Havana Nightlife Guide 2023 | Ultimate Overview

Although Havana has a lot to offer while the sun is up, there is no by-passing the sizzle of Havana nightlife. This is why you need the ultimate Havana nightlife guide to navigate!

The dark hours of Havana have almost more sass & buzz than the bright sunny days, so make sure you don`t miss out on anything!

In this city, you find everything, from restaurant-and-bar bars, small intimate bars, nightclubs, outdoor seating bars, fancy high-end elegant bars, salsa bars, underground bars, rooftop bars, pretty much anything!

Not all are open every day, so check out the links for more information about each one.

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Havana Nightlife Guide By District

Havana City Map

Havana Nightlife Guide The Old City

Normally, Mondays and Tuesdays are “resting days” for the Havana night scene, while Wednesdays through Sundays are party nights.

Old Havana is the district of Havana where you go strolling, even when it comes to nightlife. It really is not the place for the clubbing scene.

Walking around in the evenings you will see little watering holes and bars everywhere, and plenty of bars/restaurants. 

The volume may fool you, as Cubans play music really loud, all the time. Although something sounds like a party, it might just as well be a family having dinner, or a chill restaurant. 

After the sun sets Old Havana is where you go to take in the ambiance, walk the cobblestoned streets in slow motion taking in all the sounds and the music and the details around you. 

If you are in a hurry (day or night) you are going to miss a lot of little details here in Old Havana.

There are little placks, half-hidden sculptures, a mural on the wall, or a small, magnificently crafted doorway everywhere. So take your time.

• Bar Salsa Havana
• El Floridita
• Bodeguita del Medio
• Orhshas de Prado
• Santo Angel
• Café Taberna
• El Patio Bar Restaurant
• Café Paris
• Bosque Bologna
• Mojito Mojito
• Los Dos Hermanos
• Bar La Dichosa
• El Chanchullero
• Bar Monserrate
• El Polvorin 
• O`Reilly 304
• Sloppy Joes bar

Editors’ Choice Havana Night Tour!

This FREE Havana night tour of Old Havana is a few hours of guided bar-hopping in the narrow streets of the old city! You will stop at a variety of places, try a variety of Cuban drinks, and will end the guided tour at a tranquil rooftop terrace for a nightcap (or before heading out for the real night out until the small hours)!

El Ojo Del Ciclón in Old Havana

El Ojo del Ciclón in Old Havana really is more of a museum than a nightlife establishment. But, some nights you can go there to dance the tango! 

I do not know the tango, but I was fortunate enough to watch those who do for a little while. 

Entering El Ojo Del Ciclón on the corner of Calle O`Reilly and Calle Villegas is like entering an eclectic, elegant little world with artsy floor tiles, artifacts everywhere, and music bringing you back to the first half of the 20th Century.  

The first room you enter is where the dance magic happens, and if you walk further in there are several other rooms packed with memorabilia, photos, and strange things from all the different decades of the century. 

The slow, controlled pasos and movements of the dancing couples are incredibly graceful, and the surroundings are simply magnificent. 

Central Havana Nightlife Guide

Central Havana really is not the first place you go for Cuban nightlife, this is mostly a residential area with small shops, and some really great restaurants, and the district is pretty quiet after dark. 

If you do go, it is smart to know exactly where you are going, and take a bici taxi that knows the way through the maze of streets!

There are a few places to go here as well, hidden in the conglomerate of streets. Especially in the first pedestrian part of Avenida San Rafael, there is life also in the evenings. 

Also read: 10 Reasons To Spend Your Honeymoon In Cuba 2023!

In Central Havana, you do find some of the best restaurants in Havana hidden away in the narrow streets!

Not all are open every day, so check out the links for more information about each one. Normally, Mondays and Tuesdays are “resting days” for the Havana night scene, while Wednesdays through Sundays are party nights.

• Boulebar66
• Bembé Tapas & Bar
• Sia-kara Bar
• Industria 8
• Galiano 212 Bar
• La Guarida Rooftop Bar
• Malecon 663 rooftop bar

Also read: What Is Cuba Known For? 22 Enticing Things You Want To Know!

Havana Nightlife In The Vedado

Vedado is the high-end shopping and party-scene area of Havana, in a way. 

Knowing the history of Vedado, this is where the rich and famous from all over the world came to ravish in a luxurious lifestyle 24/7 in the old days.

Today a little paler, but there still is an aura of grandeur over the larger colonial houses, wider streets, bright restaurants, and clubs in Vedado.

And the establishments are numerous, all with different flavors and forms. 

While Old Havana offers several places to do the salsa to live music, Vedado is generally more of a clubbing and reggaeton zone!

Also read: 42 Legendary Things To Do In Havana 2023 | Ultimate Guide!

• Bar Salsa Rio Cuba
• La Zorra y El Cuervo Jazz Club
• La Casa de la Bombilla Verde
• PaZillo
• Madrigal
• King Bar 
• La Esencia 
• Piano Bar Delirio Habanero 
• Habana Café
• Café Cantante Mi Habana
• El Gato Tuerto
• Jazz Café
• Pico Blanco
• Cabaret Turquino
• Cabaret Parisién
• Copa Room
• Club La Red
• Madrigal Bar Café

Havana Nightlife In Miramar And Playa

Miramar is mainly a very upscale residential area, with a lot of large pre-colonial houses and wide avenues, some of the best hotels in Cuba, and is also home to many embassies and their staff. 

As for the evenings, Miramar boasts the best salsa clubs in Cuba, lively discos, and good restaurants in the district. 

Being a high-end area, accordingly, there are mainly high-end establishments here. Although not the party-scene district quite like Vedado, you may find elegant places to go in Miramar. 

What about a full evening wining and dining at the cabaret? 

• LM Bar in Playa
• Fabrika de Arte Cubano FAC
• Casa de la Musica de Miramar
• Espacios Tapas Restaurant & Bar
• Mio y Tuyo
• Don Cangrejo Restaurant & Bar
• Tropicana Cabaret

Also read: Where To Stay In Havana? Best Hotels, Neighborhoods, And Areas 2022

Havana Rooftop Bars

Scattered around the whole of Havana, there are several stunning rooftop bars and restaurants with breathtaking views of the night city. 

Often you find them on the top floors of large hotels, but you do not have to be a staying guest to spend some time there. 

Also read: 14+ Amazing Things To Do In Vinales Valley 2023!

Mostly these top-of-the-city places will give you an elegant and chill evening with soft music and less steam.

Yet some, like the Inglaterra, are more of an outdoor salsa club, with live music and dancing.

Also read: Sensational 7 Days In Cuba Itinerary 2022!

There is something though, about staring into the horizon lit up by all the sparkling distant city lights. It never gets old for me, at least! 

• El Surtidor Pool Terrace and Bar at Manzana Kempinski 
• Mirabana Bar at Iberostar Parque Central 
• La Inglaterra
• Hotel Nacional de Cuba
• Hotel Ambos Mundos
• Hotel Paseo del Prado
• Malecon663
• Roma Rooftop Bar
• Morro 52
• La Guarida rooftop bar
• Galiano Bar 212

Ultimate Collection Cuban Destinations:

• Vinales
• Varadero
• Trinidad
• Cienfuegos
• Santa Clara
• Santiago de Cuba
• Cayo Santa Maria

Wrap-Up Havana Nightlife Guide

Even if you have never been to Havana before, you should be well equipped by now to navigate the nightlife in the most popular districts of Havana!

Whether you like a calm zen night ambiance or a heavy clubbing environment, Havana has somewhere for you to be sparkling happy!

There are also lots of things to do in the daytime, by yourself, or in an organized tour or excursion of Havana if you want the professionals to show you the best parts of the city!

Happy Travel Planning!

xoxo/ Hege 🙂

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