CLUB REVIEW : Sounds Like a Good Time at El Floridita on Mondays

Walking into the Cuban restaurant El Floridita on a Monday night is like walking into a lively wedding reception. And the Hollywood nightspot’s regulars greet you so warmly that you feel as if you’ve been invited.

Setting the tone for the evening is El Floridita’s debonair owner, Armando J. Castro, who stations himself at the door to personally see that tables are secured as quickly as possible for guests, who will find the place standing room only. The main draw is Johnny Polanco & Conjunto Amistad, a nine-piece salsa band that performs three or four sets between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Specializing in Cuban “Tres” salsa, a form of the Latin-based music the owner refers to as “basic, not hard-core,” the group invigorates listeners from the moment they walk in, defying anyone to make it to a table without swiveling his or her hips along the way. To be sure, little sitting actually takes place, with the tiny dance floor filled all night with folks of all ages.

The menu, which boasts that you can “Enjoy the ambience of Cuba in the heart of Hollywood,” offers a detailed explanation of El Floridita’s history (its namesake in Havana reportedly dates to 1820).

Although Hollywood’s El Floridita is only 7 years old, ‘50s photos in the menu reveal that Ernest Hemingway was a fan of the original, which he frequented during the filming of “The Old Man and the Sea.”

Apparently he, too, knew a good thing when he heard it.

* El Floridita, 1253 N. Vine St. All ages, $8 cover on Monday (free with dinner). (213) 871-8612.