Just down from the Central Park in Old Havana, you’ll find Bar Monserrate, which a Cuban friend initially described as a neighborhood “dive bar.” That’s all I needed to make the scene my own. Being a dive bar genre expert, my first impressions suggested it fit the bill. Old, worn, - and we’re talking about some of the regulars sitting at the bar, - and unpretentious. The dichotomy in the “dive” classification becomes apparent with the introduction of my waiter - crisply outfitted in a sharp, white coat and ready to work. Absent is the dive bar attitude of “your here, get over it” vibe, replaced with recommendations for food and drinks. Then the band starts to straggle in for the evening’s entertainment. When the music starts, the place lights up, ever so dimly, while locals dance on the sidewalk just beyond the open storefront and patrons inside pound down their mojitos. Dive on in at Bar Monserrate, Cubano style!
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Classy Cuban Dive Bar
Just down from the Central Park in Old Havana, you’ll find Bar Monserrate, which a Cuban friend initially described as a neighborhood “dive bar.” That’s all I needed to make the scene my own. Being a dive bar genre expert, my first impressions suggested it fit the bill. Old, worn, - and we’re talking about some of the regulars sitting at the bar, - and unpretentious. The dichotomy in the “dive” classification becomes apparent with the introduction of my waiter - crisply outfitted in a sharp, white coat and ready to work. Absent is the dive bar attitude of “your here, get over it” vibe, replaced with recommendations for food and drinks. Then the band starts to straggle in for the evening’s entertainment. When the music starts, the place lights up, ever so dimly, while locals dance on the sidewalk just beyond the open storefront and patrons inside pound down their mojitos. Dive on in at Bar Monserrate, Cubano style!
