Ball & Chain

About Ball & Chain

Green walls hung with black-and-white photographs, herringbone floors, leather banquettes and wrought-iron chandeliers fill the main room, and out back a giant pineapple-shaped bandshell sits in a garden of palms and sofas. Bands play from lunchtime, covering jazz and Cuban standards in the afternoon and salsa later on; around ten the floor fills, a traditional Cuban group often takes over near half past eleven, and reggaeton fills the gaps, which one salsa fan resented. The bar is known for mojitos, a banana daiquiri and a cafecito spiked with bourbon, and the kitchen serves Cuban plates and sandwiches. It opens at eleven every day and closes at one, or three on Friday and Saturday. Google counts over 10,000 reviews at 4.6. Cocktails can reach $23 to $25, the room gets hot in summer, and the door looks guests over, so most dress smart casual.