Run, do not walk, to this undiscovered gem of a spa/nail salon tucked away in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. Look carefully or you'll miss the modest storefront, and I assure you, you won't want to miss it. Enter Havana Nights Nails and Spa and you'll leave busy, bustling Lawrence Avenue behind.

The long, narrow space is intimate and inviting, with mango-colored walls, salsa music, and dark wood colonial furniture conjuring images of a private Cuban home. The owner, Sandra Plasencia Casanova, welcomes you like a long lost hermana, offering you a seat, a beverage, and touching base with each customer as to what will soothe your soul as well as your tootsies.

Choose from a rainbow of polish selections that practically cover a third of one of the walls. And the spa pedicure chairs are in fact thrones that offer massaging while you get pampered. The staff is warm, friendly, and will go that extra length to provide in-depth customer care, making sure that you get exactly what you desire.

By the way, DO NOT miss the sybaritic heaven of the mojito pedicure. Inspired the classic Cuban cocktail, your feet are slathered with a mix of mint leaves, lime juice, sugar, white rum, and club soda, that soothes and tones, to say nothing of lifting your spirits and energizing the senses. Oh, and did I mention as part of your mood adjustment you're served a freshly made mojito to set the mood?

And I would be remiss if I didn't tell you to make sure you book a manicure and treat your skin while you're there. As a gift to myself for my last birthday, I had the works — facial and mani-pedi. The absolute thoroughness of the skin treatments were astounding — meticulous deep pore cleansing and exfoliation with follow-up moisturizing left me feeling and looking like a dewy diva!

And to make this even more of a must-do, the price point for these slices of heaven are incredibly reasonable, ranging from $14 for a manicure, $50 for the mojito pedicure, and $50 for an almost 90-minute deep-cleansing facial, and the champagne facial for $60. So, for an affordable spa experience in Chicago, whether you're a born and raised Chicagoan or visiting the Windy City for business or pleasure, it's Havana Nights Nails and Spa.

Havana Nights
2555 W. Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773 907-0654