Each city in any part of the world has something to be proud of and what makes it an exceptional setting it apart from any other places. The Cuban metropolis of Havana is no exception and has so many of such mentioned places and beauties. For sure, hardly anywhere you could find a place like La Bodeguita del Medio, a place with such a rich and long-life history linked with influential figures, located in the middle part of Empedrado street, connecting a colonial part with a newly built-up Havana centre.

It is said that La Bodeguita is located exactly a hundred paving bricks away from the Havana Cathedral, the most monumental american baroque building in Cuba. According to its half-way down the street location at 207 Empedrado street, the Inn was given its extraordinary name of La Bodeguita del Medio, what in a free translation means the Pub in the middle of the street. This might sound a bit strange in a matter of traditional marketing phylosophy when choosing the right place for opening a new business, as the most common strategic place is usually chosen somewhere on the street corner to be well recognized for people passing by.

When entering La Bodeguita interior in Havana, first thing you recognize is an intensive breathtaking scent of cuban mint and a mixture of herbs that positively influence and treat your digestive system. That is why these amazing ingredients became a part of such a well-known traditional MOJITO drink, which of the full-bodied taste had gone through an exciting transition as time went by. In the background of La Bodeguita you can enjoy exceptional and the most temting selection of meals and delicacies while being pulled into the atmosphere of cuban melodies performed by a local cuba hot-blooded trio spreding all over the interior.

Let´s get back into the war times of past century, into 1942, when Mr. Angel Martinéz Borroto let himself be led by his own business intuition and he made the decision to buy a tiny little store in Empedrado street, at those times located in a fortified part of historical Havana, and he started his little business called La Casa Martinéz. Right afther that, Felito Ayón, a very close friend of Martinéz, opend his own printing shop, not so far from La Bodeguita. As he didn´t have his own telephone, Ayón´s clients used to visit La Bodeguita to make phone calls. This was of course a good reason to enjoy a nice glass of rum every time they visited this cosy place.

One of the most famous guests of La Bodegiuta, among many others was Nikolas Guillén, a classical cuban poet, as well as Alejo Carpentier, a famous novelist. As the time went by, La Bodeguita became a very remarkable and favourite place for intelectuals and artists of all kinds and not less for common Bohems. We can proudly acclaim that La Bodeguita became an exclussive place for advanced thinking latin-american intelectuals and artists coming from all over the world.

At the beginning, the La Bodegita life and happening was focused at the bar. Later on, Martinéz´s wife, also called Armenian thanks to her ancestry, started to prepare little somethings and snacks to enjoy with a drink. The main daily meal used to be CONGRÍ, a combination of black beans served with white rice, also described as „Maur and Christians“ food. She also served Masas de puerco fritas,fried pieces of pork and Tastanes de plátano, which were fried banana crisps or little banana pancakes. This was the way how Martinéz tried to meet his guests´requirements, but he was generous indeed as for being paid only for serving drinks.

In 1950, Martinéz renamed his Inn from La Casa Martinéz to La Bodeguita del Medio, as this was actually a name the regulars tagged it with and had got to use it for a long time. In the 50´s of the last century, La Bodeguita was an inportant place for social and cultural life for many famous people from all over the world such as Nat King Cole, an american singer, Ernest Hemingway, the Nobel prize winner for literature, also Brigitte Bardot, known as an idol for women all over the world as well as a beautiful italian actress, Sophia Loren, and not forgetting to mention names such as Spence Tracy, an american actor, Errol Flynn, Austin Lara or Mario Moren. All these famous icons including top-class cuban intelectual attracted more and more enthusiastic faithful visitors in La Bodeguita.

Nowadays, La Bodeguita del Medio remains a never-dying memorandum for arty past of Old Havana as it still keeps its high standards for intelectuals, politics and it does not stay unnoticed for people passing by and walking down the streets of Havana.

Many La Bodegita visitors say this monumental building from the 19th century keeps the most valuable collection of signatures, amazing memories and photographs from all over the world on its interior walls. This extraordinary fact was supposed to be awarded and nominated for being written in a Guinness world records book.

The brand of La Bodeguita del Medio is thanks to its name known all over the world. Apart from the original La Bodeguita del Medio in Cuba, Havana, there are another ten restaurants proudly carrying a brand name of La Bodeguita del Medio. They all are officially recognized and acclaimed franchise of the famous cuban La B del M. The brand of La Bodeguita del Medio is mostly spreading all over Mexico.

Cuba

La Bodeguida del Medio is the most famous and traditional cuban restaurant - bar in the world, formely established in a little store in La Habana Vieja (the Old Havana). It became a popular place, where many intellectuals used to meet to have an informal lunch or business meetings, where many of them became one of the most important representatives of cuban cultural life of past century, leaving a never-dying historical track. Awarded with lots of prizes and so many domestic and international honors, it is considered to be a „MOJITO Cathedral“, one of the most famous and most-loved drinks all over the world.

Located in 207 Empedrado street in Old Havana, a mankind cultural heritage can be, according to saying, found exactly a hundred paving bricks away from Cathedral de la Habana, a monumental artwork of american baroque in Cuba. As you enter the place, you immerse yourself into a delicate scent of fresh mint, such a healing herbal remedy for your digestion, which gives Mojito the immutable taste of the most famous cuban coctail. This is the right place to taste luxurious creole meals while being pulled into the tunes of traditional melodies performed by a local trio.

In 1942, Ángel Martínez Borroto, a Cuban, bought this tiny store in Empedrado streed and called it „La Casa Martínez“ (Martínez´s house). Felito Ayón, such a charismatic cuban editor, opened his printing store close to „La Bodeguita del Medio“. Straight after that, his clients learned to go to Martinéz´s place to make phonecalls and enjoy a nice glass of delicate rum at the go.

No doubts, La Bodeguita is and always will be representing the „La Bohems´“ lifestyle in Havana. Artists, intellectuals, politics or anyone else will spot a place at La B del M while enjoying a nice walk or Havana´s sightseeing. This mysterious little house in a colonial style from the 19th century, appareantly holds one of the oldest and most valuable collection of signatures, photographs, and memories in the world.

Among all the famous figures, one of the first most well-know guests were Nicolás Guillén, a national poet and Alejo Carpeintier, who was an extraordinary writer.

Every day, there were regular guests asking for little snacks and meals that Arménia, Martinéz´s wife, prepared for the employees who worked in the Inn. She mainly served cooked rice, black beans, pork knuckles, manioca, pork meat and fried green bananas. Thanks to Marinéz´s hospitality, even after his death, he became an „El excelente anfitrión“ (an etraordinary host). In 1950, Martinéz decided to change the rename his Inn to La Bodeguta del Medio, as people got to call it for such a long time…

The period of 50´s was especially significant as many famous artist such as Nat King Cole, Ernest Hemingway, the Nobel prize winner, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Agustín Lara or Mario Moren started visiting the restaurant.

Untill now, this little authentic cuban world, such a hospitable and cheerful place, still keeps welcoming guests from all over the world and remains a favourite place for worldwide celebrities who come to our „Isla Grande“ (the Great Island).

La Bodeguita del Medio – C.Empedrado entre Cuba y San Ignacio, La Habana Vieja, Havana

Czech Republic

La Bodeguita del Medio – Kaprova 5, 110 00 Praha 1

http://www.labodeguitadelmedio.cz/

Mexico

La Bodeguita del Medio – Cozumel 37, Col. Roma, México D.F., C.P. 06700, México City

La Bodeguita del Medio - Insurgentes Sur 1798, Col. Florida, México D.F., C.P. 01030, México City

La Bodeguita del Medio -Av. Vallarta 2320, Col. Obrera Centro, Guadalajara Jalisco, C.P. 44420, Guadalajara

La Bodeguita del Medio - Paseo Díaz Ordaz 858, Col. Centro, Puerto Vallarta Jalisco, C.P. 48300

La Bodeguita del Medio - 5ta. Avenida esq. Calle 34, Col. Condominio Bosque de los Aluxes, Quintana Roo, C.P. 77710, Playa del Carmen

La Bodeguita del Medio - Rio Misouri 600 entre Ricardo Margain y Olivos, Centro Comercial Plaza Lua, Col. Del, San Pedro Garza Garcia, N.L., C.P. 66220, Monterrey

http://labodeguitadelmedio.com.mx/

Ukraine

La Bodeguita del Medio - 21/20, Yaroslavov Val Street, Kyiv 01034

http://bodeguita.com.ua/

Lebanon

La Bodeguita del Medio - Damascus Road, Sodeco, Achrafieh, Beirut

http://labodeguitalibano.com/