Juanita Banana -- A Very Special Cuban Bar -- in Spain

Posted by Susanna at 8:51 AM, Aug 31, 2009 (Comments)

Category: Travel

Tomas Taure, owner of the bar Juanita Banana in San Feliu de Guixols, Spain

"IT'S A REAL COOL bar, this Cuban bar" said the young American, talking on his cell phone with a friend on the northern Spanish beach called Conca in S'Agaró. "It's just about a hundred yards from the Rambla Vidal in San Feliu on Calle Penitència." He mentioned something about "Cubana Banana" - and fabulous Mojitos. Well, it sounded interesting enough for us to try to find this special Cuban bar. One recent evening we went around the narrow streets in this so charming and also elegant town in Catalunya, on the northeastern Spanish coast, which is called Costa Brava. The street was fairly dark, and there were no apparent signs telling us about the location of this establishment. As we proceeded down the street, we met a young woman and asked about directions. She just turned around, and said: "There it is." And there it was -- we could see a little sign, reading "Juanita Cubana," and below "Barcito Indiano."

"Juanita Cubana" - a Cuban bar in the Spanish town of San Feliu de Guixols, on the Catalan coast Costa Brava

INSIDE WE found a very interesting place, it felt like being moved to Cuba in the '50s. The owner, Tomas Taure, was there, but no customers. We learned that his brother is also an owner and is married to a woman from Cuba, thus the Cuban connection. It was 7 p.m., and far too early to see a boisterous crowd at a bar in this town. It is Spain, and people show up very late. "Well, around 11 p.m. people show up, and we are open until 2.30 a.m.," Taure told us. Taure, who is also a painter and is showcasing some of his art in the establishment, told us that he was born in Barcelona and spent 20 plus years in Madrid, but that he is very happy to be in San Feliu now. "I like the sea," he said.

Bar "Juanita Cubana" in San Feliu de Guixols

Bar "Juanita Cubana"

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