Dinner + a Show Havana Style

By far one of my favorite nights in Cuba was our very first night. We were high off of excitement & couldn’t wait to explore this new city. After a full morning of travel, a jam packed afternoon exploring our hotel and getting a taste of some of their coveted cocktails, we quickly changed into something a little more glam for a night out in Havana. 

WHITE LACE DRESS: C/O VICI COLLECTION | HEELS: C/O ALDO | BAG: RENT THE RUNWAY 

There was so SO much Alex and I both wanted to do in Cuba but two things we definitely agreed on that needed to be a part of our first night’s itinerary was dinner at La Guarida and a show at Cabaret Tropicana. When doing our research and mapping out our adventures in Cuba, both of these places kept popping up in every article, blog post and Instagram feed. I mean if I’m being honest, that’s how I do most of my travel planning. IG is so good for travel inspo. If it looks cute – I wanna go. 

We started with a mini shoot on the infamous stairs at the bottom of La Guarida. This might be one of the most instagrammed spots we came across on the gram. I mean, I guess Khloe K has a little something to do with it. With that aside, this building had so much history and a really cool story about the man that started the restaurant. He apparently opened up his kitchen to cook for the residents of the building and then eventually after word spread about his cooking, people were coming from all over to try his cuisine. He expanded and eventually bought the building before opening other locations and buildings around the city. I’m sure I’m leaving out all of the exciting details but we thought his story was so inspiring and we couldn’t wait to check it out for ourselves. 

Once we got to La Guarida, we settled into a cozy little table for two on the rooftop. The views of Havana were incredible. The food was amazing (I told you guys I find pasta where I go). The mojitos were SO good. The entire experience was perfect. 

After wrapping up with a delicious apple galette inspired dish, we hopped in our taxi and drove the 30-45 minutes across town to Cabaret Tropicana. I’m not sure how else to describe this place other than, it looks exactly how it sounds. When you pull up into the driveway of this gorgeous venue the first thing you see is this HUGR neon sign for Tropicana. IT’s flashing lights and framed by palm trees and tropical flowers. It’s somehow tacky-miami-vibes and equally perfect all at the same time. We were greeted by some live music and dancing at the front door before being escorted to ur table right at the front of the stage. We bough the mid-tier package which included a welcome cocktail and a bottle of rum (about $85 CUC which translates to $85 USD). 

Once the show started, I was hypnotized. Bright colors. Amazing dancers. Even more amazing bodies (#goals). And the storytelling was so good. They shared parts of the Cuban culture and history through dance which is something I can really appreciate – it was such a great experience. The show lasted about two hours before we were called up on stage to dance the nigh away with a combo of music from a variety of different cultures. Seriously – they played everything from Ricky Martin t Justin Bieber to Danny Omar. It was so much fun and the end to the perfect night in Havana. Whether you’re with your boo or planning a girls trip, you guys have to check out La Gaurida and Cabaret Tropicana for a true Havana inspired night on the town.