Must see restaurants in 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…

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

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…

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…

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

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

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…

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

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…

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

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…

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

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…

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

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

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

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…

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…

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