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The Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba

The capital of Cuba, Havana, is a fantastic city full of contrasts. We love to feel the vibrant and boundless energy of Havana. We’ve been to Havana several times, and we are still coming back with joy. Every time we discover something new in its 500 years old streets. When after many hours of walking in Old Havana we want to rest, we choose picturesque rooftop bars to relax. Delicious rum cocktails, tapas, or dinner with watching the hustle and bustle of the streets from rooftops is a great experience. So, in this article, we show the best rooftop bars in Havana. From these rooftops, you will see Old Havana, the famous Malecon, Paseo del Prado, El Capitol, and the Caribbean Sea. Moreover, these are the best photo spots, too, so you can take perfect pictures of Havana. Enjoy rooftops with great bars and the best views of Havana.

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Hotel Saratoga Havana, Capitol

Map of the Best Rooftop Bars in Havana

NOTE: Due to Cuba’s isolation and difficult political and economic situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not sure if all rooftops are open to visitors after the COVID isolation period. So before your visit, please get in touch with the hotel of your choice.

The best rooftop bars in Havana – SO Paseo del Prado La Habana

Hotel SO Paseo del Prado La Habana, of Accor, with its rooftop bar, is our number one in Havana. It is the newest, most modern, and also most beautiful hotel in Havana. We have added spending the weekend in this hotel to our dream list. We enjoyed the vibes, and the views from the terrace so much. The sunset was stunning; the views were breathtaking. We were at many rooftop bars in Havana, and this is by far the best in the city. From here you can see the essence of Havana. Located on the corner of Malecon Avenue and the Paseo del Prado promenade, the hotel offers a panoramic view of Havana from its 360-degree rooftop. It provides a view of the Malecon, where you can admire old cars, and you can observe anglers and fantastic sunsets on the Caribbean Sea. You can watch Old Havana (La Habana Vieja) buildings. Moreover, you can admire El Morro Castle, which is a fortress guarding the entrance to Havana Bay. Morro Castle was built because of the threat to the harbor from pirates.

The rooftop bar invites you to relax. They offer soft, comfortable armchairs and four-poster beds to protect you from the sun. Cocktails and snacks are delicious, and the service is excellent; cocktails cost (February 2020) around 7 CUC ($7). So if you have little time and you have to choose one rooftop bar in Havana, go to SO Paseo del Prado of Accor hotel. For us, it’s the best rooftop bar in Havana.

If you plan to Travel To Cuba From The US, check out our Complete Guide, which helps you plan your trip!

SO Paseo del Prado La Habana, best rooftop bars in Hvana
SO Paseo del Prado La Habana Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba
SO Paseo del Prado La Habana, best rooftop bars in Havana
SO Paseo del Prado La Habana
Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba

The best rooftop bars in Havana – Iberostar Parque Central

The Iberostar Parque Central rooftop bar is perfect, too. We love watching Old Havana from the rooftop bar of this hotel. On the roofs of old buildings, Havanese deal with everyday matters. Women hang the laundry. Children run with dogs and play together. Men fix the furniture. La Habana Vieja contains the core of the original city of Havana. Moreover, this part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the hotel, you can also admire the Capitol, India Park, and the Paseo del Prado.
And if you stay at the Iberostar Parque Central hotel, you have a grand rooftop pool. Moreover, in the evenings, Cuban live music is played on the rooftop bar. Finally, cocktails and food are tasty, and the prices are affordable. So, it’s worth visiting this rooftop bar. For sure is one of the best rooftop bars in Havana.

Iberostar Parque Central rooftop bar Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba
Iberostar Parque Central rooftop bar Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba
Iberostar Parque Central

The best rooftop bars in Havana – Hotel Saratoga

Important to know

UPDATE May 6, 2022. This part of our article and photos already has a historical dimension. On May 6, 2022, a colossal tragedy occurred at the Hotel Saratoga in Havana. A huge explosion destroyed the iconic hotel in the center of Havana. At least 22 people have died and more than 60 have been hospitalized after a gigantic explosion rocked one of Cuba’s most exclusive five-star hotels. It is believed that a gas tanker parked outside the Saratoga Hotel in Old Havana ignited, causing an explosion that destroyed several floors of the building.
More about the explosion which destroyed Hotel Saratoga can be read on reuters.com or on the CNN website.
We took a few of the following photos from the rooftop of the Saratoga Hotel in February 2020, the last time we were in Havana before the Covid 19 pandemic.

In our opinion, Hotel Saratoga had one of the best rooftop bars in Havana, called Mirador. We are shocked by the tragedy at the Saratoga Hotel in Havana on May 6, 2022. Terrifyingly, at least 22 people died, and more than 64 were seriously injured due to the massive explosion.

History of the Hotel Saratoga

The Hotel Saratoga was built at the end of the 19th century and was one of the most important hotels in Havana in the 1930s. It had 96 rooms since it reopened in 2005 after a renovation.

We have been to the rooftop of this magnificent historic building of Saratoga Hotel several times because it offered one of the most beautiful views of Havana, including the Capitol building. Located on the 8th floor, the Bar Piscina Mirador offered a 270-degree view of Havana, including the bay, the Caribbean Sea, and historic Old Havana. Moreover, it was the best place to admire the famous Capitol building (El Capitolio Nacional) built-in 1929 by the Senate and House of Representatives. The colossal building is recognizable by its dome, which dominates the city’s skyline. Inside the Capitol stands the third largest indoor statue in the world, La Estatua de la República. Nowadays, in the building, the Cuban Academy of Sciences and the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural has headquarters. So, the rooftop of the Saratoga Hotel in Havana was the best place to photograph it. On the terrace, was also a beautiful swimming pool for hotel guests. In this luxury boutique hotel, Madonna spent her 58th birthday trip, and Jay Z and Beyonce stayed while celebrating their wedding anniversary. Also, personalities such as the writer Rafael Alberti have stayed here.

Hotel Saratoga Havana rooftop bar view Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba
Hotel Saratoga Havana
Hotel Saratoga Havana view from the rooftop

The best rooftop bars in Havana – Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Well, Hotel Nacional de Cuba is probably the most famous hotel in Havana and all over Cuba. It’s a classic. So it’s worth visiting. The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is a historic Spanish eclectic-style hotel that opened in 1930. The plan of the Hotel Nacional is unique because it is based on two Greek crosses. Due to the majority of the rooms having a view of the ocean. The hotel was famous in the 1950s as a gambling and entertainment complex. Following the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro nationalized the hotel and finally closed the casino in 1960. In its 80+ years of existence, the Hotel Nacional has had many notable guests, including European monarchs, politics, artists, actors, athletes, and writers such as Winston Churchill, Jimmy Carter, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Marlon Brando, Ernest Hemingway, Yuri Gagarin, and more.

In addition to the rooftop, the hotel also has a beautiful garden with a terrace. You can admire Havana, the harbor, and the lively seafront 5-miles long esplanade known as the Malecon. We liked Pina Colada and Mojito most. The prices in the bar are affordable, too (around 5-7 CUC). The hotel is located in the fashionable Vedado district. However, if you decide to stay in Nacional, book it in advance because it is popular.

Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Vedado, Havana
Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Vedado
Hotel Nacional de Cuba

The best rooftop bars in Havana – Hotel Capri La Habana

We were surprised by the Hotel Capri rooftop. Why? From the outside, Hotel Capri looks inconspicuous, like a large block. But the interior turned out to be modern and spacious. The Hotel NH Capri La Habana was opened in 1957 and is a historic high-rise hotel located in Vedado. Its nineteen-story structure was one of the largest hotels in Havana during its heyday. From the rooftop bar, there is a stunning view. The rooftop has also a lovely swimming pool. The cocktails are tasty and reasonably priced (around 4-5 CUC). The building is very tall so you can take impressive photos from a different perspective.

In Francis Ford Coppola’s movie The Godfather Part II, Fredo Corleone brings a suitcase containing $2 million to his brother Michael at the “Hotel Capri.” The movie refers to the involvement of the American mafia in the gambling and hotel industry in Cuba during the Batista dictatorship. However, the film was shot in the Dominican Republic, not in Havana. So, Hotel Capri is worth visiting.

Hotel Capri La Habana rooftop
Hotel Capri La Habana
Hotel Capri La Habana

The best rooftop bars in Havana – Hotel Ambos Mundos

The Hotel Ambos Mundos has only five floors, but we like its rooftop bar. You can feel the vibrant atmosphere of Old Havana, the rhythm, and the joy of life. The rooftop bar offers delicious room cocktails, food, and live Cuban music. So it’s worth visiting it. The hotel was built in 1924 with an eclectic set of characteristics of 20th-century style architecture.

Furthermore, the Hotel Ambos Mundos was home to Ernest Hemingway for seven years in the 1930s. Hemingway rented the room for $1.50 per night until mid-1939. Today, his hotel room, No. 511, is a small museum in the middle of the building.

Hotel Ambos Mundos Havana rooftop bar
Hotel Ambos Mundos rooftop bar
Hotel Ambos Mundos Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba

The best rooftop bars in Havana – Hotel Inglaterra 

The Hotel Inglaterra roof terrace is legendary and looks out on Parque Central. Honestly? The cocktails in the rooftop bar were not the best, but they were cheap (around 3-4 CUC, February 2020). However, the panoramic views compensated for the quality of the drinks. In our opinion, it’s worth coming to Hotel Inglaterra’s rooftop bar to see the view. But it’s not worth spending money on drinks and food here. But, the most important is to know, Hotel Inglaterra is the oldest hotel in Cuba and one of the most classic hotels in Havana. Actually, this is the reason to see it. The hotel traced its origins to 1844 when a two-story building known as El Cafe or The Escauriza Saloon was built at the site. Then it was rebuilt a few times.

Winston Churchill stayed there while visiting Cuba as a military reporter during the Spanish-Cuban war in December 1895. The Inglaterra was renovated again in 1901, with the addition of electricity, telephones, private bathrooms in each room, and a telegraph link. It was the best hotel in those days.

If you plan to Travel To Cuba From The US, check our Complete Guide, which helps you plan your trip!

Hotel Inglaterra rooftop bar Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba
Hotel Inglaterra Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba
Hotel Inglaterra Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba
Hotel Inglaterra  Best Rooftop Bars in Havana, Cuba

12 Comments

  1. I love the views from Iberostar Parque Central more than the others. I’m a Piña Colada connoisseur and they serve one of the best! I’m going to Cuba again in September and the drinks and rooftops are one of my favorite things to do!I had no idea Hemingway stayed at Ambos Mundo for such a long time! Thanks for sharing that piece of history.

    1. Thanks for your comment! Regarding Pina Colada, I would say the best one is in Havanas 21 bar vis a vis Capri Hotel. Try it next time – this bar isn’t a rooftop, but however, is an amazing one!

  2. We are so glad we are Canadian and can visit Cuba any time we want.  Last year we visited Havana for the first time.  But it was not enough.  We certainly did not get to enough rooftop bars!  Hotel SO Paseo de Prado La Habana sounds great with its breathtaking views.  Especially from the comfort of a four poster bead!  Rooftop pools are great in the city.  So we may want to check out the Iberostar for a stay.  Live Cuban music at night would be a big draw.  And oh so many other good choices.  We would need at least a week to try all the rooftop bars out.

  3. I don’t drink, but I do enjoy going to rooftop views just for the views. I always love seeing how locals go about their day to day activities. The Iberostar Parque Central sounds like a nice one for that. Hotel Capri looks appealing to me with the rooftop pool too. 

  4. Rooftop
    bars and Cuba just seem to go together!I think my favorite is the Iberostar, simply for the Cuban live music along with the views. That’s so cool that the Godfather II was filmed at Hotel Capri. I would never have known that had it not been for this post!

  5. I’m a sucker for Rooftop Bars. Not only do these provide an awesome view, but also make for an awesome photo op. Really enjoyed going through all the suggestions, and even felt transported for a few moments to Havana, through your photos. This is one shade of Havana, that am seeing for the first time through a blog.

  6. You have unraveled a lovely new face of Havana. For us, we have always somehow associated Havana and Cuba with Classic cars and Cigars! However, these rooftop bars add a fascinating dimension to Havana. The views for one are simply amazing and enjoying them with a drink in hand must be an awesome experience. Hotel Capri with its ‘Godfather connection’, sounds really intriguing.

  7. I love rooftop bars. The Hotel SO Paseo del Prado La Habana is incredible with the ocean views definitely a nice place to stay. Iberostar Parque Central rooftop bar is my kind of place, I could send hours there watching the city below.;Same for Ambos Mundos, hard to believe Hemingway rented a room for $1.50 a night.

  8. Obviously, I love rooftop bars – not only for the drinks but mainly for the views. I went to only one rooftop bar in Havanna, on top of this building from the 1970s. I thought the prices would be neck cutting there – but no, since it’s government-owned, the prices were very socialist 😉 Same at the posh yacht club in Cienfuegos – 3 CUC for a nice mojito – can’t complain 😉

  9. Wow as I’m reading through these I’m making notes so I can head there on my trip to Cuba, then with each one I just realise I need just save and pin this whole post. Havana is stunning. My priority if I was limited would be Hotel Saratoga.

  10. Cuba has been on our travel list for 2020 before Corona hit. I did a lot of research but was not aware that there are so many iconic rooftop bars. The news about the Saratoga hotel are shocking and sad!

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