HomeIn Havana, the question ‘What bar should we go to?’ is a particularly good one. With so many excellent bars to choose from you would be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed with the choice.
Bars in Havana with live music
In Havana’s best live music bars you get to mix with locals, make friends, share stories and taste a bit of the local culture through dance, music, and drinks.
Here are some of our favorite bars in Havana where you can also enjoy great live performances. Choose your tunes – jazz, trova, boleros or rock ‘n’ roll – and get a taste of Cuba’s top musical talents.
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La Bombilla Verde
La Bombilla Verde owes its name to a song by the Cuban songwriter Silvio Rodriguez. Right now it is an active artistic space in El Vedado, a kind of cultural café and tapas bar where the Cuban Trova is the star, with live performances almost every night, sometimes programmed and sometimes improvised. Young songwriters from all over the island come to perform here. Bohemian and relaxed, it’s quite different from the prevailing bar environment in the city.
905 11th Street between 6th y 8th, Vedado.Opening hours: 12:00 – 24:00 -
Pazillo
A cozy space located in the Vedado neighborhood, Bar Pazillo is a relaxed space reminiscent of a living room with your favorite records playing in the background. Aside from excellent live music performances from renowned artists every night of the week, the bar offers an irresistible array of the cocktails, from deliciously refreshing caipirinhas to perfectly balanced gin and tonics.
604 5th Ave between 4th and 6th, Vedado.Opening hours: 12:00 – 3:00 -
Malecon 663
DJs and Live music with great cocktails and a decent restaurant with stunning views of the Malecon
663 Malecón, Central HavanaOpening hours: 17:00 – 23:00 -
El Gato Tuerto
El Gato Tuerto (literally “the one-eyed cat”) is a dimly lit bar with gleaming furniture, crowned with a small stage and only a few tables. Once a meeting point for local artists and intellectuals, the iconic bar is known for its intimate atmosphere and live bolero performances. Today visitors can enjoy great live, slow-tempo Latin bolero performances as well as Cuban Trova music and jazz.
14 O Street between 17th y 19th, VedadoOpening hours: 22:00 – 4:00
Trendy Bars / Local
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El Antonia
Cool bar with a good mix of locals and visitors with Good cocktails and music nightly
120 Compostela, Old Havana -
Fangio (Claxon Hotel)
Roof Top Jazz Club in Vedado with a mix of well heeled locals and visitors
458 Av. Paseo, Vedado, Havana -
El Bleco
Snazzy lounge feel, exquisite patio overlooking the Malecón, exceptional music, cutting edge mixology and the most famous pizza in Havana
115 Marina, Central Havana -
Yarini
Comprises a luxuriant rooftop restaurant with a sky-high bar serving Cuban international cuisine and an upper-upper bar for the cool crowd
San Isidro # 214 between Picota, Compostela, Old Havana -
Coco blue y La Zorra Pelua
A space where arts flows and up-and-coming Cuban artists of all genres are featured
Between 11 and 13 Vedado, 112 Calle 14, Havana -
Rooftop Bar (Hotel Paseo del Prado)
Great sunsets and decent drinks at this hotel bar with views over El Morro
4JWR+4JW, Old Havana -
La Carpinteria
Productive space of Clandestina, music, art, yoga, theatre and others
403 Villegas, Old Havana -
Lo de Monik
Though also great for brunch and tapas, Monik is quickly becoming the new “it” place when it comes to drinks with friends.
Corner of Chacón and Compostela, Old Havana -
Color Café
Color Cafe is a fashion workshop with original designs by Loypa Izaguirre, with a bar with creative cocktails, tapas, and live music on some nights.
109 Aguiar Street between Chacón y Cuarteles, Old Havana -
Jesús María 20
This art bar, also known as The Graffiti Place, is the new “it” place to meet friends and have delicious cocktails and tapas.
20 Jesús María Street between Inquisidor and San Ignacio, Old Havana
