Good Restaurant in cuba anyone??
Discussion
If you are hotel based then what's available in your hotel will be as good as if not better than anything you could find in a restaurant. Spent 2 weeks in Cuba (granted didn't go to Havana and just visited local towns) but you could the amount of restaurants we saw on one hand.
They just dont have the access to ingredients to do anything fancy. For example only cows can be slaughtered and butchered by the government for tourism they cannot be slaughtered privately; if you do so in Cuba you can face prison and a longer sentence than if you were to murder your mother in law!
Fantastic country though but food wise I would recommend eating at your hotel
They just dont have the access to ingredients to do anything fancy. For example only cows can be slaughtered and butchered by the government for tourism they cannot be slaughtered privately; if you do so in Cuba you can face prison and a longer sentence than if you were to murder your mother in law!
Fantastic country though but food wise I would recommend eating at your hotel
Cuban food is the worst I have ever experienced. And I grew up in West Africa.
It is honestly dire. Even the places specifically opened for tourists that can get the ingredients are useless, as they have no idea how to prepare them.
If you like fruit for breakfast, you'll be sorted, but lunch - most bread seemed to be made with grey flour, and had a gritty texture. Dinner wise, the only good stuff we had was a rice and beans place (it was very high up in TripAdvisor) which was packed with diplomats, expats and tourists.
If I was going again, I'd fill my suitcase with foods, leaving more room to bring back rum. £3 a bottle!
It is honestly dire. Even the places specifically opened for tourists that can get the ingredients are useless, as they have no idea how to prepare them.
If you like fruit for breakfast, you'll be sorted, but lunch - most bread seemed to be made with grey flour, and had a gritty texture. Dinner wise, the only good stuff we had was a rice and beans place (it was very high up in TripAdvisor) which was packed with diplomats, expats and tourists.
If I was going again, I'd fill my suitcase with foods, leaving more room to bring back rum. £3 a bottle!
Generally Cubans are poor, they can't afford to eat out - and apart from that due to the dictatorship opening a 'private' restaurant would be nigh on impossible.
The Cuban tourist trade is a kind of 'licenced' trade and therefore generally hotels will be the only places catering for the tourist trade.
The Cuban tourist trade is a kind of 'licenced' trade and therefore generally hotels will be the only places catering for the tourist trade.
The menu tends to be the same wherever you go, no matter what the printed menu says there will be two specials:
- prawn and lobster on rice
- steak (or might have been chicken) on rice.
The specials will be all that they have
. Both will be over-cooked and cold.
Having said that, the all-inclusives outside Havana tend to be much better. Not western levels but edible. Sandals was good iirc.
Some of the private restaurants in people's houses are ok. If you're lucky you'll at least get a nice view or a nicely decorated eating area. But often it'll be just you eating which is a bit dull.
- prawn and lobster on rice
- steak (or might have been chicken) on rice.
The specials will be all that they have
. Both will be over-cooked and cold.Having said that, the all-inclusives outside Havana tend to be much better. Not western levels but edible. Sandals was good iirc.
Some of the private restaurants in people's houses are ok. If you're lucky you'll at least get a nice view or a nicely decorated eating area. But often it'll be just you eating which is a bit dull.
When I was there a few years ago, restaurant in Havana called (I think) El Gijones, on Paseo De Marti, between the Parque Central and Sevilla hotels was reasonable. Lovely place - go to the top floor roof garden - nice atmosphere, and the fillet mignon was actually really nice.
Alternatively, try some of the Paladar's (privately run restaurants). Granted, they don't have much in the way of choice, but again, the setting of some of them and the atmosphere is fantastic (as long as you are bought into the Cuban way!). Vinales had a great one with a great view (and the hotel restaurant was absolutely terrible!).
As others have said, if you like rice and beans with some protein, you'll be absolutely fine. Anything else takes some finding, but it IS possible - a lot depends on recent weather and if it has ruined any crops.
Alternatively, try some of the Paladar's (privately run restaurants). Granted, they don't have much in the way of choice, but again, the setting of some of them and the atmosphere is fantastic (as long as you are bought into the Cuban way!). Vinales had a great one with a great view (and the hotel restaurant was absolutely terrible!).
As others have said, if you like rice and beans with some protein, you'll be absolutely fine. Anything else takes some finding, but it IS possible - a lot depends on recent weather and if it has ruined any crops.
RichUK said:
Poor food, wonderful drinks, great music and friendly people. You dpn't go to Cuba for the food.
We got engaged in Havana last year. We had a reasonably acceptable meal in the National Hotel in Havana in the 1930 room.
I agree with your review - "reasonably acceptable" is about it. It was my 30th birthday, and I was absolutely starving due to not really liking anything available for breakfast at our casa, and not eating last night's dinner due to it being unfeasibly terrible.We got engaged in Havana last year. We had a reasonably acceptable meal in the National Hotel in Havana in the 1930 room.
I ordered a fillet steak and chips, a bottle of Claret and the wife had a tuna salad. Luckily it was tinned tuna, so that was OK. The steak eventually arrived about 10 minutes later (despite both being ordered as mains, no starter - I didn't fancy testing what passed for a prawn cocktail in Cuba!) and with rice as they had no potatoes. At the Hotel Nacional. Seriously.
Still, it was acceptable. We had a reasonably priced bottle of Veuve Cliquot for pudding, then brandy and coffee. All of that came to around $100USD. Then $10 more to tip the piano player into playing something other Guantana-f
king-mera.I have to ask what you expect food wise from a country where the standard wage is about one hours work in the UK, and where ration books still exist? It might be in the Caribbean and close to the USA, but its worlds apart.
Go there, get to know the people, the way of life, join in the dancing and the smiling, and you'll find the food has a whole new flavour to it
(Yes... I love Cuba!!)
Go there, get to know the people, the way of life, join in the dancing and the smiling, and you'll find the food has a whole new flavour to it
(Yes... I love Cuba!!
)
Varadero? If so google a little lobster place in a cave within a park. It's in Varadero and probably the best lobster I have eaten. Rediculously cheap also, a great experience eating in the cave or outside in the park. Say hello to Wisnton the cat who will eat any prawn or lobster you feed him.
Edit to add it's called La Gruta
Edit to add it's called La Gruta
Edited by Shinobi on Wednesday 3rd September 23:03
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