Coppelia: Cuba's Cathedral of Ice Cream Serving 35,000 Daily

On an island where tropical heat calls for something cool at any hour, one place became far more than an ice cream shop. Coppelia is a temple, a meeting point, a cultural symbol — and arguably the most iconic ice cream parlor in all of Latin America.

Since 1966, this futuristic building in the heart of Havana’s Vedado neighborhood has served millions of liters of ice cream to generations of Cubans. Its story is as rich as the tropical flavors that made it famous.

The Birth of an Ice Cream Dream 🍦

Coppelia’s story begins with an obsession. Fidel Castro, famously passionate about ice cream and dairy products, dreamed of creating an ice cream parlor to rival the world’s best. Legend has it that after tasting Howard Johnson’s ice cream during a visit to the United States, he decided Cuba would have something even better.

The project was entrusted to architect Mario Girona Fernández, who designed a visionary structure inspired by the biomorphic modernism of Oscar Niemeyer and Félix Candela. Celia Sánchez, Castro’s personal secretary and a heroine of the Sierra Maestra campaign, gave it its name: Coppelia, after her favorite ballet by composer Léo Delibes.

On June 4, 1966, Coppelia opened with 26 flavors and 25 combinations. Cuba had its cathedral of ice cream.

Architecture from Another Planet 🛸

Coppelia’s building is a masterpiece of Cuban revolutionary modernism. The main structure is a two-story pavilion with a circular roof supported by twelve reinforced concrete columns resembling spider legs. The deliberately futuristic shape evokes a flying saucer landed among the park’s trees.

Five white granite discs connect to a grand helicoidal staircase, with wood and tinted glass partition panels. The result is a space that can accommodate up to 547 diners simultaneously, spread across air-conditioned indoor salons and open-air terraces beneath shady trees.

The parlor occupies an entire city block between Calles 23 and 21, along the famous Rampa — the main artery of Vedado’s cultural and nightlife scene. This was no accident: Coppelia was conceived as a democratic space where any Cuban, regardless of background, could enjoy quality ice cream.

The Flavors That Captivate 🥭

In its golden years, Coppelia was a tropical flavor paradise that no ice cream shop in the world could match:

• Guava — The star flavor, intensely aromatic
• Mango — Sweet and smooth as ripe fruit
• Coconut — Creamy, made with fresh coconut from Baracoa
• Orange and pineapple — Refreshing citrus for Caribbean heat
• Chocolate — The universal classic, with Cuban cacao
• Mantecado — Cuba’s richer, denser version of vanilla
• Strawberry — A tropical luxury with fruits from Camagüey

Coppelia’s famous ensaladas (ice cream sundaes) became legendary: generous bowls with multiple scoops, wafers, syrup, and sometimes a slice of guava pastry. All served in crystal glassware, as befitting a cathedral.

More Than Ice Cream: A Social Ritual 👥

To understand Coppelia, you must understand the cola (the line). Waiting in line at Coppelia isn’t just waiting — it’s a social act, a space for conversation, flirtation, and community life. Generations of Cubans have found friends, partners, and even jobs in the Coppelia line.

The Cuban film Strawberry and Chocolate (1993), directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, immortalized this ritual. The opening scene, where protagonists David and Diego meet at Coppelia, turned the ice cream parlor into an international symbol of Cuban culture. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and carried Coppelia’s name around the world.

The Difficult Years 🌧️

Like so many Cuban institutions, Coppelia has weathered economic crises. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the so-called Special Period devastated dairy production, and the flavor selection shrank dramatically.

At its worst, Coppelia offered only one flavor — usually a watered-down version of mantecado. Freezers broke down, service deteriorated, and quality was a shadow of those original 26 flavors.

In February 2025, after a three-month closure due to economic difficulties and price adjustments, Coppelia reopened with an expanded flavor selection and updated pricing. A sign of hope for Cuban ice cream lovers everywhere.

Coppelia Beyond Havana 🇨🇺

While the Vedado flagship is the most famous, Coppelia is a national chain. Branches exist in virtually every provincial capital across Cuba — from Santiago de Cuba to Pinar del Río. Each adapted to its local context, but all sharing the same egalitarian spirit: quality ice cream accessible to everyone, paid in Cuban pesos.

In 2012, Venezuela and Cuba signed an agreement to build a Coppelia ice cream plant on Venezuelan soil, extending the brand beyond Cuba’s shores.

Ice Cream with a Cuban Soul 💛

Coppelia is far more than ice cream. It’s proof that a dessert can become national identity. Every Cuban has a Coppelia story: the first childhood ice cream, the teenage date, the endless line under the sun, the guava flavor that just isn’t what it used to be.

Like Cuban coffee or sweet plantains, Coppelia is part of the island’s gastronomic DNA. And as long as that futuristic building stands on the corner of 23 and L, it will remain the place where Cuba cools down, comes together, and remembers itself.

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Have you tried Coppelia ice cream? What was your favorite flavor? Tell us in the comments. 🍨