Search results
People also ask
What is the best restaurant in Havana?
Do you need a reservation to eat in Havana?
What are the best restaurants in Cuba?
Is Fangio Habana a good place to eat in Havana?
Dec 8, 2023 · These are our very favorite recommendations for the best restaurants in Havana, including different types of places to eat in Havana and neighborhood-specific recommendations: Best Restaurant in Havana: La Guarida. Best Restaurant in Old Havana: Jibaro’s. Best Restaurant in Vedado: El Idilio.
- Havana Restaurants: The Food and The Flavor
- A Brief History of Cuban Food
- Five Notable Havana Restaurants
- New and Noteworthy
- Havana Restaurants by Neighborhood
- Where Not to Eat
- Havana Street Food
For some years now, private enterprise restaurants known as “paladares” have been flourishing in Cuba, but even more so in the capital city. Eating in paladares is one of the major DOs of the dos and don’ts for your Cuba trip. Here is a little bit of history on how thepaladarescame about. Shortly after the Berlin wall fell in the early 1990s, the S...
The Spaniards arrived in Cuba in 1492 with their cooking methods and livestock. These blended with native Indian ingredients like corn, sweet potato, and guava. A short while after, enslaves Africans were brought to Cuba from West Africa. They brought their own influences and introduced okra, plantain, and guinea hen. By the early 19th Century, wav...
On a side street in Centro Habana, this is where U.S. President Obama had lunch with his family when he traveled to Cuba. As is the case with many paladares,San Cristobal was originally established in the owner’s home, a turn-of-the-century residence. As the business grew so did the restaurant’s expansion until it filled most of the home. The decorations are eclectic and include a Santeria (local Afro-Cuban religion) altar. In one corner sits a portrait of Obama. The wine glass he drank from...
La Guarida
Everything about La Guarida is fascinating. Let’s start with its history. The restaurant has been in the same location at Concordia # 418, in Centro Habana, for over 20 years. What really put this restaurant on the map was that this is where Cuba’s most famous and awarded film, “Strawberries and Chocolate”, was filmed. The building boasts graceful vestiges of better days and the entrance looks like it hasn’t seen a paintbrush in decades. That’s part of the charm. You go inside, through an apa...
In 2012, Doña Eutemia was voted one of the best 101 restaurants in the world by Newsweek. This wonderful little paladar of Cuban culinary treasures sits right smack in the middle of Old Havana on a side street off Plaza de la Catedral (Cathedral Square) next to what is perhaps the most iconic sight in all Havana, the Cathedral. The restaurant was not accepting reservations last time I was there but this might have changed. The meals are reasonably priced and it is difficult to get a table. We...
This little gem is a recent addition to the best Havana restaurants and deserves honorable mention. Nestled on the corner of Aguiar and Chacon streets in Old Havana (Havana Vieja), this restaurant is truly exceptional. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with anything French. It is purly traditional Cuban with a nouvo Cuban flair. In reviewing Le Petit, I personally found it an absolute delight. Reading the reviews on various sites, I did not find one single negative or even mediocre revie...
Plan H Wine Bar and Delicatessen
Don’t even think of leaving Havana without experiencing this delightful little gem. Plan His a new wine bar serves a wide selection of seriously good wines, light meals, tapas and snacks. All freshly made, beautifully presented, attentively served and YUMMY! There are two other really cool features of this amazng place. First it is owned and run by women and it promotes female entrepreneurship. Second, it is right smack in the middle of one of Havana’s oldest, most beautiful and renowned aven...
Old Havana
El Dandy El Dandy is always fun. It has a pretty broad selection of fresh salads, sandwiches and small dishes. These are served in what looks like someone’s living room with overstuffed chairs, mismatched lamps and large gilded mirrors. They have a fun bar with tropical themed specialties. My all-time favorite drink is a ginger laced gin tonic. I have spent years trying to duplicate this drink to no avail (but it is fun to try). The crowd is mostly tourists, but many Cubans stop here. One of...
Centro Habana
Centro Habana or Central Havana, is the neighborhood to the west of Old Havana. The dividing line between both neighborhoods is Prado Avenue where the iconic capitol building is located. The neighborhood is quite different from Old Havana with much fewer tourists. This is an area where Cubans actually live and work vs just catering to tourists as in Old Havana. The area can appear a little rough for first- timers, but it is very safe. The prices are noticeably less than in Old Havana. Centro...
El Vedado
El Vedado is the next neighborhood to the west of Centro Habana. The name Vedado means forbidden in Spanish. During colonial times, the Spanish colonizers closed off the area, which had been a thick vast forest, and converted it to a military defense zone. Hence the name, Vedado. Vedado is one of the neighborhoods where the upper-class pre-revolutionary Cubans lived before the 1959 revolution. The neighborhood is full of crumbling mansions some of which have been turned into restaurants and c...
Hotels in Cuba are government owned or joint-ventures with foreign entities. The food in hotels tends to be bland and at international prices. Don’t bother with these. Head to the paladares,support private enterprise and chalk up another “support for the Cuban People” activity. There are a couple of touristy places that you should visit but are not...
Most of the street food mentioned here costs less than one U.S. dollar unless otherwise stated. Fried plantainsaccompany many Cuban dishes. These tasty, thick and flattened pieces of plantain are eaten as a very common side dish, like potatoes or rice and are sold on many street corners from street vendors. Another plantain variation is the very th...
- Grados. Grados is synonymous with excellent food and superb service. Chef Raulito Bazuk transformed his mother’s casa particular into an intimate paladar.
- Habana 61. This tiny restaurant is very close to the Museum of the Revolution and the Santo Angel Custodio Church, on the east side of Havana Vieja. They serve Cuban cuisine with a creative twist.
- El Chanchullero. Quite an experience. “Aqui jamás estuvo Hemingway”, Hemingway was never here, according to El Chanchullero which is located in a neighborhood where there are a lot of reference to the great writer since it is close to Floridita.
- Al Carbón. This is chef Iván’s second restaurant. He previously worked as a private chef for Fidel Castro. Here he mainly serves traditional Cuban dishes, which are grilled over charcoal.
Mexican. Cuban. Caribbean. Latin. Large groups. Families with children. Business meetings. Romantic. Open Now. Reservations. Seating. Serves Alcohol. Table Service. Top Restaurants in Havana. 19 results match your filters. Clear all filters. Sort by: Relevance.
Fine Dining. & up. Cuban. Caribbean. Latin. International. Fish. Lobster. Pork. Salad. Vegetarian Friendly. Vegan Options. Gluten Free Options. Halal. Families with children. Kids. Large groups. Romantic. Open now.
Feb 23, 2024 · The best restaurants in Havana come in many forms, from epic high-end incredible venues to eat with superb service and heavenly dining to local Cuban joints where the ambiance is what will excite you.
Quite a few have established themselves as some of the better, long-standing restaurant options in Havana. In fact, the best of these outshine most of the official government-run options. La Guarida, once Havana's most famous paladar, closed.
