Habana Vieja

Harris Brothers (Monserrate #305, e/ O’Reilly y Progreso, Habana Vieja, tel. 07/861-1644, daily 9 a.m.–6 p.m.) has four stories of separate stores that sell everything from fashion and children’s items to toiletries.

Centro Habana and Cerro

The Plaza Carlos III (Av. Salvador Allende, e/ Árbol Seco y Retiro, Centro Habana, tel. 07/873-6370, Mon.–Sat. 9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.) is intended for Cubans, not tourists. Its many stores range from electronics and clothing to a take on the original Woolworth’s dime store (with separate stores where everything costs CUC1, CUC5, or CUC10, respectively).

East of Av. de Italia (Galiano) is Calle San Rafael—a pedestrian-only shopping zone, known colloquially as “El Bulevar.” Havana’s main shopping street retains many department stores from prerevolutionary days.

La Época (Av. de Italia, esq. Neptuno, Centro Habana, tel. 07/66-9414, Mon.–Sat. 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.) is a good place for clothing, including kiddie items and designer fashions.

The former Woolworth’s, today called Variedades Galiano (Av. de Italia, esq. San Rafael, tel. 07/862-7717, Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.), still has its original lunch counter.

Vedado and Plaza de la Revolución

Galerías de Paseo (1ra Calle, e/ Paseo y A, tel. 07/833-9888, Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–1 p.m.), at the foot of Paseo, has more than two dozen stores of varying kinds.

Playa (Miramar and Beyond)

La Puntilla Centro Comercial (1ra Av., esq. 0, tel. 07/204-7309, daily 8 a.m.–8 p.m.) has four floors of stores covering electronics, furniture, clothing, and more.

Similarly, there’s Quinta y 42 (5ta Av. y 42, Miramar, tel. 07/204-7070, Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–1 p.m.) and Complejo Comercial Comodoro (3ra Av., esq. 84, Miramar, tel. 07/204-5551, daily 8 a.m.–7 p.m.).

The largest supermarket is Supermercado 70 (3ra Av., e/ 62 y 70, Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sun. 9 a.m.–1 p.m.), with all manner of imported foodstuffs.