Houston’s New Secret Bar Turns the Holidays Into 1950s Cuba — Inside Emilia’s Havana, a Pop-Up With Music and Drinks Power

Tucked Away Inside Annie Cafe and a World Apart

BY Laurann Claridge // Nov 20, 2025

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‘Tis the season to make merry. Let your hair down this month and next, Ricky Ricardo style, with the Cuban-themed, Havana Holiday. The ticketed pop-up is held at Emilia’s Havana, a stylish hideaway tucked inside The Annie Cafe and Bar. (Photo by Hasan Yousef)

An array of Havana Holiday-themed cocktails is available from now until December 27 at Emilia's Havana. (Photo by Brian Kennedy)

Decked out for the holidays, inside the hideaway, Emilia's Havana. Photo by Hasan Yousef.

Playing up the fad for Dubai Chocolate is the martini by the same name served through the holidays at Emilia's Havana. Photo by Brian Kennedy.

‘Tis the season to make merry. Let your hair down this month and next, Ricky Ricardo style, with the Cuban-themed, Havana Holiday. The ticketed pop-up is held at Emilia’s Havana, a stylish hideaway tucked inside The Annie Cafe and Bar. (Photo by Hasan Yousef)

Those in the know at the speakeasy-style concept, owned by the Berg Hospitality Group, collaborated to conjure holiday-themed drinks with Rémy Cointreau, Royal Wine, and Bacardi. Photo by Hasan Yousef.

T’is the season to make merry. Let your hair down this month and next, Ricky Ricardo style, with the Cuban-themed, Havana Holiday. The ticketed pop-up takes place at Emilia’s Havana, a stylish hideaway tucked inside The Annie Cafe and Bar, with seating for 50 people.

Inspired by 1950s Cuba, and operating now through December 27, one can reserve a seat for Wednesday through Saturday evenings for some live Latin music, festive holiday decor, cocktails and light bites.

Those in the know at this temporary speakeasy, owned by the Berg Hospitality Group, collaborated to conjure holiday-themed drinks with Rémy Cointreau, Royal Wine and Bacardi. Book a seat and order up a Santa Clausmopolitan, a vodka tincture with Cointreau, pomegranate juice, lime, sparkling with edible glitter, or a white Christmas margarita, their holiday version includes a bit of fragrant rosemary, cranberries and coconut. For those who look forward to the appearance of eggnog leading up to Christmas, there’s the “GingerBERG Nog,” named after Ben Berg, the speakeasy’s creator and owner. Berg’s bouzy version includes Black Irish white chocolate, Rémy 1738 and eggnog spiked with a gingerbread simple syrup.

Havana Holiday Drinks — An array of Havana Holiday-themed cocktails is available from now until December 27 at Emilia’s Havana. (Photo by Brian Kennedy)

Wednesday evenings from 5 pm to 10 pm are industry night, when the $25 admission includes your first cocktail (but no live music). Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays arrive by 6:30 pm when the kitchen opens for the dinner seating and indulge in dishes such as wild Campeche stone crab ($MKT), Spanish wood-grilled octopus ($24), Dover sole meuniere ($60) and truffle-scented chicken pot pie ($43).

Or perhaps arrange to pop in after 10 pm until closing (2 am weekends) when you can enjoy light bites such as lobster corn empanadas (three for $24), duck confit Cubano ($24), a take on the Cubana sandwich made with duck confit, white cheddar, prosciutto cotto, pickles and mojo rojo on ciabatta bread. A popular hors d’oeuvre we see often around the holidays, included here, is the humble pigs in a blanket (six for $18) with Dijonnaise for dipping.

Regardless of when you arrive, the cover charge on Thursdays through Saturdays is $50 per person and includes your first drink.

Emilia’s Havana is located at 1800 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 6170.