The sheer amount of bars, clubs, and other venues on offer in Havana's nightlife, or La Habana, is overwhelming.

However, you´ll find the lion´s share in Downtown Habana, which is often divided into the areas of Habana Vieja , Centro Habana and Vedado. We´ll point out some of the main attractions for each of those neighbourhoods. Note that most bars close at around midnight, after which clublife kicks into full gear until the late hours. Obviously, late night Fridays and Saterdays are the best.

Habana Vieja
A good place to start a pub crawl in La Habana Vieja, or Havana´s old town, is the Calle Obispo. The whole area both up to the north and down to your south harbours tango houses, bars, and cultural centres. We´ll just mention two notable venues here.

Both famous and touristy for the many celebrities that were regulars here (Nat King Cole, Ernest Hemingway, Marlene Dietrich, to name a few) is La Bodeguita del Medio , birthplace of the Mojito (Calle Empedrado).

The only homebrew pub in Havana is La Taberna de la Muralla , to be found in Calla San Ignacio (on the corner of Calle Muralla), which serves excellent cold beer in a straightforward and open establishment with wooden benches and a grill outside.

Habana Vieja is a great place to start the evening. After midnight, however, options are limited and if you really want to experience Havana´s nightlife you should probably head for either Centro Habana (walking distance) or Vedado.

Centro Habana
Ernest Hemingway wrote: My Mojito in La Bodeguita, my Daiquiri in El Floridita. El Floridita (west-end of Calle Obispo, no. 557) is equally touristic as La Bodeguita, but worth a visit for Hemingway´s life-size bronze statue at the end of the bar as well as its Daiquiris and stylish interior.

On the corner of Calle San Miguel and Calle Amistad you find the danceclub El Palermo. Sundays see live music shows during daytime, but the place normally opens its doors at 11 pm to a serious rap scene. This club has a streetvibe, dark atmosphere, is fun, and hosts virtually no tourists.

Along the Avenida Italia, between Calle Concordia and Neptuno, you´ll find La Casa de la Música Centro Habana. Its prices make for an audience that consists of wealthy Cubans and Yumas (North-American and European tourists, slang). With live daily salsa shows before midnight, after which the place transforms into a disco, La Casa is surety for a night of dance!

Vedado
Along the river in the Parque Almendares you´ll find El Chévere , one of Havana´s most popular discos. The place hosts both tourists and Cubans, and is mostly open-air. Expect to hear a lot of Reggaeton here.

Below Cuba´s National Theatre is nightclub El Cafe Cantante, popular despite its low-ceiling, and basically being a basement. Dresscode prescribes long trousers and does not allow t-shirts. You´ll find it on the corner of Calle Paseo and Ave Independencia 39, close to the Plaza de la Revolución. Open until 5 am.