Viva Havana
Long Weekend
BARS • First Round
The Skinny: The latest venture from the Future Bars folks, who launched a local empire with Bourbon & Branch two decades ago, Long Weekend is their 14th cocktail bar. The new North Beach spot will rotate in a fresh, globally inspired concept every nine months. The opening city of inspiration: Havana, Cuba.
The Vibe: With an interior painted Havana-pink with other bright and pastel accents, the flatiron-shaped former bank space at Broadway and Columbus is light and inviting, with plenty of circulation (and dancing!) space on its main level. (Sunday evenings, during this iteration, feature salsa dancing classes.) Suspended video screens, artwork, and a soundscape evoke Havana street scenes, and meanwhile, a graffiti’d, basement-level grotto serves as a reservation-only cocktail experience, better suited to dates and quiet conversation.
The Drink: Who doesn’t love a frozen tropical drink? First off, daiquiris can be ordered up, on the rocks, or blended, and in addition to the requisite Havana Club, there are three house rum blends to choose from: strawberry, watermelon, and tropical fruit. Those fruit-infused rums can also be turned into shaved-ice granizados, or mixed in a mojito — and here’s a rare bar where the staff won’t blink or roll an eye at a mojito order. Cuba Libres (white rum and Coke) are bottled and can come in a bucket of five, as can Cubatos (dark rum and Coke).
Other slightly dangerous (but delicious) blended options include the Princesa — like a blended mojito but made with gin, coconut, white pepper, and guava, along with mint and lime — and the Papa Doble, made with a house rum blend, a house maraschino blend, grapefruit, and lime, and comes with a limit of two per customer, as they go down a little too easily.
The Verdict: While it’s exciting to see what the next world city will be to shift the concept completely later this year, for now, the Caribbean drinks will no doubt be a surefire hit with the North Beach weekend party set, along with a menu offering plenty of sophisticated flavors for discerning palates, too. –Jay Barmann
→ Long Weekend • 270 Columbus Ave • Tue-Wed 430p-12a, Thu-Sat 430p-2a, Sun 3-11p • Reserve.