La Casa del Habano

• Visitor Information

As soon as you step into the La Casa del Habanos bar you feel like you're in Cuba. Warm oranges and yellows stand out from the dark wooden walls and Cuban jazz plays in the background. The cocktail list is extensive and different. There are the classics, like Mojitos and Martinis, but there's also the twist like a mojito made with pineapple and a cocktail that contains a dash of tobacco. Of course these were all unspeakably good, but the real highlight comes with the cigars. La Casa's stock in trade is the finest Cubans from across the waters. But don't worry if you feel a little intimidated by the vast selection, there is a kind of cigar sommelier who will guide you through the choices. And, if you don't feel like forking out for a packet, there's always the excellent hand-rolled fresh cigars made there and then on the premises. You have to leave your cocktail behind when you go for a smoke due to the new licensing laws, but it is one of the few places you can enjoy a smoke inside anywhere in the capital.

La Casa is a rarity, a cigar bar that's not full of claret-nosed, brandy-swirling old-duffers. It's a place with style and class - perhaps one of the finest definitions of Cuban cool ever.