Restaurants in Cuba
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Paladar la Guarida
Located on the top floor of a spectacularly dilapidated Havana tenement, La Guarida's lofty reputation rests on its movie-location setting (Fresa y chocolate was filmed in this building) and a clutch of swashbuckling newspaper reviews (including the New York Times and the Guardian). The food, as might be expected, is up there with Havana's best, shoehorning its captivating blend of Nueva Cocina Cubana into dishes such as sea bass in a coconut reduction, and chicken with honey and lemon sauce. Reservations required.
reviewed
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Decameron
Ugly from the outside, but far prettier within, the Decameron is an intimate Italian-influenced restaurant where you can order from the varied menu with abandon. Veggie pizza, lasagna bolognese, steak au poivre and a divine calabaza soup – it's all good. On top of that, there's a decent wine selection and the kitchen is sympathetic to vegetarians.
reviewed
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Los Nardos
An open secret situated opposite the Capitolio, but easy to miss (look out for the queue), Los Nardos is one of a handful of semi-private Havana restaurants operated by the Spanish Asturianas society. Touted in some quarters as one of the best eateries in the city, the dilapidated exterior promises little, but the leather/mahogany décor and astoundingly delicious dishes (bank on lobster in a Catalan sauce, garlic prawns with sautéed vegetables and an authentic Spanish paella) suggest otherwise. Portions are huge and the service is attentive, and the prices, which start at around CUC$4 for chicken and pork dishes, are mind-bogglingly cheap.
reviewed
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El Templete
This upscale restaurant is situated less than 100m from its namesake temple, where the city of Habana was founded in 1519. Overlooking the harbor, the eating space is split into two halves: an outdoor alfresco area accommodated under a large awning, and a pleasant indoor dining room with starched tablecloths and expensive-looking wine glasses. For once the food quality lives up to the pretensions of the fancy decor, with seafood specialties spearheaded by shrimps and lobster. Count on forking out CUC$15 minimum for a main course here.
reviewed
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Paladar la Fontana
Havana discovers the barbecue or, more to the point, the full-on charcoal grill. Huge portions of meat and fish are served up in this amiable villa-cum-paladar, so go easy on the starters, which include crab mixed with eggplant, quail eggs and fried chickpeas. La Fontana specializes in just about everything you'll never see elsewhere in Cuba, from lasagna to huge steaks. Big-shot reviews from the Cigar Aficionado and the Chicago Tribune testify to the burgeoning legend.
reviewed
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El Aljibe
On paper a humble Palmares restaurant, but in reality a rip-roaring culinary extravaganza, El Aljibe has been delighting both Cuban and foreign diplomatic taste buds for years. The furore surrounds the gastronomic mysteries of just one dish, the obligatory pollo asado (roast pork), which is served up with as-much-as-you-can-eat helpings of white rice, black beans, fried plantain, French fries and salad. The accompanying bitter orange sauce is said to be a state secret.
reviewed
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Paladar Salón Tropical
The city's best paladar is a few blocks south of Hotel las Américas on a pleasant rooftop terrace with fairy lights and city views. The food is plentiful and tasty with a varying menu of succulent smoked pork, chicken and sometimes lamb, served with congrí (rice flecked with black beans), salad and plantains (green bananas) and delicious yuca con mojo (starchy root vegetables with garlic lime sauce). Reservations are a good idea as this is a favorite spot for young Cuban women and their older foreign escorts.
reviewed
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Restaurante la Torre
One of Habana’s tallest and most talked about restaurants is perched high above downtown Vedado atop the 36-story Edificio Focsa. A colossus of modernist architecture and French-Cuban haute cuisine, this lofty fine-dining extravaganza combines sweeping city views with a progressive French-inspired menu that serves everything from artichokes to foie gras to almond tart. The prices at CUC$30 a pop are as distinctly un-Cuban as the ingredients, but with this level of service, it’s probably worth it.
reviewed
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Rancho Coquito
At last, a decent restaurant on the Malecón. Run by the local Spanish Asturianas society, this inconspicuous place boasts a balcony that overlooks Havana's dreamy 8km sea drive (look for the waiter posted outside) and is frequented mainly by Cubans. Upstairs, the food is tasty and unbelievably cheap. Paella goes for CUC$7, garbanzos fritos (fried chickpeas) CUC$5, tortilla CUC$3 and a decent portion of lobster pan-fried in butter for a giveaway CUC$8.
reviewed
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Restaurante Europa
Fine fin de siècle furnishings lure you into this former Havana sweet shop that recently got a restaurant makeover by the City’s Historian’s office and Habaguanex. They obviously forgot to makeover the chef. Despite a menu that boasts of prize-winning cuisine (what prize?), the plate doesn’t quite live up to the billing, though the ambience is pleasant and the service eager.
reviewed
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El Barracón
Santiago's finest food house – no contest! El Barracón opened its doors amid much publicity in August 2008 to reignite the roots of Afro-Cuban culture and cuisine. The fanfare was justified. The restaurant's interior, a mix of atmospheric Santería shrine and cimarrón (runaway slave), is intriguing and the creative food is even better. Try the delicious tostones (fried plantain patties) filled with chorizo and cheese, or opt for the lamb special.
reviewed
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La Julia
It's been around long enough to be called an institution and has outlasted almost all opposition. La Julia is an unfussy family-run paladar in Calle O'Reilly that serves Cuban comfort food.
reviewed
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Restaurante Las Orishas
This Santería-themed place in Guanabacoa has a very pleasant garden bar in a courtyard with colorful Afro-Cuban sculptures. The menu is reasonable and varied, with everything from a CUC$1 microwaved cheese pizza to a CUC$20-plus lobster. There’s good rumba music here at weekends.
reviewed
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Restaurante Plaza Mayor
The best government-run bet courtesy of its on-off lunchtime buffet, which, for around CUC$10, ought to fill you up until dinnertime. Nighttime offerings aren't bad either if you stick to the chicken and beef, though the atmosphere can be a little flat.
reviewed
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Paladar Estela
You can choose the dining room or pretty rear garden at this popular place located above the Plaza Mayor (the owner also rents rooms). Cordero (lamb) served shredded is the house specialty, and the portions are large.
reviewed
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Al Medina
Havana takes on the Middle East in this exotic restaurant, appropriately situated in one of the city's 17th-century mudéjar-style buildings. Tucked into a beautiful patio off Calle Oficios, Al Medina is where you can dine like a Moroccan sheik on lamb couscous (CUC$10), chicken tagine (CUC$5) and Lebanese sumac (CUC$8) with a spicy twist. It's especially recommended for its voluminous vegetarian platter, which comes with hummus, tabouleh, dolma, pilaf and falafel.
reviewed
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Don Cuba
A visit to Parque Lenin can be combined with a trip to ExpoCuba at Calabazar on the Carretera del Rocío in Arroyo Naranjo, 3km south of Las Ruinas restaurant. Opened in 1989, this large permanent exhibition showcases Cuba's economic and scientific achievements in 25 pavilions based on themes such as sugar, farming, apiculture, animal science, fishing, construction, food, geology, sports and defense. Cubans visiting ExpoCuba flock to the amusement park at the center of the complex, bypassing the rather dry propaganda displays. Don Cuba , a revolving restaurant, is atop a tower. The Feria Internacional de La Habana, Cuba's largest trade fair, is held at ExpoCuba the first…
reviewed
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Paladar Calle 10
Paladar Calle 10 is situated in – ur – Calle 10 in the ‘posh’ Miramar neighborhood and, while the name might be a little unimaginative, the food certainly isn’t. Set up barbecue-style in the owner’s back garden, the alfresco seating is arranged under an attractive thatched canopy and the printed menu is both varied and adventurous. Delicious main dishes include octopus (CUC$5), ropa vieja (CUC$7) and a tempting chicken in balsamic vinegar (CUC$8). Portions are huge and arrive with assorted roasted vegetables and a memorable pureed potato. There are even profiteroles for dessert.
reviewed
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Asociación Canaria de Cuba
One of a number of Spanish social clubs that serve food, the Asociación Canaria de Cuba, behind the Hotel Plaza, is housed in a venerable red-bricked building with a rather fancy lobby. By contrast the restaurant upstairs is a far more basic affair with strip lighting, plastic flowers and crummy tablecloths. But for regulars, the ambience is only secondary – the main reason to come here is for the food. The grilled lobster for CUC$6.50 is one of the city’s biggest bargains; add in shrimp enchiladas for CUC$5, and beef stew or pork steak for CUC$2, and you’re laughing all the way to the change booth.
reviewed
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Casa del Chocolate
It's enough to make even Willy Wonka wonder. You're sitting next to a chocolate factory but, more often than not, there's none to be had in this bizarre little casa just off the main square. The quickest way to check out Baracoa's on-off supply situation is to stick your head around the door and question one of the bored-looking waitresses. No hay equals 'no,' a faint nod equals 'yes.' On a good day it sells chocolate ice cream and the hot stuff in mugs. For all its foibles, it's a Baracoa rite of passage.
reviewed
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Paladar le Chansonnier
A great place to dine if a) you can find it (there’s no sign), and b) it’s open (the staff seem to be in the habit of taking regular sabbaticals). Hidden in an elegant dining room in a faded mansion-turned-paladar, it’s not just the name of this place that’s French; French wine, French furniture and French flavors also predominate. House specialties include rabbit in red-wine sauce, chicken smothered in mushrooms, Dijon pork chops, and gigantic salads for herbivores. It’s also one of Habana’s few truly gay-friendly establishments. Phone ahead to check it’s open.
reviewed
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Las Ruinas
One of Havana's most celebrated restaurants – at least in an architectural sense – is situated on the southeast side of Parque Lenin. Melding off-beat modern architecture, including some eye-catching stained glass by Cuban artist René Portocarrero, onto the ruins of an old sugar mill, this place has an arty and elegant atmosphere, though the food (which is grossly overpriced) doesn't quite live up to the lavish setting. The menu includes lobster plus a selection of Cuban and Italian dishes, and you'll be lucky to get much change out of CUC$30. Overrated.
reviewed
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Restaurante Oasis
The Oasis is housed in the Centro Cultural de Arabe, but don’t be fooled by the Middle Eastern myth. The food here is bog-standard Cuban, and not particularly good at that – unless you have a penchant for dodgy hot dogs or soggy sandwiches – but it’s the kind of place where’s you’ll see Cubans eating, and it makes no provision for ‘Western’ palates. The shop downstairs is handy for late-night groceries, but the weekend disco is a filled with jineteras (women who attach themselves to male foreigners for monetary or material gain).
reviewed
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Los Portales
The primary – nay only – reason to come to this ground-floor restaurant in the four-star Hotel Plaza is for the pizza, which – rather surprisingly – is among the best and cheapest in Habana. Don’t be put off by the restaurant’s fancy decor (the tables and chairs look as if they’ve been decked out for a wedding) – the prices here are very reasonable. A decent pizza with one or two extra toppings shouldn’t cost you more than CUC$4. The flan (baked custard with caramel glaze) makes for a nice dessert.
reviewed
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La Esperanza
Few would disagree that the food, ambience and gastronomic creativity showcased at this unassuming Miramar paladar puts it among Havana's (and undoubtedly Cuba's) best eating establishments. While unspectacular from the street, the interior of this house is a riot of quirky antiques, old portraits and refined 1940s furnishings. The food, which is produced in a standard-sized family kitchen, includes such exquisite dishes as pollo luna de miel (chicken flambéed in rum), fish marinated in white wine, lemon and garlic, and a lamb brochette.
reviewed