BARS IN MADRID: El Rincon de la Habana

Bar reviews — By admin on May 13, 2009 12:00 am

El Rincon de la Habana
Calle de los Reyes, 6
Metro: Plaza de España
Hours: 8 p.m.—2 a.m. daily

The mojito. Now a preferred cocktail around the globe, this breezy beverage was invented in 1905 in Santiago, Cuba. Named for the Spanish adjective mojadito, or “a little wet,” the fresh blend of citrus, mint, sugar, and rum has been wetting palettes on hot, Caribbean days for more than one hundred years. There are several versions of the mojito, but the recipes that have gained international fame are the ones once mixed in El Floridita bar, located in Havana, Cuba. Luckily for those of us miles away from that tropical city, Madrid has its own little piece of Cuba—and mojitos mixed to perfection—at El Rincon de la Habana.

This vibrant Cuban cocktail bar is located just north of the Plaza de España on Calle de los Reyes, a hushed street that draws little attention apart from the smaller ethnic restaurants it hosts. Yet here, the intimate and dynamic El Rincon de la Habana offers vivacious Caribbean surroundings and Madrid’s finest mojitos. It’s worth the trek off the beaten path of Gran Vía for these mint-cool cocktails, and other fun options as well. Have your pick from an array of Latin American drinks, six euros apiece. Well worth the price, the beverages are generous in size, gushing with flavor, and strong! The mojito offers chilled refreshment, with the mixed flavors of freshly squeezed lime and cool hierba buena, mint leaves. The bartenders have mastered the skill of disguising that biting taste of rum with the sweet blend of the citrus, mint, and sugar. Or try the caipirinha, bursting with the flavor of punchy lime and Brazil’s legendary cachaça (sugarcane rum) in a tangy, tropical splash. Other house specialties to savor: Piña Colada, Havana Special, Rum Collins, or a Daiquiri Frappe. A secondary menu at the same price offers even more options, such as Tequila Sunrise, Between the Sheets, and strawberry or banana Daiquiris.

The locale itself is pulsating with Caribbean spirit. A more intimate space during the week, with three small tables and bar seating on the first level, be assured that the bar will be packed on the weekend. A second level is opened up on busier evenings, with a cluster of small tables and—appropriately—mojito green walls. There’s plenty to look at: the bar is decorated with brightly colored lava lamps and backed by an aqua blue wall, which is covered with an eclectic mix of plates, musical instruments, totem poles, and art from Cuba and Latin America. For more eye candy you’ll also find photographs of colonial architecture, the ocean, old-fashioned cars, and people from Cuba. Lively Caribbean music reverberates overhead, so tap your feet as you sip your way off to la Habana.

PRICES:

REGULAR MENU (6 euros per drink)
Caipirinha
Daiquiri Frappe
Havana Special
Mojito
Piña Colada
Rum Collins

SECONDARY MENU (subject to change; 6 euros per drink)
Amareco
Daiquiri (strawberry or banana)
Embassy y Royal
Entre las Sabanas
Long Island Iced Tea
Mulata
Pantera
Sonrisa del Bar

By Jane Caffrey

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