When Havana overwhelms you and you feel like kicking back with a seriously well prepared coffee and a grilled sandwich on homemade sourdough bread – El Cafe is probably the only place in Havana to do just that. And that's fine, because they do it exceptionally well. If Hemmingway would still be roaming Havana, El Cafe would be his daily choice for lunch.
There's are more than enough tourist traps to go around for in the city, but you probably want to avoid those. Más Havana is definitely one of the better (if not the best) restaurants when it comes to price/quality ratio. Perfect spot for a birthday dinner, which includes laidback, live background music on some evenings.
When you're looking for a vibrant night out, El Cocerino is where you start. It's definitely a popular spot amongst local Cubans with some money to burn, but it's still very reasonably priced. The patio has an amazing view, especially at night, and the fresh fish dishes are delightful. After your meal and cocktails, move down for a musical evening in Fabrica D’Arte – an old factory turned art exhibition and music venue.
Staying in Havana is different than in most other cities and it can be daunting to find a great, unique place to spend the night. Revolution Hotels is one of those pearls that ticks all the boxes: location, vibe and service. Also, it's very small and low key, compared to most very touristic hotels in the city so you'll get that personal touch. Try to book in advance, because it can fill up quickly due to it's limited amount of rooms.
When you prefer staying at a smaller, more intimate hotel like us, the bigger hotel sites often offer no luck. Thankfully Airbnb offers a solution because recently, they made it possible to search for "home-stays". However, a lot of time these places are just like hotels and Animar 303 is no diiference. It's a bit outside the busy center, so if you like to see a different part of Havana, this is a great option for a good price. The rooms are small, but offer everything you need and the staff is more than happy to help you out.
Besides Revolution Hotel, Paseo 206 is one of the other very few boutique hotels available in Havana. The interior feels like a well balanced mix between Scandinavian and Latin design. The rooms offer everything you need to stay in when you don’t feel like going out and since there's also a restaurant and bar inside Paseo 206, they make it really easy for you to take you to 'stay & slay' some fresh Cuba Libre's.
