My favorite place for coffee in Havana is Casa de Huevos in Old Havana. The name literally translates to mean "House of Eggs."

There are a few tables at one side of the restaurant, where I have sat on a few occasions to order fried eggs in a nest of French fries.  Casa de Huevos is a local café and not many tourists hang out here.  Espresso costs just a peso, which is around 5 cents American and there is often a lineup to get a midday java.

Upon arriving on my last visit, I yelled "ultimo" to get a spot as the last person in line.  Once it was my turn to squeeze into the crowd around the coffee bar, the bartender threw a saucer in front of me and took my order.  While I waited for my double espresso, I watched, amazed, as locals added four or five spoons of sugar to their espresso.

As everywhere in Cuba, there is a black market here. Need coffee for home? I've bought a bagful here on more than one occasion.

Nicole currently divides her time between Ottawa and Havana, working as a musician, guide and writer. She has travelled all over Canada, the USA and Cuba, as well as Mexico, Costa Rica, England and the Dominican Republic. She has also lived in Spain, where she worked as an English teacher. Aside from travelling and music, Nicole enjoys cooking and has worked in several restaurants and has a BA Honours in Translation from the University of Ottawa.