5 BEST HAVANA NIGHCLUBS SUMMER 2018
These are the Top 5 places for dancing and drinking in Havana. Keep in mind that Havana is very safe, even at night, with none of the worries that are common to most countries in the region and even the U.S.. At worst you may be charged an extra $5 for a taxi ride back to your hotel or B&B.
La Casa de la Musica Miramar is a Havana live-music and dancing institution, with the most popular Cuban bands rotating through the schedule. They have regular schedules on some nights, like Bamboleo for the Saturday matinee, Alain Perez on Saturday nights, and Havana de Primera on Tuesday afternoons. The 5pm matinee draws a Cuban crowd that is there to dance. Weekend nights are a local/foreigner mix, with lots of working girls around. This is owned and operated by the Cuban government, but it is run well, cheap bottles and great service. This is hands-down the best dance-club in Havana, and the music is very loud.
Fantaxy is in the suburb of Playa, and it is spelled with an X. It has a small VIP section in the back, and very loud music. The service here is great, very fast and efficient. Great place to hang-out for a while and dance and drink.
Up & Down is in Vedado, a few blocks from the Melia Cohiba Hotel and the malecon. It is a great place for good drinks and dancing, the second floor is VIP, but stay on the first to have fun. Depending on the night there may be lots of jineteras and their corresponding male customers, but there are people dancing everywhere and the music is international and up to date.
Bertolt Brecht is on 13th and the corner of I Street in Vedado, live music starts late, usually after mid-night, but though it's strictly not a nightclub, it draws mostly young Habaneros and local college students. Go when there's live music, usually a Timba or Fusion group like Interactivo or Cimafunk, with lots of college students and a great mix of mostly locals and a few foreigners it is one of the most "Cuban" of Havana's dance spots. The drinks are served fast and cheap!
O'LA LA is a schizophrenic club in Vedado that used be known as Sarao, who knows what it will be called when you’re there. The crowd varies nightly, depending on the music. The entire second floor is VIP (VIP areas are very popular in Havana lately) and the food is pretty good. You must order a couple of bottles to be seated at a table, otherwise you must stand or better yet, dance. Live music tends to draw a mostly local crowd, the DJ’s more of a mixed foreign/local crowd.
Have fun in Havana, and I’ll see you there
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By Frank Gonzalez