Taberna La Canchánchara

The canchánchara is said to go back to the mambises, the fighters of Cuba’s wars of independence against Spain. They mixed aguardiente with honey and whatever citrus they had, and drank it hot to keep out the cold and damp of the countryside.

In the early 1980s, during the restoration of part of Trinidad’s historic centre, a team from the town’s Museo de Arquitectura restored an old house as a tavern to revive the drink, which had survived only through oral tradition. They designed the tableware too; the piece that lasted is a clay cup made to imitate the jícara, the gourd the fighters are thought to have drunk from. Today the tavern is one of the most visited places in town.

The canchánchara itself: aguardiente, the rough cane spirit, stirred with honey, lemon juice, ice and water, and served in the clay cup. The ice is a modern change to the original hot drink. The tavern also serves food from the grill if you want a snack.

Yachts berth at Marina Trinidad, on the road to Playa Ancón south of the town. From there the old centre is about 20 minutes by taxi. The tavern is on Calle Rubén Martínez Villena, also known as Real del Jigüe, a short walk from Plaza Mayor along cobbled streets.

There is no booking and no published phone number: walk in and find a seat. It is a bar rather than a restaurant, so plan dinner elsewhere in the old town, for example at Restaurante Bar San José.