Nightlife Page 5

La Quintica

A pleasant and sensual establishment that could be defined a bar, a café, a restaurant and, during the night, a cabaret, but first of all it constitutes a meeting point, a reference and pride to the whole village of San Antonio de los Baños. Even some Havana residents use it as a secret corner where they can enjoy a coffee or a beer during a relaxing evening. Placed on the border of enigmatic Ariguanabo river, which outlet nobody knows about, one might consider its location to be one of the main reasons for its success. The food, very cheap, is nothing to write home about but in this case it doesn’t matter at all.

• Address: San Antonio de los Baños. La Habana

La Rampa

This cafeteria can be found in the Havana Libre Hotel. Light meals and a wide variety of drinks are served. Ideally situated on the corner of 23th and L Street,the very heart of La Havana, next to Yara movies, Coppelia ice cream parlor and other very animated places.

• Address: Hotel Habana Libre Tryp. L e/ 23 y 25, Vedado

Café La Rampa
Calle 23 entre O y P (La Rampa)
La Habana

Don’t you worry! You don’t have to see a movie to join this place, which is situated in the foyer of La Rampa movie theatre. Tiny, quiet and nicely decorated its real appeal is to be found in the variety of ways and combinations you can take your café: you can chose between classic Irish one, Jamaican or mixtures with rum and between other different amazing possibilities.

Red (La)

A charmingly dilapidated, pre-Revolutionary basement club with fishing motifs and retro decor. There's good seating and dancing space and, wait for it, air-conditioning that works. A show with live music - usually salsa, reggae or rap - takes place at midnight every night. Afterwards the place turns into a regular disco. Snacks are available.

• Address: Calle 19 #151, esquina a L
• Open: Sept-June 10pm-4am daily. July, Aug 3-9pm, 10pm-4am daily

El Relicario

The Meliá Cohíba Hotel keeps for El Relicario a small room placed in the mezzanine. The armchairs are very confortable, but the rest, floors and decoration, are not so well conceived. Although, it is the best and most visited smokers room of the town.

• Address: Paseo entre 1ª y 3ª, Vedado. La Habana.

Ribera Azul Disco

Recently refurbished basement club that caters to both Cubans and foreigners with a variety of Cuban and international music. There is a reasonable show on Fridays to Sundays starting at around 11pm, and affordable drinks and light snacks are also available.

• Address: Hotel Deauville, Avenida de Italia (Galiano), entre San Lázaro y Malecón
• Open: 10pm-3am daily

Cafetería Rincón del Cine

The Hotel Nacional, center of the famous Havana Movie Festival, decided to dedicate this bar to all amateurs of this art. It has been decorated with select photographs and posters but unfortunately its illumination transmits an atmosphere similar to that of a supermarket. Open 24 hours, mostly Latin-american movies and documentaries are shown. The programme can be consulted at the main entrance. A very interesting place.

• Address: Hotel Nacional. O esq. 21, Vedado

Roca (La)

Forget the peso-looking exterior and venture into the bar for a quiet drink, where the low lighting and blue-glowing decor really capture the essence of '50s Havana. Cool, swanky and overflowing with character, La Roca should be a definite pit-stop on a bar crawl of Vedado. And if you need any more persuading, drink prices are more than decent.
Air-conditioning.

• Address: Calle 21, entre L y M (334501)
• Open: noon-midnight daily

Rodeo (El) Discoteca

It is 20 km away from the city centre, in Lenin Park. The place is always full of cuban young people on weekend. Hundreds of cars and motorcycles may be seen at the entrance. This is a fact of Cuba´s economical recovery. Prices are reasonable; good dancing light, stereo music and beverages service. Nice public; happy ambience, almost euphoric. A place not well known by tourists.

• Address: Parque Lenin. La Habana.
• Open:

Roofgarden Bar Hotel Ambos Mundos

If you're looking for a place with a great view of Old Havana and the bay, a lush garden-like atmosphere and live traditional music (11am-6pm, except Monday and Wednesday), then the rooftop bar of this near-legendary hotel is it. Light meals are available. and p146.

• Address: Calle Obispo #153, esquina a Mercaderes
• Open: 7am-11pm daily

Roof Garden Bar Hotel Inglaterra

Overlooking the Parque Central is the hidden rooftop bar of Hotel Inglaterra. It's not the prettiest of bars, but the views (particularly the rooftop of the Gran Teatro) make it worth a visit. Generous cocktails and plenty of Cristal mean that it's not long before people loose their inhibitions and get up to dance on the catwalk-type stage. Only the resident band is capable of emptying the place with its over-enthusiastic use of a dangerously loud microphones.
Air-conditioning.

• Address: Paseo de Martí (Prado), esquina a San Rafael (608595).
• Open: 6pm-2am Mon, Wed-Sun; closed Tue.

Las Ruinas

In an exemplary edification built in 1972 ,made by arquitect J. Galván where the vegetation and the colonial ruins are integrated with modern elements, we meet a splendid cafeteria ordered in different hights. The lamps are beautiful ,some of them are from Amelia Peláez. Although it is far from the center of the city , it deserves a visit.

• Address: 100 esq. Cortina de la Presa, Parque Lenin
  Tel: (7)578286

Rumba del Callejón de Hamel

Although slightly touristy, this weekly street rumba is still a must. The event takes place every Sunday in the picturesque Callejón de Hamel, one block south of Calle San Lázaro. Local artist Salvador has converted this little pedestrian lane into an Afro-Cuban world of its own, with brightly coloured murals, sculptures and installations. During the Sunday rumbas the orishas are called and the whole place comes to life.

• Address: Callejón de Hamel, esquina a Hospital
• Open: 11am-3pm Sun only

Rumbos 3ª y 28

A simple and economic place which success seems to be timeless. As a bar it constitutes a meeting point and reference to people coming from Miramar and other districts. It is divided into three areas with different functions: a bar, where you can consume a light meal, while freezing with an over powered air conditioning (that’s what Cubans enjoy), a glass covered terrace, ideal for a chat, and finally a small but useful cyber-café. If people are going there constantly since years, there should be a reason for it. May be you feel like figuring it out.

• Address: Calle 3ª y 28, Miramar. Playa. La Habana

Sala Macumba

It lies in a beautiful garden in La Giraldilla Restaurant. It has several dance floors, different counters, grill, swimming pool and a wide stage. The international disco music and salsa music attract many foreigners and Cubans. Today it is disco number one of Havana City. At about 2:30 am, a large number of professional dancers and some upstarts start dancing from the stage to the dance floor. People follow them in unison.

• Address: Calle 222, Alturas de la Coronela, Marianao. La Habana.
• Open:

Café y Terraza de San Carlos
Hostal San Miguel
Cuba esq. Peña Pobre
Habana Vieja

The café, located in the ground floor of Hostal San Carlos, and the terrace, in the flat roof of the same hotel, with the splendid view of Morro, are two exceptional places to take something at any time of the day. Recommended.

Café Santo Ángel

This is one of the Cafés located in old Havana. In Café Santo Ángel, it is possible to have a coffee in the core of Havana, its charming Plaza Vieja. The service is good.

• Address: Plaza Vieja

Café Santovenia

In the yard of the Santa Isabel hotel, it’s located in the Armas Square, built in the XVIII century and that belonged to the count of Santovenia. Is one of the most peaceful and fresh places of all the ancient part where to drink a coffee. The rest of the building is just a jewel.

• Address: Hotel Santa Isabel. Baratillo nº 9 e/ Obispo y Narciso López, La Habana Vieja

Bar Siboney

This bar located in the lobby of the Habana Libre Hotel has always been a meeting place of many people. Before its reform it was under the big round glass roof and perhaps a lot more fun than it is now, more modern and leaned from its original place; nevertheless this does not seem to affect its sucess.

• Address: Hotel Habana Libre. L e/ 23 y 25, Vedado

Sirenita (La)

Inside Marina Tarará, there is this place, perhaps the liveliest of the nights of Playas del Este. At weekends, it is usually crowded.

• Address: Marina Tarará
• Open:

Salón Boleros en Dos Gardenias

Footprint:
If golden age, soulful bolero is to your liking then this is a top night. The all-star line up includes renowned bolero heavyweights Alfredo Martínez and Lino Borges. With a mellow, intimate, old time setting it is popular with tourists and Miramar movers and shakers. There are two live performances each night. Definitely the place to dress the part. For pre-show dining, there are decent and reasonably priced restaurants.

• Address: Av 7 esquina 26
• T 2042353
• Open: 2230-0300
• 10 CUC

Salón de Fumadores Partagás

A nice place close to the Havana cigar shop in the Partagás cigar factory. A comfortable space for talking while having a coffee, a glas of cuban rum or smoking a Havana cigar.

• Address: Partagas Cigar Factory

Salón Jerusalén

Located in the upper floor of the building of Unión Árabe, a place old-style with amazing kind of performances, from cabaret singers to singers of mexican "rancheras" or transvestites. Very cheap prices. Interesting.

• Address: Unión Árabe, Paseo del Prado. La Habana.
• Open:

Salón Rojo

Its reopening, at the end of 2003, represents nothing less than the “comeback” of a Cuban nights classic, offering an outstanding cabaret that combines traditional style with new staging. The small dimension of the place allows to all those who wish to join it, a mayor intimacy with artists and their performance. Ideal placement in the very centre of the city. Good cocktail selection.

• Address: Calle 21 entre N y O, Vedado. La Habana. Tel: (7) 333747
• Open:

Salón Rosado de Beny Moré

Footprint:
Seriously raunchy, this massively popular dance venue features some of the best salsa in town, courtesy of a top quality line-up, including the likes of Los Van Van. Unfortunately a local (peso)/tourist (dollar) segregation policy is applied. Pandemonium ensues when big name bands take a break from international touring and play here to impassioned habaneros, usually priced out of such spectacles by top dollar prices. It's advisable to cab it door to door, and not hang around too long at pile-out time. This is a sketchy location, and recent scuffles have led to an increased police presence. There are cabaret shows during the week and afternoon matinées on Sundays.

• Address: El Tropical, Av 41 y 46
• Tel: 290985. Tue-Sun.
• 5 CUC min depending on the line up.

Sofía Cafetería

Apart from having a good atmosphere (it's always packed), there's not much to recommend this place. The '50s building is a turn-off for some visitors and the resident band, though very good, is also exceedingly loud. During the course of the Sofía's 24-hour day, however, all sorts drift in and out, which makes it a great place to people-watch. The atmosphere is further enhanced by open-plan terrace seating. Average snack food is available and prices (cocktails 3CUC; beer 1CUC) are pretty much normal for this part of town.

• Address: Calle 23 #202, esquina a O (320540)
• Open: 24hrs daily

Son de la Madrugada - Casa 18 de Artex

Some years ago this place shifted from being extremely crowded to depressive emptiness. Nowadays it transformed into a permanently successful place to go on week-ends, with a lively mixture of Cuban and foreign public, even if situated in a typical tourist area. On its stage good salsa, pop or fusion groups are performing. Beers and drinks are not expensive.

• Address: Calle 18 entre 5ª y 7ª, Miramar. La Habana.
• Open: