One day, notwithstanding your intentions, you may find yourself in Asunción. The capital city of Paraguay and generally overlooked tourist destination. It’s a nice enough city but lacking a lot of specific things to do. Most people move on quickly for adventures on the Pampas or to engage in some political shenanigans, but you, like me, are not regular people. We are cigar smokers. And so, as I ambled about this modest capital, I looked for places to smoke.
In February 2025 no one was allowing me to smoke inside of restaurants or bars, but patios were fine. The only downside of that is that in central Asunción there are not a lot of patios. It is stiflingly hot and, historically, not that safe on the streets, so there is not a lot of al fresco imbibing, but at night, seemingly from nowhere little hole-in-the-wall bars and eateries appeared and set up tables and twinkle lights on the streets and you could enjoy a cigar and a drink and some music at any one of these places. The only downside is that it is still not that safe to be out at night and you will be warned not to walk, though I was and I did and I did not experience any problems. I walked sternly and carried a large cigar. Maybe that helped.
What central Asunción lacks, however, are cigar lounges. For that, I took an uber to the fanciest neighbourhood of town, called Villa Morra.
As best as I could tell, there was only one cigar lounge, which was (allegedly) a La Casa Del Habano in the affluent neighbourhood.
It’s hard to believe the Villa Mora is even in the same city as central Asunción. It feels like South Florida or Los Angeles. It’s very fancy and everything is new and well-manicured and there is a lot of security. It’s not particularly appealing as a pedestrian, but if you want to sit down and have a fancy meal or a cigar this is the place to go. Upon arriving, I was surprised because there is no La Casa Del Habano anymore; it is now simply called “Cigar Shop.” (Really, for the purposes of internet visibility, “cigar shop” is a terrible name for a cigar store, but I suppose it does get to the point.)
I visited “Cigar Shop” twice while in Asunción. They had a decent selection of cigars, mostly non-Cuban, and reasonable prices. They had a couple of lounge areas; one for regular people like me and then one for VIPs in the back. It was busy both times I went in. It had excellent air conditioning, cold water, strong coffee, and alcohol. I was quite content. The owners were nice. They explained that there had been a La Casa Del Habano there but that it had closed and they took over the space.
The first time I went, I bought a Fuente eye of the Shark. Everybody in there was speaking Spanish and I sat there trying to understand their conversations with my limited knowledge of the language. (Something about work and a father-in-law and muchos problemas.) I also watched the groups of VIP men, all in suits and sunglasses, going in and out of the VIP room, and I wondered what sort of corporate wheeling or political deadline was happening in that literal smoke-filled backroom in this South American country.
The next time I went in, I ended up chatting with an American guy who lives in Asunción. He was smoking a Fuente and was astonished that I had come to Asunción voluntarily. He told me his story, which was that he was from Los Angeles but met a girl from Paraguay and fell in love, so he came down to spend time with her and then the COVID pandemic hit and he couldn’t leave. And then she got pregnant and they got married and now he lives there. He hates it. He loves his family, but he really hates living there and leaves as much as he can. His disdain for the city amused me. There was also a group of American guys that were there going on a fishing expedition, and I talked with them a bit as well. So, I wasn’t the only tourist in the city.
I also smoked a cigar on the rooftop of the Dazzler Hotel, which was a restaurant / bar called Negroni. It was not a cigar bar, but they had no issue with me smoking there and enjoying a negroni (obviously) with views over the city.
Ultimately, a cigar in Asunción is an exercise in contrast. You can brave the night air on a street patio in the city center, both appealing and menacing, with a stick in hand; or retreat to the air-conditioned, VIP-adjacent comfort of Villa Morra. While the options are few, “Cigar Shop”, with its camaraderie, and rooftops like Negroni make it a decent stop for the traveling smoker. Finding a place where the cigars are well cared for, the beverages are flowing, and the company is happy to chat is more than enough.
