren't too steep.

TopolyIRANIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-3224; www.topoly.fr; Calle 23 No 669, cnr Calle D; small plates CUC$4-7; h10am-midnight)

Cuba finds solidarity with Iran in Havana's first Iranian restaurant, corralled in a lovely collonaded mansion on arterial Calle 23. Sit on the wraparound porch beneath iconic prints of Gandhi, José Martí and Che Guevara, and enjoy pureed eggplant, lamb brochetas (shish kebabs), fantastic coffee, and tea in ornate silver pots.

Belly dancers entertain on selected evenings.

Waoo Snack BarINTERNATIONAL$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle L No 414, cnr Calle 25; snacks CUC$3-7; hnoon-midnight)

Wow! The Waoo Snack Bar truly impresses with its wooden wraparound bar, happening location close to Calles 23 and L, and quick offerings you might want to savor – think carpaccio, cheese plates and coffee with accompanying desserts.

La ChucheriaAMERICAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 1, btwn Calles C & D; snacks CUC$2-7; h7am-midnight)

Clinging to its perch close to the Malecón, this sleek sports bar looks as if it floated mockingly across the straits from Florida like a returning exile. But you can forget about politics momentarily as you contemplate pizza toppings, sandwich fillings and the best ice cream and fruit milk shakes in Havana.

The restaurant's diminutive interior, with its clear plastic chairs and flat-screen TVs replaying Messi’s latest match-winner, demonstrates how the line between socialismo and capitalismo is becoming ever more blurred.

Toke Infanta y 25BURGERS$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-836-3440; cnr Calzada de la Infanta & Calle 25; snacks CUC$2-4; h7am-midnight)

Sitting pretty amid the bruised edifices of Calzada de la Infanta on the cusp of Vedado and Centro Habana, Toke lures enamored habaneros (and tourists) with cool neon, smart color accents, economical hamburguesas (hamburgers) and chocolate brownies. It's become known as a gay-friendly spot lately due to its location next to a couple of nightclubs.

CoppeliaICE CREAM$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 23 & L; ice cream from MN$40; h10am-9:30pm Tue-Sat)

The Coppelia, Havana's celebrated ice-cream parlor housed in a flying-saucer-like structure in a park in Vedado, is as celebrated for its massive queues as much as it is for its ice cream. Insanely popular since opening in 1966 (through some very rough economic times), this state-run institution is about far more than mere ice cream.

Relationships have been forged here, fledgling novels drafted, birthday parties celebrated and Miami-bound escape plots hatched. The ultimate accolade came in 1993 when the Coppelia served as a location and major plot device in the Oscar-nominated Cuban movie Fresa y Chocolate (the film’s title alludes to two flavors of Coppelia ice cream: strawberry and chocolate).

As a tourist visiting the Coppelia, you’ll probably be directed by a security guard into a smaller convertible-paying outdoor section, but dodge the directives. Queueing is an integral part of Coppelia folklore, as traditional as the table-sharing, the cheap ice cream (you’ll pay in Cuban pesos), and the uncensored people-watching opportunities that abound inside.

Café TVFAST FOOD$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles N & 19; mains CUC$4.50; h11am-3am Mon-Sat, 11am-midnight Sun)

Hidden in the bowels of Edificio Focsa, this TV-themed cafe is a funky dinner/performance venue lauded by those in the know for its cheap food and hilarious comedy nights. If you're willing to brave the frigid air-con and rather foreboding underground entry tunnel, head here for fresh burgers, healthy salad, pasta and chicken cordon bleu.

oStarbienINTERNATIONAL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-830-0711; Calle 29 No 205, btwn Calles B & C; lunch CUC$12; hnoon-5pm & 7pm-midnight)

The ingredients: an elegant tucked-away Vedado mansion, an authentic Cuban welcome, complimentary bites to start you off, a great wine list, never-miss-a-beat service, and chicken in pineapple sauce. And it's all yours for CUC$12 if you bag the lunchtime special four-course menu. So get over to Calle 29 near Plaza de la Revolución.

oCafé LaurentINTERNATIONAL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-6890; Calle M No 257, 5th fl, btwn Calles 19 & 21; meals CUC$10-15; hnoon-midnight)

Talk about a hidden gem. The unsigned Café Laurent is a sophisticated fine-dining restaurant encased, incongruously, in a glaringly ugly 1950s apartment block next to the Focsa Building. Starched white tablecloths, polished glasses and lacy drapes furnish the bright modernist interior, while sautéed pork with dry fruit and red wine, and seafood risotto headline the menu.

Viva the culinary revolution!

Mediterraneo HavanaMEDITERRANEAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-4894; www.medhavana.com; Calle 13 No 406, btwn Calles F & G; mains CUC$9-18; hnoon-midnight)S

Allying themselves with the granja a la mesa (farm-to-table) movement and utilizing a couple of agricultural co-ops in Guanabacoa, the Med serves primarily Italian food with a few nods to Spain in a pleasant Vedado residence. Run by two Cuban-Sardinian friends, it hits most of the right notes, with pasta dishes that aren't afraid to go out of the box.

Try the penne in brandy or the truffle risotto and make a note about the crème caramel for dessert. Compliments must also go to the service, which is warm but discreet.

El IdilioCUBAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-830-7921; cnr Av de los Presidentes & Calle 15; meals CUC$6-11; hnoon-midnight)

A bold, adventurous, neighborhood joint in Vedado with checkered tablecloths, Idilio epitomizes the Cuban culinary scene as it spreads its wings and flies. Anything goes here: pasta, ceviche and Cuban standards, or opt for the seafood medley peeled freshly off the barbecue before your very eyes.

Paladar Mesón Sancho PanzaMEDITERRANEAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-831-2862; Calle J No 508, btwn Calles 23 & 25; mains CUC$5-12; hnoon-11pm)

Appropriately situated next to Parque Don Quijote, Paladar Mesón Sancho Panza doesn’t let down its loyal literary compañero. Fine Spanish-influenced food is served in a lovely semi-alfresco restaurant adorned with ponds and plant-covered trellises, and there's a cake case that could make skipping dessert difficult. Set yourself up with paella, lasagna or brochetas (kebabs) first.

Bonus: there's occasional live flamenco.

Versus 1900INTERNATIONAL$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-835-1852; www.versus1900.com; Línea No 504, btwn Calles D & E; mains CUC$7-24; hnoon-midnight)

Opened in late 2015, Versus 1900 shows how Cuban restaurants are moving the yardstick ever forward. Set inside a large detached house and making good use of the multifarious space including interior rooms, front terrace and rooftop, the place is exquisitely decorated (antique, but uncluttered) and delivers an interesting menu that includes rabbit, duck and Peruvian soup.

The best and most unique part is on the roof at super-cool Chill Out, a trance-y bar with sofas, poufs and four-poster recliners.

AtelierCUBAN$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-836-2025; Calle 5 No 511/Altos, btwn Paseo & Calle 2; meals CUC$12-25; hnoon-midnight)

The first thing that hits you here is the stupendous wall art – huge, thought-provoking, religious-tinged paintings. You'll also notice the antique wooden ceiling, Moorish-style roof terrace and old-school elegance (even the plates are interesting). At some point you’ll get around to the food – Cuban with a French influence – scribbled onto an ever-changing menu. Try the duck (the specialty) if it's on, or the rabbit.

DecameronINTERNATIONAL$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-2444; Línea No 753, btwn Paseo & Calle 2; mains CUC$12-18; hnoon-midnight; v)

Nondescript from the outside, but far prettier within, thanks largely to its famous collection of antique clocks (don't be late now!), the Decameron is an old stalwart paladar that was always good, still is good and probably always will be good. The food is Cuban with international inflections. People rave about the savory tuna tart; ditto the sweet lemon tart.

On top of that there's a decent wine selection, powerful cocktails and the kitchen is sympathetic to vegetarians.

Le ChansonnierFRENCH$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-1576; www.lechansonnierhabana.com; Calle J No 257, btwn Calles 13 & 15; meals CUC$12-20; h12:30pm-12:30am)

A great place to dine if you can find it (there’s no sign), hidden away in a faded mansion turned private restaurant whose revamped interior is dramatically more modern than the front facade. French wine and French flavors shine in house specialties such as rabbit with mustard, eggplant gratin and spare ribs. Opening times vary and it's often busy; phone ahead.

VIP HavanaMEDITERRANEAN$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-0178; Calle 9 No 454, btwn Calles E & F; mains CUC$15-21; hnoon-3am)

You don't have to be a very important person to eat at VIP Havana, but it probably helps. This is Havana posing as Miami, with a large central bar on the restaurant floor, drink shelves backlit with neon strip-lights, and old black-and-white movies showing (silently) on a massive cinema screen.

VIP's atmosphere manages to be refined but not at all snobby, while the food does good renditions of Cuba's default lobster along with an enthusiastically lauded paella. A small, but important detail: it also has what are possibly Cuba's finest baños (toilets).

La TorreFRENCH, CARIBBEAN$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-838-3088; Edificio Focsa, cnr Calles 17 & M; mains CUC$15-30; h11:30am-12:30am)

Havana's tallest restaurant is perched high above Vedado on the 36th floor of the skyline-hogging Focsa building. The lofty fine-dining extravaganza has sweeping city views that rarely disappoint, although the food sometimes does.

Back in the day, government-run Torre was a legend, a colossus of French-Cuban haute cuisine. These days, there are plenty of other (private) places that have usurped it in both novelty and value for money. But, oh, the view!

6Drinking & Nightlife

Havana’s cafe scene has entered an interesting stage. Bland international franchises have yet to gain a foothold but, with more freedom to engage in private business, local entrepreneurs are directing their artistic creativity into a growing number of bohemian bars and cafes.

Habana Vieja

oEl DandyBAR, CAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-867-6463; www.bareldandy.com; cnr Brasil & Villegas; h8am-1am)

The jury's still out on Havana's trendiest bar-cafe, but there's little doubt that it's the dandiest. Proving itself to be 'unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance,' El Dandy is a vortex of strong coffee, powerful cocktails and (something not always included in the hipster rule book) warm, unpretentious service.

It also acts as a mini photo gallery, with subject matter dedicated to the two great balletic themes of dance and boxing adorning the walls.

oAzúcar LoungeLOUNGE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-860-6563; Mercaderes No 315; h11am-midnight)

How to make an old square trendy: stick a low-lit, chill-out bar with Ikea-style couches on the upper floor of one of its oldest houses. Sprinkle said bar with avant-garde art and weird light fixtures. Offer lavish cocktails and hypnotic trance music. Call it Azúcar (sugar).

oEl ChanchulleroBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.el-chanchullero.com; Brasil, btwn Bernaza & Christo; h1pm-midnight)

'Aqui jamás estuvo Hemingway' (Hemingway was never here) reads the sign outside roguish Chanchullero, expressing more than a hint of irony. It had to happen. While rich tourists toast Hemingway in La Bodeguita del Medio, hip Cubans and foreigners who think they're hip pay far less for better cocktails in their own boho alternative.

Squeeze inside the clamorous, graffiti-ridden dive bar interior where the music rocks in 4/4 time rather than 6/8. Stuff that in your cigar and smoke it, Ernesto!

El PatchankaBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-860-4161; Bernaza No 162; h1pm-1am)

Live bands rock the rafters, locals knock back powerful CUC$2 mojitos, and earnest travelers banter about Che Guevara's contribution to modern poster art in this new dive bar in Plaza del Cristo that already looks comfortably lived in. Cultural interaction is the key here. By keeping the prices low (lobster for CUC$6!), Patchanka attracts everyone.

The walls are decorated with graffiti from around the world along with a cartoonish pirate ship sporting the name 'Patchanka' – the Spanish term for fusion-rock. It fits like a coat.

Museo del ChocolateCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Amargura & Mercaderes; h9am-9pm)

Chocolate addicts beware, this unmissable place in Habana Vieja's heart is a lethal dose of chocolate, truffles and yet more chocolate (all made on the premises). Situated – with no irony intended – on Calle Amargura (literally, Bitterness Street), it's more a cafe than a museum, with a small cluster of marble tables set amid a sugary mélange of chocolate paraphernalia.

Not surprisingly, everything on the menu contains one all-pervading ingredient: have it hot, cold, white, dark, rich or smooth – the stuff is divine, whichever way you choose.

Espacios Old FashionedBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-861-3895; www.barrestaurantespaciosoldfashioned.com; Amargura No 258, btwn Habana & Compostela; hnoon-midnight)

The new offshoot of the hip Miramar restaurant, Espacios inhabits a smaller abode in Habana Vieja, but, like its bigger sibling, adorns its walls with avant-garde art. You can eat here, but we recommend it as a place to sink a glass or cup of something containing caffeine, alcohol or perhaps just juice, while checking out the art – and artists.

Musicians roll in at about 10:30pm.

Cervecería Antiguo Almacén de la Madera y TabacoBEER HALL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Desamparados & San Ignacio; hnoon-midnight)

Down on the docks lies Havana's largest brewpub, which makes and serves three Austrian-style beers in an old lumber and tobacco warehouse. The interior is huge, recalling the ambience of an Oktoberfest beer tent, so it never feels overcrowded.

There's barbecued food on offer plus a central stage for live music, but this place is best for its beer – CUC$2 for a half liter, or CUC$12 for a 3L theatrical beer tower.

Dulcería Bianchini IICAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-862-8477; www.dulceria-bianchini.com; San Ignacio No 68; h9am-9pm)

Cubans seemed to have long forgotten about the Spanish merienda – that lovely afternoon pause for hot drinks and cake. Then along came Bianchini, with its sweet snacks and excellent coffee, to remind everyone why tea time matters. This tiny bohemian abode is squeezed into Habana Vieja's jam-packed 'culinary alley' near the cathedral. Dodge the menu-touting hustlers and order a coffee.

La Bodeguita del MedioBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Empedrado No 207; h11am-midnight)

Made famous thanks to the rum-swilling exploits of Ernest Hemingway (who by association instantly sends the prices soaring), this is Havana's most celebrated bar. A visit here has become de rigueur for tourists who haven't yet cottoned on to the fact that the mojitos are better and (far) cheaper elsewhere.

Past visitors have included Salvador Allende, Fidel Castro, Nicolás Guillén, Harry Belafonte and Nat King Cole, all of whom have left their autographs on La Bodeguita's wall – along with thousands of others (save for the big names, the walls are repainted every few months). These days the clientele is less luminous, with package tourists from Varadero outnumbering beatnik bohemians. Purists claim the mojitos have lost their Hemingway-esque shine in recent years. Only one way to find out…

El FloriditaBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Obispo No 557; h11am-midnight)

El Floridita was a favorite of expat Americans long before Hemingway dropped by in the 1930s, hence the name (which means 'Little Florida'). Bartender Constante Ribalaigua invented the daiquiri soon after WWI, but it was Hemingway who popularized it and ultimately the bar christened a drink in his honor: the Papa Hemingway Special (a grapefruit-flavored daiquiri).

Hemingway's record – legend has it – was 13 doubles in one sitting. Any attempt to equal it at the current prices (CUC$6 for a shot) will cost you a small fortune – and a huge hangover.

La Factoria Plaza ViejaBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr San Ignacio & Muralla; h11am-midnight)

Havana's original microbrewery occupies a boisterous corner of Plaza Vieja and sells smooth, cold, homemade beer at sturdy wooden benches set up outside on the cobbles or indoors in a bright, noisy beer hall. Gather a group together and you'll get the amber nectar in a tall plastic tube drawn from a tap at the bottom. There's also an outside grill.

Café TabernaBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Brasil & Mercaderes; hnoon-midnight)

Founded in 1772 and still glowing after a 21st-century makeover, this drinking and eating establishment is a great place to prop up the (impressive) bar and sink a few cocktails before dinner. The music, which gets swinging around 8pm, doffs its cap, more often than not, to one-time resident mambo king Benny Moré. Skip the food.

Bar Dos HermanosBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; San Pedro No 304; h24hr)

This once-seedy, now polished bar down by the docks broadcasts a boastful list of former rum-slugging patrons on a plaque by the door: Federico Lorca, Marlon Brando, Errol Flynn and Hemingway (of course) among them. With its long wooden bar and salty seafaring atmosphere, it still spins a little magic.

Café ParísBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Obispo No 202; h24hr)

Things never stand still at this rough-hewn Habana Vieja dive bar, known for its live music and gregarious tourist-heavy atmosphere. On good nights, the rum flows and spontaneous dancing erupts.

Monserrate BarBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Obrapía No 410; hnoon-midnight)

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 price.

Café el EscorialCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Mercaderes No 317, cnr Muralla; h9am-9pm)

Once the only cafe on Plaza Vieja, this state-run staple encased in a finely restored colonial mansion has been usurped by new private competition. Granted, the caffeine infusions are still pretty good – café cubano, café con leche, frappé, coffee liquor and even daiquirí de café are all available – but the cakes are often as dry as the service.

La DichosaBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Obispo & Compostela; h10am-midnight)

It's hard to miss rowdy La Dichosa on busy Calle Obispo. Small and cramped, with at least half the space given over to the resident band, this is a good place to sink a quick mojito.

LGBTIQ HAVANA

The revolution had a hostile attitude toward homosexuality in its early days. While the Stonewall riots were engulfing New York City, Cuban homosexuals were still being sent to re-education camps by a government that was dominated by macho, bearded ex-guerrillas dressed in military fatigues.

But since the 1990s the tide has been turning, spearheaded somewhat ironically by Mariela Castro, daughter of current president, Raúl Castro, and the director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education in Havana.

An important landmark for the LGBT community was reached in June 2008 when the Cuban government passed a law permitting free sex-change operations to qualifying citizens courtesy of the country's famously far-sighted health system. In November 2012 Cuba elected its first transgender person to public office when Adela Hernández (a woman) won a municipal seat in Villa Clara province.

Havana’s LGBT scene has taken off in the last few years. The focus of gay life is on the cusp of Centro Habana and Vedado in the ‘triangle’ that stretches between Calzada de la Infanta, Calle L and Calle 23 (La Rampa). Calle 23 at its intersection with the Malecón has long been a favored meeting spot for gay people, while Cine Yara and the Coppelia park opposite are well-known cruising spots. Nightlife centers on gay-friendly venues such as the Pico Blanco club in Hotel St John’s and Cabaret Las Vegas, both known for their drag shows. Sandwiched between the two is a pleasant little cafe called Toke Infanta y 25. Also worth a trip is the Café Cantante Mi Habana in Cuba's National Theater, which has a gay party on Saturday nights.

In more discriminatory days, Havana’s only gay beach was Mi Cayito, a quiet secluded stretch of Playa Boca Ciega in Playas del Este. The beach remains popular. You can now also enjoy gay film nights at the Icaic headquarters on the corner of Calles 23 and 12 in Vedado and, since 2009, an annual gay parade along Calle 23 in mid-May. Legally, lesbians enjoy the same rights as gay men, though there is a less evident lesbian 'scene.'

Centro Habana

oCafé ArcangelCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %5-268-5451; Concordia No 57; h8:30am-6:30pm Mon-Sat, 8:15am-1pm Sun)

Excellent coffee, fine tortas (cakes), suave non-reggaeton music and Charlie Chaplin movies playing on a loop in a scarred Centro Habana apartment – what more could you want?

Sloppy Joe'sBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Agramonte & Ánimas; hnoon-3am)

This bar, opened by young Spanish immigrant José García (aka ‘Joe’) in 1919, earned its name due to its dodgy sanitation and a soggy ropa vieja (shredded-beef) sandwich. Legendary among expats before the revolution, it closed in the '60s after a fire, but was reincarnated in 2013 beneath the same noble neoclassical facade. And it's still serving decent cocktails and soggy sandwiches.

Granted, it's tourist-ville these days, but the interior is equally true to its predecessor, as old black-and-white photos (most of which feature Sinatra with a glass in his hand) on the wall testify.

Café NerudaBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Malecón No 203, btwn Manrique & San Nicolás; h11am-11pm)

A romantically disheveled place on the Malecón, named after the famous Chilean man of letters, Pablo Neruda, this cafe is better for its drinks than its food menu. Spend a poetic afternoon writing your own verse as the waves splash over the sea wall.

Prado No 12BAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Paseo de Martí No 12; hnoon-11pm)

A slim flat-iron building on the corner of Paseo de Martí (Prado) and San Lázaro that serves drinks and simple snacks, Prado No 12 resembles Havana in a 1950s time warp. Soak up the atmosphere of the city here after a sunset stroll along the Malecón.

Vedado

oCafé MamainéCAFE, BAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-8328; Calle L No 206, btwn Calles 15 & 17; h8am-midnight Mon-Thu, 8am-3am Fri-Sun)S

Art and coffee go together like Fidel and Che in this wonderfully reimagined eclectic mansion with an interior decked out with revolving local art, much of it made from recycled 'junk.' Flop down on a cushion on the wooden mezzanine, order a strong coffee or cocktail and chat with the person next to you (probably an artist).

oCafé MadrigalBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 17 No 302, btwn Calles 2 & 4; h6pm-2am Tue-Sun)

Vedado flirts with bohemia in this dimly lit romantic bar that might have materialized serendipitously from Paris’ Latin Quarter in the days of Joyce and Hemingway. Order a tapita (small tapa) and a cocktail, and retire to the atmospheric art nouveau terrace where the buzz of nighttime conversation competes with the racket of vintage American cars rattling past below.

La JugueraJUICE BAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 6, btwn Calles 1 & 3; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)

Tucked away behind a residential building, this spot offers dozens of fresh juice combinations and also a great slice of Cuban life, as it is very popular among locals. If you are staying nearby and want to take some fresh juice home, it also sells by the liter.

Make sure you bring some small change as a glass of juice is generally around CUC$6.

Chill OutBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Línea No 504, btwn Calles D & E; h7pm-3am)

Chill Out doesn't need much more explanation beyond its name. It's the trance-y, super-cool rooftop bar at Versus 1900, with sofas, poufs and four-poster recliners. The ideal after-party haunt in Vedado.

Gabanna CaféBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calle 3 & C; h5pm-3am)

Sleek, small, trendy, and embellished with black-and-white overtones, this à la mode cocktail bar is what the modern Havana scene is all about. Beautiful people sip equally attractive cocktails in its small, supercool interior.

Bar-Restaurante 1830CLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Malecón & Calle 20; hnoon-1:45am)

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 west end of the Malecón with a water-facing terrace. Skip the food.

Cuba LibroCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-830-5205; cnr Calles 24 & 19; h11am-8pm Mon-Sat; c)S

Cafe, book vendor, socially responsible community resource, and a great place for Cubans and non-Cubans to interact; Cuba Libro wears many different hats. Although it's a bit of a walk from the main sights, it's a good place to find out more about Havana below the radar. Grab a juice or coffee and join the discussion.

Aside from selling secondhand books, the cafe displays emerging Cuban art, gives out free condoms, provides toys for kids and follows sustainable practices.

Café Fresa y ChocolateCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 23, btwn Calles 10 & 12; h9am-11pm)

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. It's not fancy, but you can debate the merits of Almodóvar over Scorsese on the pleasant patio before disappearing next door for a film preview.

Café Cantante Mi HabanaCLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-879-0710; cnr Paseo & Calle 39; h8pm-3am)

Below the Teatro Nacional de Cuba (side entrance), this is a hip disco that offers live salsa music and dancing, as well as bar snacks and food. It has earned a reputation as being the place to go to meet cool, trendy Cubans in a laid-back jinetero-free environment. On Saturdays, it hosts a gay party called Divino, with drag show.

No shorts, T-shirts or hats may be worn, and no under-18s are allowed. The cover is CUC$10.

Piano Bar Delirio HabaneroCLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-878-4275; cnr Paseo & Calle 39; cover charge CUC$5-$10.; hfrom 6pm Tue-Sun)

This sometimes suave, sometimes frenetic lounge upstairs in Teatro Nacional de Cuba hosts everything from young rap artists to smooth, improvised jazz. The sharp red-accented bar and performance space abut a wall of glass overlooking Plaza de la Revolución – it's impressive at night with the Martí memorial alluringly backlit.

The scene usually gets swinging in the small hours with a largely Cuban clientele. Bring your dancing shoes.

Cabaret Las VegasCLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calzada de la Infanta No 104, btwn Calles 25 & 27; entry CUC$5; h10pm-4am)

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. With the demise of Humboldt 25, it's become one of Havana's most reliable gay clubs.

Pico BlancoCLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle O, btwn Calles 23 & 25; hfrom 9pm)

An insanely popular nightclub, the Pico Blanco is on the 14th floor of the mediocre Hotel St John's in Vedado. The program can be hit or miss. Some nights it's karaoke and cheesy boleros (ballads). another it's drag queens and boys in tight T-shirts. It's primarily Cuban with some hustlers. Entry is CUC$5 to CUC$10.

Bar-Club ImágenesBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calzada No 602; h10pm-3am)

This small, darkly lit piano bar attracts something of an older Cuban crowd with its regular diet of boleros (ballads) and trova (traditional music), though there are also comedy shows; check the schedule posted outside.

Club la RedCLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 19 & L; h10pm-2am)

A local neighborhood disco with the occasional bemused foreigner thrown in. Entry costs CUC$3 to CUC$5.

BEST HOTEL BARS

AHotel Nacional Mojitos on the terrace at the Hotel Nacional is a not-to-be-missed Havana experience.

AHotel Saratoga Beautiful decor, refined ambience and very expensive drinks.

AHotel Armadores de Santander Dark mahogany wood and a seafaring atmosphere down by Havana's harborside.

AHotel Ambos Mundos Hemingway's old hotel is a romantic place to order a cocktail and offer your requests to the house pianist.

3Entertainment

Although it may have lost its pre-revolutionary reputation as a dazzling casino quarter, Vedado is still the place for nightlife in Havana. Cabaret, jazz, classical music, dance and cinema are offered in abundance and it's invariably of a high standard. Entertainment in Habana Vieja is emerging from a Rip Van Winkle–like slumber and becoming increasingly hip. Centro's nightlife is edgier and more local.

Live Music

Jazz Club la Zorra y El CuervoLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-833-2402; cnr Calles 23 & O; CUC$5-10; hfrom 10pm)

Havana's most famous jazz club (The Vixen and the Crow) opens its doors nightly at 10pm to long lines of committed music fiends. Enter through a red British phonebox and descend into a diminutive and dark basement. The scene here is hot and clamorous and leans toward freestyle jazz.

Callejón de HamelLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; hfrom noon Sun)

Aside from its funky street murals and psychedelic art shops, the main reason to come to Havana's high temple of Afro-Cuban culture in Centro Habana is the frenetic rumba music that kicks off every Sunday at around noon.

For aficionados, this is about as raw and hypnotic as it gets, with interlocking drum patterns and lengthy rhythmic chants powerful enough to summon up the spirit of the orishas (Santería deities).

Due to a liberal sprinkling of tourists these days, some argue that the Callejón has lost much of its basic charm. Don't believe them. This place still rocks – and rumbas!

Jazz CaféLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-838-3302; top fl, Galerías de Paseo, cnr Calle 1 & Paseo; cover after 8pm CUC$10; hnoon-2am)

This upscale joint, located improbably in a shopping mall overlooking the Malecón, is a kind of jazz supper club, with dinner tables and a decent menu. At night, the club swings into action with live jazz, timba and, occasionally, straight-up salsa. It's definitely the suavest of Havana's jazz venues.

Basílica Menor de San Francisco de AsísCLASSICAL MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza de San Francisco de Asís; tickets CUC$3-8; hfrom 6pm Thu-Sat)

Plaza de San Francisco de Asís' glorious church, which dates from 1738, has been reincarnated as a 21st-century museum and concert hall. The old nave hosts choral and chamber music two to three times a week (check the schedule at the door) and the acoustics inside are famously good. It's best to bag your ticket at least a day in advance.

Café Teatro Bertolt BrechtLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-9359; cnr Calles 13 & I; tickets CUC$3)

A live-music venue beloved by Havana's trendy youth for the weekly concerts headlined by the legendary music collective Interactivo (Wednesdays at midnight-ish). If you're curious about Cuban culture – and its future – roll up for an evening here. Be prepared to queue.

Submarino AmarilloLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 17 & 6; h2-7:30pm & 9pm-2am Tue-Sat, 2-10pm Sun, 9pm-2am Mon)

You can't escape the Beatles in Cuba; their iconic status is epitomized in clubs such as this one, which abuts Parque Lennon and hosts all types of live music as long as it's in 4/4 time and a subgenre of 'rock.' Look out for top Cuban band Los Kents. Afternoons are more laid-back, when you can nibble tapas while watching surreal '60s videos.

Casa de la MúsicaLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Av de Italia, btwn Concordia & Neptuno; CUC$5-25; h5pm-3am)

One of Cuba's best and most popular nightclubs and live-music venues. All the big names play here, from Bamboleo to Los Van Van – and you'll pay peanuts to see them. Of the city's two Casas de la Música, this Centro Habana version is a little edgier than its Miramar counterpart (some say it's too edgy), with big salsa bands and not much space.

It was getting a makeover at the time of research.

El GuajiritoLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-863-3009; Agramonte No 660, btwn Gloria & Apodeca; show CUC$30; h9:30pm)

Some label it a tourist trap, but this restaurant-cum-entertainment-space bivouacked upstairs in a deceptively dilapidated Havana tenement plays some of the most professional Buena Vista Social Club music you'll ever hear. Indeed, this is a Buena Vista Social Club of sorts.

True, there are plenty of tour-bus escapees crowding out the tables, and yes the food's a little anemic, but the musicianship of the horn-blasting, drum-thumping, lung-stretching band, most of whom are of pensionable age, ought to have the likes of Compay Segundo smiling down from the great gig in the sky.

El Gato TuertoLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle O No 14, btwn Calles 17 & 19; drink minimum CUC$5; hnoon-6am)

Once the headquarters of Havana's alternative artistic and sexual scene, the 'one-eyed cat' is now a nexus for middle-aged karaoke singers who come here to knock out rum-fueled renditions of traditional Cuban boleros (ballads). It's hidden just off the Malecón in a quirky two-story house with turtles swimming in a front pool.

The upper floor is taken up by a restaurant, while down below late-night revelers raise the roof in a chic nightclub.

Oratorio de San Felipe NeriLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Aguiar & Obrapía; CUC$2; hperformances at 7pm)

The Neri has had many incarnations since its founding in 1693; first as a church under various religious orders (Oratorianas, Capuchinos, Carmelitas), then as a bank, and, since 2004, as one of Havana’s top venues for classical music (mainly choral).

Teatro Amadeo RoldánTHEATER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-1168; cnr Calzada & Calle D; per person CUC$10)

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 the famous Cuban composer and the man responsible for bringing Afro-Cuban influences into modern classical music, the theater is one of Havana's grandest, with two different auditoriums.

The Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional plays in the 886-seat Sala Amadeo Roldán, while soloists and small groups are showcased in the 276-seat Sala García Caturla. It was being renovated at the time of research.

El Hurón AzulLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-4551; www.uneac.org.cu; cnr Calles 17 & H; hhours vary)

If you want to rub shoulders with some socialist celebrities, hang out at Hurón Azul, the social club of Uneac (Union of Cuban Writers and Artists). Replete with priceless snippets of Cuba's under-the-radar cultural life, most performances take place outside in the garden. Wednesday is Afro-Cuban rumba, Saturday is authentic boleros (ballads), and alternate Thursdays there's jazz and trova. You'll never pay more than CUC$5.

El TurquinoLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Hotel Habana Libre, Calle L, btwn Calles 23 & 25; CUC$10; hfrom 10:30pm)

Spectacular shows in a spectacular setting on the 25th floor of the Hotel Habana Libre. The retractable roof slides back and everyone hits the dance floor around midnight.

Theater

oGran Teatro de la Habana Alicia AlonsoTHEATER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-861-3077; cnr Paseo de Martí & San Rafael; per person CUC$20; hbox office 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 3pm Sun)

Havana's fabulously renovated 'great' theater is open again and offering up the best in Cuban dance and music. Its specialty is ballet (it's the headquarters of the Cuban National Ballet), but it also stages musicals, plays and opera. Check the noticeboard for upcoming events.

Teatro Nacional de CubaTHEATER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-879-6011; cnr Paseo & Calle 39; per person CUC$10; hbox office 10am-5pm & before performances)

One of the twin pillars of Havana's cultural life, the Teatro Nacional de Cuba on Plaza de la Revolución is the modern rival to the Gran Teatro in Centro Habana. Built in the 1950s as part of Jean Forestier's grand city expansion, the complex hosts landmark concerts, foreign theater troupes and La Colmenita children's company.

The main hall, Sala Avellaneda, stages big events such as musical concerts or Shakespeare plays, while the smaller Sala Covarrubias along the back puts on a more daring program (the seating capacity of the two halls combined is 3300). The 9th floor is a rehearsal and performance space where the newest, most experimental stuff happens. The ticket office is at the far end of a separate single-story building beside the main theater.

Teatro MellaTHEATER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-833-8696; Línea No 657, btwn Calles A & B)

Occupying the site of the old Rodi Cinema on Línea, the Teatro Mella offers one of Havana's most comprehensive programs, including an international ballet festival, comedy shows, theater, dance and intermittent performances from the famous Conjunto Folklórico Nacional. If you have kids, come to the 11am Sunday children's show.

The adjacent Jardines del Mella is a good place to chill with a drink before or after a performance.

Teatro AméricaTHEATER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Av de Italia No 253, btwn Concordia & Neptuno)

Housed in a classic art deco rascacielo (skyscraper) on Av de Italia (Galiano), the América seems to have changed little since its theatrical heyday in the 1930s and '40s. It plays host to variety, comedy, dance, jazz and salsa; shows are normally held on Saturday at 8:30pm and Sunday at 5pm.

The interior was recently renovated and is worth perusing for its curvaceous art deco-ness.

Sala Teatro Hubert de BlanckTHEATER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-830-1011; Calzada No 657, btwn Calles A & B)

This theater is named for the founder of Havana's first conservatory of music (1885). The Teatro Estudio based here is Cuba's leading theater company. You can usually see plays in Spanish on Saturdays at 8:30pm and on Sundays at 7pm. Tickets are sold just prior to the performance.

Teatro FaustoTHEATER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Paseo de Martí No 201)

Rightly renowned for its side-splitting comedy shows, Fausto is a classic example of late streamlined art deco. It was being renovated at the time of research.

Cabaret

oCabaret ParisiénCABARET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-836-3564; Hotel Nacional, cnr Calles 21 & O; entry CUC$35; h9pm)

One rung down from Marianao's world-famous Tropicana, but cheaper and closer to the city center, the nightly Cabaret Parisién in the Hotel Nacional is well worth a look, especially if you're staying in or around Vedado. It's the usual mix of frills, feathers and semi-naked women (and men), but the choreography is first class and the costumes wonderfully flamboyant.

Doors open at 9pm. There's a warm-up band and one cocktail is included.

Habana CaféCABARET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Paseo, btwn Calles 1 & 3; CUC$20; hfrom 9pm)

A hip and trendy nightclub-cum-cabaret-show at the Hotel Meliá Cohiba laid out in 1950s American style, but with salsa music. After 1am the tables are cleared and the place rocks to 'international music' until the cock crows. Excellent value.

Cultural Centers

oFábrica de Arte CubanoLIVE PERFORMANCE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-838-2260; www.fabricadeartecubano.com; cnr Calle 26 & 11; CUC$2; h8pm-3am Thu-Sun)

The brainchild of Afro-Cuban fusion musician X-Alfonso, this is one of Havana’s finest new art projects. An intellectual nexus for live music, art expos, fashion shows and invigorating debate over coffee and cocktails, there isn't a pecking order or surly bouncer in this converted cooking-oil factory in Vedado.

Instead you can mingle with the artists, musicians and mainly Cuban clientele for electrifying 'happenings' that kick off at 8pm Thursday to Sunday in the Bauhaus-like interior. Check the website for upcoming acts.

Centro Cultural El Gran PalenqueDANCE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 4 No 103, btwn Calzada & Calle 5; CUC$5; h3-6pm Sat)

Founded in 1962, the high-energy Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba specializes in Afro-Cuban dancing (all of the drummers are Santería priests). See them perform here, and dance along during the regular Sábado de Rumba – three full hours of mesmerizing drumming and dancing. This group also performs at Teatro Mella and internationally.

A major festival called FolkCuba unfolds here biannually, during the second half of January and the first half of July.

Casa de la AmistadLIVE PERFORMANCE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-830-3114; Paseo No 416, btwn Calles 17 & 19; h11am-11pm)

Rocking cultural and musical events are held in this elegant mansion built in 1926 by Juan Pedro Baró, a rich landowner involved in a scandalous marriage with high-society belle Catalina Lasa. There's also a restaurant and bar.

Casa de las AméricasLIVE PERFORMANCE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-838-2706; www.casa.co.cu; cnr Calles 3 & G)

A powerhouse of Cuban and Latin American culture set up by Moncada survivor Haydee Santamaría in 1959, offering conferences, exhibitions, a gallery, a bookstore, concerts and an atmosphere of erudite intellectualism. The Casa's annual literary award is one of the Spanish-speaking world's most prestigious. See the website for the schedule of upcoming events.

Cinemas

Cine YaraCINEMA

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 23 & L)

The first date (and first kiss) of many an enamored cubano has taken place at this classic modernist cinema on Vedado's main crossroads. It's also a major venue in the December film festival.

Cine 23 & 12CINEMA

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-833-6906; Calle 23, btwn Calles 12 & 14)

One of a clutch of well-maintained cinemas on ICAIC’s Vedado movie strip, this is one of the HQs of Havana's film festival.

Cine InfantaCINEMA

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calzada de la Infanta No 357)

A multiplex cinema that's plush by Cuban standards, Infanta is an important venue during December's international film festival.

Cine la RampaCINEMA

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 23 No 111)

Ken Loach movies, French classics, Cuban film festivals – catch them all at this Vedado staple, which houses the Cuban film archive.

Cine PayretCINEMA

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Paseo de Martí No 505)

Opposite the Capitolio, Cine Payret is Centro Habana's largest and oldest cinema, erected in 1878. Plenty of American movies play here. It was being renovated at the time of research.

Sports

Kid ChocolateSPECTATOR SPORT

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Paseo de Martí)

A boxing club directly opposite the Capitolio, which usually hosts matches on Friday at 7pm.

Gimnasio de Boxeo Rafael TrejoSPECTATOR SPORT

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-862-0266; Cuba No 815, btwn Merced & Leonor Pérez)

Boxing is hugely popular in Cuba and the country has a long list of Olympic gold medals to demonstrate its skills. Boxing enthusiasts should check out this gym where you can see fights on Friday at 7pm (CUC$1), or drop by any day after 4pm to watch the training (or even train yourself).

UNDERSTANDING JOSé MARTí

‘Two fatherlands, have I; Cuba and the Night,' wrote poet, journalist, philosopher and all-round Renaissance man José Martí in 1882, perfectly summing up the dichotomies of late 19th-century Cuba, still as relevant today as they were 130 years ago.

Ironically, Martí – the brains behind Cuba’s Second Independence War – remains the one figure who binds Cubans worldwide, a potent unifying force in a country fractiously divided by politics, economics and 145km of shark-infested ocean.

Born in Havana in 1851, Martí spent well over half his life outside the country he professed to love in sporadic exile, shunting between Spain, Guatemala, Venezuela and the US. But his absence hardly mattered. Martí’s importance was in his words and ideas. An accomplished political commentator and master of aphorisms, he was responsible, in many ways, for forming the modern Cuban identity and its dream of self-determination. It’s difficult to meet a Cuban today who can’t eloquently quote stanzas of his poetry. Similarly, there is barely a town or village across the country that doesn’t have a statue or plaza named in his honor. The homage extends to the exile community in the US where the Cubans have named a radio station after him. Indeed, Martí is venerated all across the American continent where he is often viewed as the ideological successor to Simón Bolívar.

A basic understanding of Martí and his far-reaching influence is crucial to understanding contemporary Cuba. Havana, the city of his birth, is dotted with poignant monuments, but there are important sites elsewhere. The following are the bare essentials:

Memorial a José Martí This giant tower (the tallest in Havana) has a massive statue of el Maestro at its foot and a comprehensive museum inside.

Museo-Casa Natal de José Martí Modest but lovingly curated birth house of Cuba’s national hero.

Museo Finca el Abra Small poignant house on the Isla de la Juventud where Martí was briefly imprisoned in 1870.

Cementerio Santa Ifigenia The apostle’s beautiful mausoleum in Santiago de Cuba has a grand guard-changing ceremony every 30 minutes.

Dos Ríos Obelisk ( GOOGLE MAP ; Dos Rios) Simple but appropriate monument marking where Martí died in battle in 1895 near Bayamo.

7Shopping

Sixty years of socialismo didn't do much for Havana's shopping scene. That said, there are some decent outlets for travelers and tourists, particularly for those after the standard Cuban shopping triumvirate of rum, cigars and coffee. Art is another lucrative field. Havana's art scene is cutting edge and ever changing, and browsers will find many galleries in which to while away hours.

Habana Vieja

oClandestinaCLOTHING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %53-81-48-02; Villegas No 403; h10am-8pm)

Progressive private shops are still in their infancy in Havana, but this is one of the best, set up by a Cuban artist in the mid-2010s and selling its clothes (many of them recycled), bags and accessories under the banner '99% Cuban design'. Viva the private boutique.

oCentro Cultural Antiguos Almacenes de Deposito San JoséARTS & CRAFTS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Desamparados & San Ignacio; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat)

Havana's open-air handicraft market sits under the cover of an old shipping warehouse in Desamparados. Check your socialist ideals at the door. Herein lies a hive of free enterprise and (unusually for Cuba) haggling. Possible souvenirs include paintings, guayabera shirts, woodwork, leather items, jewelry and numerous apparitions of the highly marketable El Che.

There are also snacks, cleanish toilets and a tourist information representative from the San Cristóbal agency. It's as popular with Cubans as it is with tourists.

Piscolabis Bazar & CaféHOMEWARES

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; San Ignacio 75, btwn Callejón del Chorro & O'Reilly; h9:30am-7:30pm Mon-Sun)

Perfectly located just steps from Havana’s 18th-century cathedral, this eclectic shop is run by a group of Cuban artists of various disciplines and features a wide range of decorative and functional items for the home, as well as jewelry and some clothing. The designers make modern creations from iconic objects of Cuba’s past.

Librería VeneciaBOOKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Obispo No 502; h10am-10pm)

A nice little private secondhand bookshop in Obispo where you might uncover all number of mysteries. It's particularly good for its old Cuban posters, which steer clear of the clichéd Che Guevara poses.

Casa del Habano – Hostal Conde de VillanuevaCIGARS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Mercaderes No 202; h10am-6pm)

One of Havana's best cigar shops, with its own roller, smoking room and expert sales staff.

Plaza de Armas Secondhand Book MarketBOOKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Obispo & Tacón; h9am-7pm)

This long-standing book market convenes under the leafy boughs in Plaza de Armas. It stocks old, new and rare books, including Hemingway, some weighty poetry and plenty of written pontifications from Fidel. There's no market if it rains or on important holidays.

Palacio de la ArtesaníaGIFTS & SOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Cuba No 64; h9am-7pm)

If only all shopping malls could be this attractive! Encased in a former 18th-century colonial palace and gathered around a shaded central patio, this place offers one-stop shopping for souvenirs, cigars, crafts, musical instruments, CDs, clothing and jewelry at fixed prices. Join the gaggles of tour-bus escapees and fill your bag.

La MarcaTATTOO

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-801-2026; www.lamarcabodyart.com; Obrapía 108C, btwn Oficios & Mercaderes; h11am-7pm Mon-Sat)

Should you want a more permanent memento of your time in Cuba, La Marca is the only licensed tattoo shop on the island. The parlor is run by a group of young Cuban artists who maintain an international level of cleanliness and hygiene, and they sometimes host exhibitions from some of Cuba’s leading artists.

La Casa del CaféCOFFEE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Baratillo & Obispo; h9am-5pm)

For a range of coffee and a decent taster cup, pop into La Casa del Café just off Plaza de Armas.

Fundación Havana Club ShopDRINKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; San Pedro No 262; h9am-9pm)

Havana Club rum, right from the source.

Habana 1791PERFUME

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Mercaderes No 156, btwn Obrapía & Lamparilla; h9:30am-6pm)

A specialist shop that sells perfume made from tropical flowers, Habana 1791 retains the air of a working museum. Floral fragrances are mixed by hand – you can see the petals drying in a laboratory out the back.

Taller de Serigrafía René PortocarreroART

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-862-3276; Cuba No 513, btwn Brasil & Muralla; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri)

Paintings and prints by young Cuban artists are exhibited and sold here (from CUC$30 to CUC$150). You can also see the artists at work. Budding artists should ask about courses.

Estudio Galería los OficiosART

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Oficios No 166; h10am-5:30pm Mon-Sat)

Pop into this gallery to see the large, hectic but intriguing canvases by Nelson Domínguez, whose workshop is upstairs.

Museo del TabacoCIGARS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Mercaderes No 120; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat)

At Museo del Tabaco you can gawp at various indigenous pipes and idols and buy some splendid smokes.

Fayad JamásBOOKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Obispo, btwn Habana & Aguiar; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 1pm Sun)

This bookstore, a throwback to the 1920s, was refurbished by Habaguanex to fit in with its Old Town surroundings. Editions are mainly in Spanish, but there are some interesting cultural magazines, including Temas.

Longina MúsicaMUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Obispo No 360, btwn Habana & Compostela; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun)

This place on Obispo has a reasonable selection of CDs, plus musical instruments such as bongos, guitars, maracas, güiros (gourds) and tumbadoras (conga drums). It often places loudspeakers in the street outside to grab the attention of passing tourists.

Centro Habana

oMemorias LibreríaBOOKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-862-3153; Ánimas No 57, btwn Paseo de Martí & Agramonte; h9am-5pm)

A shop full of beautiful old artifacts, the Memorias Librería opened in 2014 as Havana's first genuine antique bookstore. Delve into its gathered piles and you'll find wonderful rare collectibles, including old coins, postcards, posters, magazines and art deco signs from the 1930s. Priceless!

Real Fábrica de Tabacos PartagásCIGARS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Industria No 520, btwn Barcelona & Dragones; h9am-7pm)

Confusingly, the cigar shop affiliated with Havana's main cigar factory is still housed here on the ground floor of the original building behind the Capitolio; the factory itself has moved a couple of kilometers away. Naturally, it sells some of Havana's best smokes.

Plaza Carlos IIISHOPPING CENTER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Av Salvador Allende, btwn Arbol Seco & Retiro; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat)

After Plaza América in Varadero, this is probably Cuba's flashiest shopping mall – and there's barely a tourist in sight. The place has taken a step up in recent years – once empty shelves are now full with consumer goods. For something with a unique Cuban touch, pop into Baracoa, a chocolate shop.

Casa GuerlainPERFUME

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Paseo de Martí157, btwn Refugio & Colón)

If there was any doubt of how chic Havana is these days, look no further than the newest addition to the Prado. This exclusive perfume parlor reopened on the same premises as the original 1917 shop and sells high-end perfume and cosmetics. With the prices out of reach for most Cubans, this shop caters largely to a foreign clientele.

El BulevarSHOPPING STREET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; San Rafael, btwn Paseo de Martí & Av de Italia)

The pedestrianized part of Calle San Rafael near the Hotel Inglaterra is Havana's búlevar shopping street. Come here for peso snacks, 1950s shopping nostalgia and to see how average Cubans shop.

BEST PLACES TO BUY CIGARS

ALa Casa del Habano Quinta The top choice of all cigar aficionados also has an affiliated bar and restaurant.

ACasa del Habano – Hostal Conde de Villanueva Smoke shop in a historic Havana hotel known for its expert staff and rollers.

AReal Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás – Shop The factory's moved, but the shop is still open in a building behind the Capitolio Nacional.

AMuseo del Tabaco Small museum and shop in Habana Vieja's antique shopping street, Calle Mercaderes.

Vedado

Bazar EstacionesGIFTS & SOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-9965; Calle 23 No 10, btwn Calles J & I; h10am-9pm)

This is a new lovingly curated private shop selling some interesting and unique souvenirs (not the standard government-branded stuff). It's on the upper floor of a Vedado mansion right on the main drag.

Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria CinematográficosGIFTS & SOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 23, btwn Calles 10 & 12; h10am-5pm)

The best place in Havana for rare Cuban movie posters and DVDs. The shop is inside the ICAIC (Cuban Film Institute) building and accessed through the Café Fresa y Chocolate.

Librería Centenario del ApóstolBOOKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Calle 25 No 164; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)

Great assortment of used books with a José Martí bias in downtown Vedado.

Andare – Bazar de ArteGIFTS & SOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 23 & L; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 2pm Sat)

A fabulous selection of old movie posters, antique postcards, T-shirts and, of course, all the greatest Cuban films on videotape are sold at this shop inside the Cine Yara.

Galerías de PaseoSHOPPING CENTER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calle 1 & Paseo; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 1pm Sun)

Across the street from the Hotel Meliá Cohiba, this supposedly upscale shopping center was getting an overdue upgrade at the time of research. It sells well-made clothes and other consumer items to tourists and affluent Cubans, and also hosts the peerless Jazz Café.

La Habana SíGIFTS & SOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 23 & L; h10am-10pm Mon-Sat, to 7pm Sun)

This shop opposite the Hotel Habana Libre has a good selection of CDs, cassettes, books, crafts and postcards.

8Information

Emergency

AsisturMEDICAL

( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-866-4499, emergency 7-866-8527; www.asistur.cu; Paseo de Martí No 208; h8:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm Sat)

Emergency help for tourists. Someone on staff should speak English; the emergency center here is open 24 hours.

Internet Access

Cuba’s internet service provider is national phone company Etecsa. Etecsa runs various telepuntos (internet-cafes-cum-call-centers) in Habana: the main ones are in Centro Habana ( GOOGLE MAP ; Águila No 565, cnr Dragones; h8:30am-7pm) and Habana Vieja ( GOOGLE MAP ; Habana No 406, cnr Obispo; h9am-7pm). The drill is to buy a one-hour user card (CUC$2) with a scratch-off user code and contraseña (password), and either help yourself to a free computer or use it on your own device in one of the city's 30-plus wi-fi hot spots. Most Havana hotels that are rated three stars and up also have wi-fi. You don't generally have to be a guest to use it.

Popular wi-fi hot spots in Havana include La Rampa (Calle 23 between L and Malecón) in Vedado, the corner of Av de Italia and San Rafael in Centro Habana, and the Miramar Trade Center in Playa.

Medical Services

There are 10 international pharmacies in Havana selling products in convertibles (CUC$). The handiest for travelers are at Hotel Habana Libre and Hotel Sevilla.

Centro Oftalmológico Camilo Cienfuegos ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-5554; Calle L No 151, cnr Calle 13, Vedado; h24hr) Head straight here if you have eye problems.

Farmacia Taquechel ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-862-9286; Obispo No 155; h9am-6pm) In Habana Vieja.

Hospital Nacional Hermanos Ameijeiras ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-877-6053; San Lázaro No 701) Special hard-currency services, general consultations and hospitalization. Enter via the lower level below the parking lot off Padre Varela (ask for CEDA in Section N).

Money

The quickest and most hassle-free places to exchange money are in Cadecas. There are dozens of them across Havana and they usually have much longer opening hours and quicker service than banks.

ABanco de Crédito y Comercio Vedado ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Línea & Paseo, Vedado; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri); Vedado ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-870-2684; Airline Bldg, Calle 23, Vedado; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri). Expect lines.

ABanco Financiero Internacional Habana Vieja ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-860-9369; cnr Oficios & Brasil; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri); Vedado ( GOOGLE MAP ; Hotel Habana Libre, Calle L, btwn Calles 23 & 25, Vedado; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri)

ABanco Metropolitano Centro Habana ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-862-6523; Av de Italia No 452, cnr San Martín; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri); Vedado ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-2006; cnr Línea & Calle M, Vedado; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri); Habana Vieja ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Cuba & O'Reilly; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri)

ACadeca Centro Habana ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Neptuno & Consulado; h8am-12:30pm, 1-3pm, 4-6:30pm & 7-10pm); Habana Vieja ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Oficios & Lamparilla; h8am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 1pm Sun); Vedado ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Calles 23 & J; h7am-2:30pm & 3:30-10pm); Vedado ( GOOGLE MAP ; Mercado Agropecuario, cnr Calles 19 & A; h7am-6pm Mon-Sat, 8am-1pm Sun); Vedado ( GOOGLE MAP ; Hotel Meliá Cohiba, Paseo, btwn Calles 1 & 3; h8am-8pm).

Toilets

Havana isn't over-endowed with clean and accessible public toilets. Most tourists slip into upscale hotels if they're caught short. Even there, restrooms often lack toilet paper, soap and door locks. Make sure you tip the lady at the door.

HAVANA SCAMS

Tourist scams are the bane of travelers in many cities, and Havana is no exception, although the city rates more favorably than plenty of other Latin American metro areas. Some Cuban con tricks are familiar to anyone who has traveled internationally. Agree on taxi fares before getting in a cab, don’t change money on the street, and always check your bill and change in restaurants. Cuba’s professional tricksters are called jineteros (literally, jockeys). They are particularly proficient in Havana where their favorite pastime is selling knock-off cigars to unsuspecting tourists.

Cuba’s dual currency invites scammers. Although the two sets of banknotes look very similar, there are actually 25 moneda nacional (MN$; sometimes called Cuban pesos) to every Cuban convertible (CUC$). Familiarize yourself with the banknotes early on (most banks have pictorial charts) and double-check all money transactions to avoid being left seriously out of pocket. One popular trick is for young men in the street to offer to change foreign currency into Cuban convertibles at very favorable rates, but as you'll be given back moneda nacional, it will be only worth one-twenty-fifth of the value when you take them into a shop.

Casas particulares (private homestays) attract jineteros who prey on both travelers and casa owners. A common trick is for a jinetero to pose falsely as a reputed casa particular owner who a traveler has booked in advance (including those listed by Lonely Planet), and then proceed to lead you to a different house where they will extract CUC$5 to CUC$10 commission (added to your room bill). On some occasions, travelers are not aware they have been led to the wrong home. There have even been reports of people writing bad reviews online.

If you've prebooked a casa, or are using Lonely Planet to find one, make sure you turn up without a commission-seeking jinetero.

Another scam is the illicit sale of cheap cigars, usually perpetuated by hissing street salesmen around Centro Habana and Habana Vieja. It is best to politely ignore these characters. Any bartering is not worth the bother. Cigars sold on the street are almost always substandard – something akin to substituting an expensive French wine with cheap white vinegar. Instead, buy your cigars direct from the factory or visit one of the numerous Casas del Habano that are scattered throughout the city.

Tourist Information

State-run Infotur books tours and has maps, phonecards and useful free brochures.

Pretty much every hotel in Havana has some type of state-run tourist information desk.

Infotur offices in downtown Havana:

Habana Vieja ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-863-6884; cnr Obispo & San Ignacio; h9:30am-noon & 12:30-5pm)

Habana Vieja ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-866-4153; Obispo No 524, btwn Bernaza & Villegas; h9:30am-5:30pm)

Travel Agencies

Cubatur ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-832-9538; cnr Calles 23 & L, Vedado; h8am-8pm) Also in most of the main hotels.

Ecotur ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-649-1055; www.ecoturcuba.tur.cu; Calle 13 No 18005, btwn Av 5 & Calle 182, Playa; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) Naturalistic excursions mostly outside Havana.

Gaviota ( GOOGLE MAP ; %7-867-1194; www.gaviota-grupo.com; h9am-5pm) In all Gaviota hotels.

San Cristóbal Agencia de Viajes Office of the City Historian tours.