1

It's very hard to tell what the 'right places' are. They are probably different places for a couple of backpackers from Australia and a retired couple from Ohio.

Budget? Interests? Are you only talking about restaurants or in very general terms?

If anybody can give any advice based on your question, that is great. I would have no idea what to tell you.

2

I was just after anyone's view really, anywhere they'd been that they would recommend, from activities to restaurants to places of interest. I'm not sticking to a bugdet as such...but you don't necessarily go to the best places just beacuse you spend a lot of money.

Thanks for your kind words of advice though.

3

Flor de Loto

4

I have about a thousand places and activities that interest me in Havana. I really don't mean to be an as$, but the question is way to broad to just start typing down a thousand things.

I am impressed though with peloblancos answer :-) He must be better at reading between the lines :-)

5

jejeje, dontomas, we are in complete agreement about the need for someone to be specific in their questions if they expect an answer that fits. So often people here ask questions about Cuba that sound like.........

"I want to buy a car. What kind should I buy?"

There aren't even any lines to read between when such broad questions are asked, but it happens all the time.

I just spent multiple posts politely asking another poster to provide some greater specifics on another thread. They never did but went away thinking I was being unpleasant...........jejeje. Go figure.

I happen to really like Flor de Loto and it did seem to fit within even the broad parameters of the OP's question. I didn't want to venture anything further, however.

6

I would put peso pizza from a sidewalk vendor ahead of Flor de Loto. You can find a good meal anywhere but the peso pizza is something unique to Cuba.

Note: I am not implying that the peso pizza is good, just that it is an experience not to be missed.

7

I think poking oneself in the eye with a sharp stick is "an experience" as well, bob. I'm just not sure one should pursue it..............jejejeje

I found peso pizza so greeeaazzzy that it slid down my throat before I had a chance to chew on it.

Flor de Loto makes some fantastic dishes, both Chinese and Criollo with specialties in fresh seafood dishes cooked in flaming giant woks in a glassed-in kitchen right in front of you, is extremely reasonable and delivers portions more than enough for two people. The service is bordering on toady as well.

8

Flor de Loto is good. Is one of those 1000 things on my Havana-Happy-list. Peso pizza is not. Not that I don't eat them, I eat them sometimes late at night when I am drunk and there is nothing else to be found. There are a few good places, but 99% of the time a peso pizza is not something I would recommend to anyone looking for decent food.

I also like drinking a beer on a rock by the sea on a spot way out in Playa. I like a weird little night club in La Vibora. I like to sit on the Malecón and watch the sun go down. I like to drive around with a Cuban buddy without my shirt on and smoke peso cigars out the window. I like salsa, timba, son and reggaeton and have some spots for each that I like. I like the wifi at Melia Cohiba and Parque Central, but hate everything else about those places. I like to mess with jineteros and make bets I have more phone numbers to cubanas in my cell than they do, just as I like to put on an interesting face when a fat, ugly jinetera approaches me and then say 'sure, but I charge 50', I like the cerdo asado at El Palenque, I like the market on 19 y B in Vedado, I like the burgers on 3ra y D, I like going to the cine to see Cuban films, I like getting back to my apartment in August in the middle of the afternoon and turn on the AC and take a nap, I like the old black mom of one of my friends who slaps me if I speak in bad language inside her house, I like the guy down the block in Barrio Colon who has a Moskovitch parked inside his living room, I like the mulata around the corner, but her mom doesn't like me, so I like to walk by there very fast. I like Sundays in Havana when all the families are out walking and everybody is relaxed and the world is tranquillo. I like the pollo asado at Monguitos, I like driving way out in the suburbs and eating at weird places, I like it when Cubans don't call me with #88 on my cell, I like trying to stay up to see the sun rise because it's my only chance of seeing it, I like watching mesa redonda sometimes, but sometimes I also like to turn it off. I like my gay neighbour who's the fattest, creepiest pig to look at, but fun to talk to, I like seeing tourists trying to light up fake cigars without any luck, I like the penne langosta at Prado y Neptuno, but other than that I don't like the place, I do like Neptuno the street, though, especially at around 5 when everybody is out.

There you go. A crapload of probably mostly useless things and places I like in Havana. I can't do much better than that with the info given, sorry :-)

Edited by: dontomas

9

If it's your first time in Havana, then all of these touristy things are worth crossing off the list:

• take the hop on/hop off tourist bus from Parque Central for a tour of some of the key points in the city
• visit el Museo de la Revolucion
• drinks and sunset on the rooftop terrace of el hotel Ambos Mundos
• listen to the great live music and drink a tower of micro-brew beer at whatever they are calling that bar/restaurant in Plaza Vieja these days.
• take a picture holding the beard of el Caballero de Paris
• take in a cabaret at either Tropicoco, Hotel Nacional, or Habana Cafe
• mojitos at el Bodequita del Medio
• daiquiries at La Floredita
• stroll down Obispo, stopping for food, drinks, shopping at whatever peaks your interest along the way.
• dinner at one of the restaurants in China Town

10

The micro-brewery bar is called Taberna de la Muralla. The cabaret at 'Tropicoco' I am sure you mean 'Tropicana' unless you're actually talking about the hotel 20 km east of Havana?

See, apart from eating in Chinatown and perhaps a visit to the Museo de la Revolucion, none of the above would be on my top 1000 of things to do in Havana, and I would have to be paid to step into La Bodeguita or El Floridita, so either it proves my point that you won't get any good answers if you don't give us more info - or it actually proves that you'll get some funny ones.

11

Haha ... thanks for the corrections dontomas ... I'm sure that the cabaret at "Tropicoco" would be pretty disappointing. ;-)

My list was pretty unimaginative since I'm sure those places are featured in every guide book, but they are famous and as a first timer enjoyed them and would want to cross them off my list. Some are definitely ones and dones.

Your list is actually much more interesting ...

12

#9 I liked your list, it's not meant for the experienced cuba traveller but for first timers and for that it has its value.
While i think that f.ex La Bodeguita del Medio is overrated (i took a cuba libre instead of mojito on my last visit a few years ago), it's a nice thing to have experienced and taken a photo of.

I would also throw in "taking a relaxing afternoon drink at the hotel nacional garden".

13

Sure, I agree that it's a good list for a first timer. That wasn't my point. Though those two Hemingway rip-offs are such tourist traps it's unbelievable, and personally I think even a first timer - and perhaps even a Hemingway-fan at that - can easily give them a miss.

14

I like the cerdo asado at El Palenque, I like the market on 19 y B in Vedado

Two faves on my list, as well.

I like the pollo asado at Monguitos

I shall give it a try.