MiKasa Bar in Cali

Mikasa Bar is located in a villa in a residential neighborhood. I must haven driven by at least a dozen times, before one night when passing by with my girlfriend, I was told that there was a bar behind the subtle facade. Don’t be fooled by discrete exteriors. Behind the front door lies one of the best kept secrets in the Cali nightlife.

It’s a place to expect the unexpected and by now a longtime favorite of yours truly. Every night is different and they have lots of live events. Some of Colombia’s best bands and DJ’s like Bomba Estereo and Chocquibtown have played there, and keep coming back from time to time.

The theme changes constantly and it could be anything from reggae, house music, deep electronic, rock ‘n roll, latin, salsa, folklore or indie. You never know.. unless you prepare yourself and check out their facebook and twitter pages in advance.

Part of the fun is, that Mikasa Bar attracts a very diverse clientele including the hippies, the yuppies, the students, the gringos and the business people. The setting is very informal – it’s just a house that they turned into a bar. But it has a super cozy feel to it. There’s a big bar right in the lobby when you walk in. The indoors patio, with a big mango tree in the middle, serves as dance floor in front of the DJ. Second floor gives you a bird’s eye perspective of the party below. Start in a couch, people watch, and a have few beers. When ready, bring your drink to the dance floor, get a move on, mingle and let the good times roll.

Part of the fun is that everybody is welcome, and it’s one of the few places in town where everything goes – even flipflops!

Mikasa Bar • Calle 26N # 5AN-51 Barrio Pasarela in Cali, Colombia

Drinking there is fairly cheap, with beers selling at around $5.000 pesos – US$2. There’s usually a $10.000 pesos cover charge for the first 100 who arrive. After that the price goes up to $15.000 pesos. They open Thursday-Saturday from 8:00pm to 3:00am.