Río Almendares

When you go to Havana and try to figure out where to get out at night, every person and every guide you'll find will tell you to check out Fabrica de Arte Cubano. You'll get there, see a bunch of tourists standing in line, and think it's a tourist trap.

It's not.

Sure, there are a lot of tourists who go there. There are also a lot of Cubans. It's just because this is arguably the best night club you can find. For real. New York, Berlin, or London wish they had something like this venue.

Night club is not even an accurate term to describe it. It's more like a giant art center, a performance venue, a bar and a restaurant, and a hip store, all at once. Getting in is 50CUP or 2CUC, and food and drinks are not expensive.

I'm sure I'll forget some of the things we saw there, but they include the Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana playing Hollywood soundtracks, some jazz shows, a cover band playing 90s rock hits, and a French documentary about a group of Mali musicians in Cuba (Africa Mia). The director was there and ended up DJing after the showing.

The space also included several art exhibits, but not of the kind where your cousin has convinced the owner of a bar to hang their watercolors. They were amazing.

If I had a place like that nearby, I would be going every week. By the way, if you're reading this and considering going, one tip: get there before they open. The lines can get very long.Read more