La Bodeguita del Medio is Havana's most famous bar — a tiny restaurant on Calle Empedrado in Old Havana that has been serving mojitos since 1942 and whose walls are covered in autographs, photographs, and graffiti from Ernest Hemingway, Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Salvador Allende, Nat King Cole, and every other cultural luminary who passed through Havana in the 20th century. Hemingway's scribbled endorsement ('My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita') is enshrined near the door, possibly apocryphal but now an unshakeable part of the legend.
The bar is cramped, loud, and touristy, and the mojitos are adequate rather than outstanding — but the atmosphere, the live trova music, and the sheer weight of cultural history make it a mandatory stop. The house specialities are traditional Cuban home cooking (ropa vieja, lechón asado, moros y cristianos) served in the small dining rooms upstairs; book ahead for dinner.
Verified Facts
La Bodeguita has been serving since 1942
Hemingway's mojito endorsement is part of its mythology
The walls are covered in autographs and photographs of famous patrons
The bar is on Calle Empedrado in Old Havana
Get walking directions
Empedrado, La Habana Vieja, Havana, Cuba
