Hola! I will be spending a week in Havana in March and I'm looking for information on restaurants in La Habana Vieja and El Vedado areas. There is a restaurant at my hotel but I would rather try some of the more local restaurants. Any tips on where to go? Muchas gracias!
The best meals are at casa particulars or the home restraunts with just a few tables. You're also helping the "private" buisnesses as well.
(Feb 09, 2010 07:59 PM)pblee Wrote: [ -> ]The best meals are at casa particulars or the home restraunts with just a few tables. You're also helping the "private" buisnesses as well.
I agree, just ask any Taxi driver for a "Paladar"which are tthe in private home restaurants, most restaurants in Cuba suck. IMO
Here is a website with a lot of paladares and government restaurants. I think you will find that the privately owned paladares will give you better value for your money in nearly every case. One of my favorites which is on this list is Aries. It was the first one I ever ate at in 1998 and I have returned many times since.
http://www.cuba-junky.nl/havana/havana-c...adars2.htm
I avoid Barrio Chino completely. They have the worst so-called Chinese food on the planet.
La Mina in La Habana Vieja used to be pretty good but the quality as well as quantity of food has gone down hill in recent years. The prices have gone up too.
A lot of people rave about El Conejito but one trip there was enough for me.
El Gato Tuerto near the Hotel Nacional is very good. After you eat, you can go downstairs and take in the nightclub show.
El Monguito across from the Habana Libre had good food the last time I was there but that was a couple of years ago.
If you go to La Roca, avoid the beef unless you like eating shoe leather.
And finally, avoid the cafeteria (coffee shop) in the Habana Libre. The small portions are terrible and overpriced. Worst of all, the service is so bad that my Cuban friends refuse to go there.
If you try any of the other places in Havana, please come back and give us a review.
El Barrio Chino without Chinese , LOL that's why the food is so bad, most of the chinese there are like 5th generation Cuban/chinese and unless they paint the corner of the eyes to look chinese, they are just regular cubans,IMO.Most of the chinese you see are real chinese who visit the Island.
And the Conejito does suck as Sancho said and Havana Libre Cafeteria is worse these days, dirty crappola.