Must-see restaurants in Santiago de Cuba

  • Roy's Terrace Inn Roof Garden Restaurant

    Santiago de Cuba

    If only the rest of Cuba could harness this formula: quality homemade food, caring service and excellent atmosphere. Reserve one day ahead for one of only…

  • Madrileño

    Santiago de Cuba

    A well-respected, good-quality option, Madrileño occupies a classy colonial abode in Vista Alegre with interior patio dining with chirping birds. Contrary…

  • St Pauli

    Santiago de Cuba

    In a city of no great culinary tradition, St Pauli arrived like a hurricane. Walk the long, mural-decorated corridor to a bright room featuring blackboard…

  • Ristorante Italiano La Fontana

    Santiago de Cuba

    Pizza deliciosa and lasagna formidable, ravioli and garlic bread; mamma mía, this has to be the number-one option for breaking away from all that chicken…

  • Restaurante El Morro

    Santiago de Cuba

    Bravo to the spectacular cliffside location sporting huge sea views. Classics, such as roast chicken and pork, are nicely presented. A busload of European…

  • Bendita Farándula

    Santiago de Cuba

    You would probably never wander in here unbidden, but with an ambience reminiscent of a provincial French bistro, this cozy two-floored place does…

  • El Palenquito

    Santiago de Cuba

    Barbecue is the specialty of this casual backyard restaurant on the outskirts of Santiago. Grilled pork and chicken are served with the typical sides, but…

  • Restaurante Zunzún

    Santiago de Cuba

    Dine in bygone bourgeois style in this mansion turned restaurant, Zunzún, in the once upscale Vista Alegre neighborhood. It has always been lauded, though…

  • Ranchon Los Naranjo

    Santiago de Cuba

    On a hilly residential street by Meliá, this open-air restaurant offers great-value meals. Grilled fish and lamb stewed in tomato sauce come recommended…

  • Thoms Yadira Restaurante

    Santiago de Cuba

    This convivial upstairs restaurant just off Parque Céspedes turns out consistently high-quality seafood favorites including grilled lobster, pasta dishes…

  • La Arboleda

    Santiago de Cuba

    Santiago's ice cream cathedral is a little out of the center, not that this lessens the queue length. Yell out ¿Quién es último? (who is last?) and take…

  • El Holandes

    Santiago de Cuba

    A small, pleasing paladar (privately owned restaurant) with seating indoors or on a pleasant elevated terrace. The food is classic Cuban, the setting…

  • Jardín de las Enramadas

    Santiago de Cuba

    Occupying a block just down from the casco histórico en route to the port, this garden is devoted to ornamental plants and great ice cream (which comes…

  • La Fortaleza

    Santiago de Cuba

    In a conducive setting amid Vista Alegre's mansions, this spacious, inviting shady patio serves above-average food (pay in pesos) alongside live music at…

  • El Barracón

    Santiago de Cuba

    El Barracón tries to reignite the roots of Afro-Cuban culture and cuisine with mixed results. The state-run restaurant's interior, a mix of atmospheric…

  • Cafe Hotel Casa Granda

    Santiago de Cuba

    Positioned like a whitewashed theater box overlooking the unscripted cabaret of Parque Céspedes, the Casa Granda's Parisian-style terrace cafe has to be…

  • Restaurante España

    Santiago de Cuba

    Get ready for the Arctic blast of air-conditioning and readjust your Cuban-food preconceptions before you walk into España. It specializes in seafood…

  • Santiago 1900

    Santiago de Cuba

    In the former Bacardí residence you can dine on the standard chicken, fish or pork for Cuban pesos in a plush dining room that recently recovered its fin…

  • Compay Gallo

    Santiago de Cuba

    Upstairs in a typical narrow Santiago street on the cusp of the city center, Compay Gallo does classic Cuban food with mixed results. Try the prawn…

  • Panadería Doña Neli

    Santiago de Cuba

    Hard-currency bakery on Plaza de Marte, vending divine-smelling bread and cakes with a scowl.

  • Mercado Agropecuario La Plaza

    Santiago de Cuba

    The main market, two blocks west of Parque Céspedes, seems small considering the size of the city, but sells all the produce, meats and viandas (starches)…

  • Supermercado Plaza de Marte

    Santiago de Cuba

    One of the better-stocked supermarkets in town, with a great ice cream selection. It's just beyond the northeastern corner of Plaza de Marte.