Inside: La Casa De La Habana in Detroit

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La Casa De La Habana

La Casa De La Habana Cigar Lounge

Status: It may be one of the only places in Detroit that imports rolled tobacco from overseas and manufactures cigars from scratch, but the month-old La Casa De La Habana offers so much more than just cigars and accessories.

One part retail, one part lounge and one part VIP retreat, La Casa is a 7,000-square foot cigar-lover’s sanctuary.

“We are hoping to become not just another midwest premium cigar venue but a destination for those passionate about cigars all over the U.S.,” says Owner Ismail Houmani who opened sister cigar bars in downtown Plymouth and Ann Arbor last November. “It is our goal to bring graceful lifestyle and share our expertise in cigars with Detroiters."

Houmani and his crew took six months to transform the Harmonie Park venue (formerly an abandoned photography studio) into La Casa while retaining the architectural integrity like the crown molding, exposed brick walls and the ducts hanging from the ceiling. La Casa, which held its grand opening on Oct. 23, also boasts five VIP lounges on the second level and authentic Cuban elements throughout the venue.

Tobacco leaves are imported from Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua to the cigar lounge where they are housed in a Spanish cedar humidor, says Marketing Director Maria Petrenko.

The hearty aroma of tobacco hits you the moment you step into the humid, temperature-controlled spot on the first floor where hundreds of hand-rolled cigars in dozens of different brands litter the shelves.
 
Gear: It’s not unusual to see suit-clad business men touting briefcases or work bags up to the second floor VIP area which has a conference room and Wi-Fi, but you certainly won’t be out of place in something simple like jeans or khakis.

Mood: If you’ve been to Cuba, some of the scenes located throughout the venue will be familiar, like the Pinal Del Rio plantation room on the second floor or the larger-than-life-sized mural in the cigar and martini lounge depicting several iconic Cuban elements.

“We tried to make it authentic,” says Petrenko who designed the elements in La Casa.

While it’s mostly men that gravitate towards the cigars, Jennifer Dandridge who works in the retail section of La Casa, says there are plenty of women who stop by for martinis and even a quick smoke. The flavored cigars tend to be a favorite among the fairer sex.  

The day light hours are on the quiet side with business men stealing away to work in the cozy setting, but “at night, it’s more of a party place,” says Petrenko, who relates the camaraderie at La Casa to that of a country club without the golf. “Not rowdy, but kind of a Starbucks for grownup men. It’s a big hangout spot for after work.”

Pick me up: In a cigar lounge, you can’t really ask for much more than a great hand-rolled smoke and a multitude of adult beverages, and La Casa doesn’t disappoint with 100 different brands of cigars and an extensive martini menu as well as a beer list that includes both domestics and imports ($3.95 and $4.95 respectively).

While there is a kitchen, the only food you’ll find will be food that’s catered -- and that’s only on special occasions.

Entertainment: Wednesdays boast live music from musician Michael Gabriel, and Fridays and Saturdays typically offer live Afro-Cuban jazz.

Members, who pay $100 a month, get the added perk of whiskey tastings, cigar samplings, access to Spanish cedar-lined humidor lockers, informational seminars and discounted trips to cigar facilities in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.