32A Wigan St,
Wellington Central
Wellington,
6011

04 3847039

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Sometimes themed bars can get it very wrong and end up like something out of an amusement park, but the down-to-earth charm of Cuban-styled Havana is just right. The bar (and the adjoining coffee company) is tucked away on a side street, so you need to be clued up to know it’s there, and on stepping inside I instantly felt like it could be the kind of place that becomes a habit.

The beauty of Havana is that it’s nothing too flash. The main bar room décor is a cosy and rustic mish-mash of different woods with some intriguing original art on the walls and various bits of bric-a-brac – nice and homely. The back room is a little more genteel and minimal but not pretentiously so, while the outside area is just a private outside area with a heater, nothing more nothing less.

I ordered a Corona, which came with a slice of lemon rather than my preferred lime, but other than that felt like a perfect drink to be kicking back with. As well as beers, Havana offers a good selection of cocktails (for which it is highly regarded), wines and spirits, including an emphasis on rum – to fit with the theme – and of course superb coffee roasted next door.

The background music for my visit was roots and funk (at just the right atmospheric but unobtrusive volume), but on Wednesdays there’s live jazz, on Thursdays live latin sounds and on Fridays top local DJs hit the decks. Private functions take up quite a few of Havana’s Saturdays, while a ‘bring your own meat’ barbecue is advertised for Sundays. In all, it’s quite the versatile hangout. It’s also worth noting that Tuesday to Thursday it’s 2-for-1 at the bar from 5pm to 7pm.

I’ve never been to Cuba, so whether this is what bars there really feel like I can’t say, but Havana certainly feels authentically exotic – a place for chilled out drinking, feelgood music and great company. And with it’s tucked away location and intimate surroundings it has that ‘our little secret’ vibe that can really make you feel attached to a place. Well worth seeking out.