Entertainment and restaurants in Havana, Cuba

Cuban cuisine isn’t famous for its international cuisine but they can hardly be blamed for this when they’ve had to make do with a handful of local ingredients for several generations. The national dish is called congris: rice with black beans flanked with roast chicken or pork and yucca. But the state-operated restaurants also have Italian, Spanish, French and Chinese dishes on their menus. Tip: There’s nothing wrong with the restaurants, but Cuba also has what are known as paladares. According to this system, the locals are permitted to invite tourists to their homes and have them pay for a meal there. Food you can expect: fish, pasta, salads and, of course, beans.

The cocktail known as a Cuba Libre has been around since around 1900. It probably developed during the time when Spain and the United States were fighting over Cuba (1898). As the story goes, a captain requested the drink in a Havana bar and then everyone toasted each other with the cry ‘Cuba Libre!’. During Fidel Castro’s guerilla warfare to oust dictator Fulgencio Batista (1958-59), the motto (and the cocktail!) became known throughout the world. Even today, it’s a refreshing mix of capitalism (cola) and tropical Communism (rum). Ranked a good second is the mojito that contains not only rum but also lime juice, cane sugar, carbonated water, mint and lots of ice. The great ambassador for this cocktail was the writer Ernest Hemingway.

Love rum? Then be sure to visit the Havana Club Foundation and be initiated into the secret rum rituals. The guided tour ends, of course, in a bit of liquid refreshment.

Finding entertainment in Havana is no problem, especially in Vedado that’s simply crawling with discos, tango salons and Latin music bars. Considering all this activity - and the fact that you can hear live music everywhere you go - you might think Havanans are partying 24 hours a day. The explanation is that Cubans simply enjoy life, especially enjoying life in style (i.e. in the right outfits!). You should also know that the many bars and cafés in Havana have little in common with what we call bars and cafés but are more like little community centers where the radio is turned on. And the real partying goes on at home or on the street.

Unforgettable: the Buena Vista Social Club. In the late 1990s, Cuban musicians conquered the world with their seductive tunes and dances and showed everyone that there could be no Cuba without music. Wherever you go - in cantinas, homes, rum bars - and on every street corner, you’re bound to encounter Afro-American rhythms and sounds. Cuban music is so rich and includes so many styles, you could call it a real movement.

Tip:
Havana is famous for its theater and ballet performances. The place to be for these is the Gran Teatro de la Habana. For movies, it’s the Charles Chaplin Theater.

The Havana Jazz Festival, an annual event that attracts jazz artists and fans from around the world, is held in November and December. In
August, the city is all dressed up for the parades and processions of Carnival, accompanied, of course, with fireworks and rum, rum, and more rum.

Don’t expect to find a Madison Avenue in Havana with establishments like Chanel, Dolce & Gabanna and Prada. Look instead for the greatest little markets and shops to pick up coffee, rum, cigars, fruit and vegetables. Recommended - even if it were only to get to know the Cubans – are the many craft markets that sell paintings, ceramics, papier-mâché, woodcarvings, etc.