Cuban Art Factory — Attraction in Carmelo

I was in Havana with my wife & mother in law. I was especially looking forward to visiting 'Fabrica de Arte' having read glowing reviews online. While in Havana the level of expectation was raised when I asked the trendy t-shirt seller in the shop Clandestina what he thought of it, to which he replied "the best". After a long day of walking in the heat, a decent sized meal and a few cocktails in El Cocinero the energy levels had declined, my mother in law was feeling tired. From our table in El Cocinero we could see into Fabrica de Arte and it seemed quiet. Had we come on the wrong night? Was it not all we were promised from reviews. We gathered together the entrance fee and headed straight to the entry desk, there were no queues yet, we were each given a card that recorded our food & drinks purchases to be paid at the end of our visit, an unbelievable show of faith in the honesty of their patrons that this Welsh (British) tourist could only imagine being abused at clubs on my home Island. Our first stop immediately on the left of the entrance was a bar serving all the familiar cocktails, they marked our cards and sent us on our way. We toured the ground floor art, entered a small & easy to miss shop. We got another drink in a courtyard shipping container and continued to explore. My mother in law took part in a dance class while me and my wife tried to name all the bands in posters on the wall. We saw a live band play rock songs to an attentive and not too crowded audience, we continued to collect cocktails and marks in our cards as we moved around the venue looking at provocative pieces of art. I haven't experienced a night out like this before, in Britain I am used to any activity where alcohol is permitted to automatically mean that the audience is infantilised and met with disdain and aggression from bar staff and bouncers I wonder what a Cuban would make of the overzealous McDonalds bouncers who protect the countries happy meals every weekend. I found a new favourite cocktail here sadly not matched anywhere else during my stay in Cuba the 'Caipirissima' soon filled my card to the 4000CP limit which meant I needed to pay up & receive a new card to continue my purchasing drinks. I had a wonderful time here & should I visit Havana again I will certainly be...

Oh Fabrica de Arte...how I love thee. You are so special and much needed in La Habana. To any one going to La Habana do yourselves a favor and come to this magical place. It is opened to the public Thursday to Sunday from 8pm to 3am. Get there at 8 exactly so you can have time to check out the art and then head to level 3 to catch the show. The better performance/events take place in that level, but be advised that they close the doors once the performance starts and won't let anyone in until it ends so get there before the scheduled time. Make sure you grab an event schedule on your way in to see all the upcoming events that peak your interest. Cost is 2cuc (2$) for entrance and once you go in they give you a card that you give to the bartenders so that they can use it to keep track of your tab. You pay for it on your way out (don't lose this ticket as they will automatically charge you 30$ if you don't have it). There is 4 bars and they all offer different drinking options. FYI the bar at the 3rd level has glasses of wine for 2cuc (the other bars will charge you 3cuc). Also, all the bars have the option of national (local) beer for 1.5cuc but this beer tends to sell out fast and is usually reserved for locals (although they will never admit it). The bar in the first level has giant mojitos for 10cuc (some friendly bartenders will let you pour the rum into it!).The food options are good as well. Get the sandwiches as they offer the most bang for your buck. The ceviche is delightful as you can really taste the fresh fish. This is a great place to meet artsy locals and mingle with tourists from all over the world. I found myself coming here every night I stayed in La Habana and always found something awesome to do, as well as met very interesting people. I wish every corner of the world had a place as...

American Tourist: Cuba is the 19th Country I have visited. By far the top bar I have been to. It is like nothing else. I have heard people throw around the phrase best bar in the world. By far the most beautiful people in Cuba are here. Age range is from 20-45 years old. Many different rooms with all types of music. In one small room they had a DJ play Latin House music and then in the next hour they had a Older Live Band that played American 70's music that looked like they had traveled from the Southern part of the United States. The art seems to play as ambiance to the Party Scene that is the real focus. It is a grand mix of Tourists and Locals. Visited on a Thursday and Saturday. Both times we paid a "guide" to help get us in. $10 CUC per person and then pay the $2 CUC Entry fee. You can trust these "guides." Both times they could have taken off with my money but they stayed until we got in. I would suggest only paying on a Friday and Saturday. The line moved pretty quickly on Thursday. They can fill to capacity, so if you want to go in I suggest you pay before they "close the doors." The music was much better on Saturday than Thursday. The live music venue part of the club is best. Closes at 3am. Can take some time to clear out because of their card drink system. You use a card to order drinks and pay the tab at the front door. If you are still looking to go more after Fabrique I suggest a bar we stumbled upon down the street towards Old Town. The bar is named Made in Canada. Son from Toronto opened a bar with his Cuban father. They are open till 6am. Its small but modern with...