El Floridita became one of the first things that people from all over the world asked, when they arrived in Cuba. At present, Ernest Hemingway’s “best bar on the world" is one of the sine qua non of the tourists that visit Havana, but it is difficult to find a satisfactory answer for the question, whether El Floridita would have the same international fame, if he would not have such a worldwide known fan, like Ernest Hemingway.

Still today the tourists mob the orange bricked, one-story building of El Floridita, just to cruise the yellowed photos of Hemingway with his friends hung on the walls and take a photo inside. Usually, there is not any free table because of the constant stream of the tourists; a fact that makes the place less appealing for the people that plan to spend long time. Therefore, it is recommended to visit the bar when it opens in the morning, like Hemingway did his first visit.

The scene inside is almost the same: the tourists compete against each other to take a photo with the life-size bronze statue of Hemingway that was placed at his favorite corner, at the end of the bar close to the entrance, in 2003. It is the work of the Cuban artist José Villa Soberón that is particularly known for his public sculptures in Havana, such as the statue of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (in Jardín Madre Teresa de Calcutta), Che Guevara (in Palacio Central de Pioneros Ernesto Che Guevara, Parque Lenin), and John Lennon (in John Lennon Park).  Behind the statue, there is the bronze bust of the writer, made in 1954. One photo on the wall shows Ernest Hemingway and the Cuban leader Fidel Castro shaking hands and laughing. This famous photo was taken when they met for the first time during a fishing contest held in the author’s honor in 1960. Almost in all the photos, hung on the walls in the bar, the writer is accompanied by a Papa Doble.

The hall is dominated by the long central bar. The counter behind the bar is painted in red in harmony with the red jackets of the bartenders. The framed mural of the Bay of Havana behind the bar covers almost all the wall. Sometimes there is also live music, mostly of a trio.

The bar and the restaurant still preserve much of the atmosphere of the 1940s and 1950s, even though much of the customers are tourists now. In the next room, El Floridita has a restaurant, that is a traditional reference regarding fish and sea food. With the murals on the walls and the waiters with red jackets, the restaurant resembles the interior of the bar. The restaurant still serves Papa & Mary, which was Hemingway's and his wife's favorite seafood (lobster in seashell sauce and beef in bearnaise sauce). They also offer the Grand Hemingway, a mix of lobster, shrimp and fish.