Havana

09/21/2008 Posted by triskina

I've heard good things about this club, and wanted to check it out. The night started off alright, but when taking a quick break from dancing I was approached by a security guard. Apparently, despite the long drink lines and weak drinks, I was too drunk and had to leave. It was nice of him to inform me because I had no idea. After rehashing the evening over and over, I still have no idea what set him off. Based on the remainder of my evening, and my cheery disposition the following morning I can confirm that I was okay. It seemed like they wanted to get in new folks to pay new cover, and new folks that were planning to spend money on drinks. Perhaps I was really dancing too much and not drinking enough. I left the club feeling insulted and powerless. I will not go back.

07/28/2008 Posted by SeattleBen76

This is a place that is trying to replicate the feel of a snazzy, South Beach hotspot. Well, it was definitely hot. There were far too many people packed into the bar and I began sweating almost immediately after entering. This of course, would have been fine if I could get a refreshing cocktail to cool me off. There was no rhyme or reason to the order of service at the bar. I waited for over 25 minutes while people behind me and to the side of me got served their drinks. When I asked for a drink that was advertised on their website as being one their recommended cocktails, I was told that they don't serve those when it's busy. After waiting half an hour to get in and then another half an hour to get drinks, I was in no mood to try to dance. Of course it would not have really been dancing anyway. Due the crowd size, it would have been more like bouncing against people. I left Havana very sober and very annoyed. I will not be back again.

03/16/2008 Posted by gwickstead

I went to Havanna last night and when I order two mojitos the bartender (has a tattoo that says Yee Haw on his arm) said that will be $17, then when I told him I was paying with a credit card, he rung me up and all the sudden it was $15. Later on with the same bartender I order two Peligrinos and I mojito, when I asked how much he said $16, then when he rang it up, it was $11. Shaaaaaaaaaaaaady, I think someone was trying to get themselves a big tip but when he had to ring it up, had to come clean. What a loser! I will not be going back to this place.

04/16/2007 Posted by mbrinck

I've been to Havana several times and I've never been disappointed. As far as decor and ambiance go--it's one of my favorite places in Seattle. Tucked in from the street, bold colors, tall windows, big plants, it all makes for a cozy tropical feeling. It's different from other bars/clubs in the area, and whether I show up for a mojito on a week night or go out with a group of friends on the weekend, I always have a good time.

Pros: Atmosphere, crowd, bartenders/drinks, etc.

04/08/2007 Posted by dyanast

After giving Havana quite a few tries, I am finally done. Not once but TWICE when I've been there, we've been asked to move because a table was "reserved". Once, we were guaranteed the "VIP" section, only to be bumped the night of by another party. Besides the management being totally disorganized and rude, the service is ALWAYS horrible, where bartenders are expected to double up as waiters instead of focusing on their own jobs. This is a huge disappointment of a club and even casual bar, as I do like to go there and have a few mojitos, but I feel like it's time to take my $500+ a night bar tab to a place that respects their customers more. Thanks for nothing, Havana!

Pros: location

Cons: Parking, service, value, management, wait staff...the list goes on and on

01/23/2007 Posted by kellyann73

After hearing all the hype and coming in once on an empty weeknight, I had high hopes for Havana until this Friday night. There was no telling where the line to the bar ended and the dance floor started while the DJ played mediocre music that was popular about a year ago. It reminded me of one of those middle school parties where the boys invited and the girls invited clearly do not match up, the result being a bunch of girls dancing in the middle of the room while the men stand on the outskirts awkwardly sipping their drinks and nodding their heads. At the end of the night a guy got sick in the middle of the dancefloor and really put the icing on the cake.

Pros: Ambiance, Happy Hour

Cons: Dancing, Weekends

01/22/2007 Posted by 324c

...because you'll wait forever at the one extremely slow bar. Plus there's nothing "Havanna" about it. Nothing special over any other club in town.

12/16/2006 Posted by mikebz

Just when the suburb crowds have figured out that Belltown was the place to be Seattlelites have got a brand new present - Havana. We hope that things, people and entertainment evolve and in case of Havana our hopes have been fulfilled. Take Belltown neatness, subtract the snobbiness, add more diversity and you have what could be a great destination of 2007. I have been to Havana several times already and it has been an off and on kind of place. Now it seems like the buzz is catching on and you are guaranteed to rub elbows with a bunch of other twenty something year olds. The absence of a known promoter evens out the egos in the crowd - you don't have the girls who are "with the DJ" and the guys who are "on the list" - everyone can get in most nights without cover. The drinks are well poured and the tables are positioned around the dance floor. Havana is small and it might become a victim of it's own success. It might be able to hold around 200 people comfortably. One key thing about Havana is it's music selection. It seems like the DJs at Havana are not going out on a limb to be "original" which you often see nowadays. They rock different tunes, but 80% of the time they will play the music that puts people in a good mood. Old school Beastie Boys, Sean Paul, and Michael Jackson all have an equal opportunity to be played. The tunes go from old to new, from hip hop to pop with only one goal in mind - make sure everyone is doesn't stop shaking their booty!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

11/03/2006 Posted by masondw

Music is good and loud and the drinks are above average. Bartenders were still getting a feel for the place the time before last and seem to have it together now. You have to tolerate one or more door men who take their job too seriously - do so with a sense of humor. Inside, the space is good and there are many tuck-away spots for small parties. The dance floor is a little too close to the bar which makes for a lot of spills/near-spills. Ultimately, the location is such that it shelters you from some of the walker-by traffic that plagues the rest of the hill. The DJs are familiar - some of the same DJ's seen at other local underground hotspots like The War Room and Neumos.

Pros: Music, decor

Cons: doorman, dance floor: dangerous when crowded

10/18/2006 Posted by klicajones

Weeknights are the best. I have been on weekends and it is really crowded and definantly "the place to be", however, I like a bit of a more mellow hang out for my friends, and we have found havana to be a perfect place to grab a booth on a thursday or a Monday night. It isn't overcrowded, the DJ's play good music, and you can quietly people watch as you participate in nice conversations with friends at your table. i like that this bar turns into a crazy club on the weekends but stays a classy cocktail lounge on weeknights.... So if you like wildness, try a weekend, if you like mellow people watching with your friends and friendly barstaff, try a weeknight. I say try it out, but don't bring so many friends that you ruin my mellow evening at this great bar.

Pros: great staff, cool decor, good drinks

Cons: hard to find (which is kind of cool once you find it) busy busy weekends

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful