Havana

Old Havana's El Café does everything right: from all-day breakfasts to sandwiches (pulled pork with yucca, greens and orange marmalade sauce caught our fancy), coffee specialties, and even drinks with a Cuban rum kick for early pre-party gatherings.

Quirks galore at Fortuna Joe, a cafe of curiosities where guests are welcome to interact with the "exhibits" by getting comfy in a cushion-padded bath tub or on a (permanently) docked boat out on the terrace. Although food and drink aren't the main pull, they just so happen to be quite decent — breakfasts are especially popular.

Hidden in plain sight steps away from the heart of Old Havana (Plaza Vieja), this pleasant cafe — the namesake of a reputable Cuban cultural periodical — serves scrumptious Italian specialties and great coffee.

House specials take the cake at this unusual establishment that refuses to admit its cafe status, with dishes named after and inspired by prominent artists like Pollock (chicken with chocolate and mint flavour) and Duchamp (pork loin in artisan marinade). The owner recommends the house take on traditional Cuban ropa vieja, dedicated to Wifredo Lam.