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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
In a quiet corner next to the Hotel El Comendador, this restaurant offers an array of tapas, which includes various seafood offerings. On top of that, it also offers grilled fare such as vegetables, chicken, pork, and fish. Tapas servings vary from CUC$1 to CUC$3, a great deal in any destination. Seafood tapas menus can be had for CUC$12 for two persons. Service is rather slow, but friendly.
Calle Obrapía 55, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$ | La Habana Vieja |
Located down the trendy Callejón de Peluquerros, lined with new paladares, bars, and art galleries, this eatery offers some of the tastiest and most innovative cuisine in Havana Vieja. Think Cuban-style fajitas or wild rice with peanuts and curry. Vegetarians will be delighted with the choices, which include a savory eggplant cake, topped with a tomato salsa and melted cheese. The decor here matches the excellent food, with bare brick walls, original tiles, stained glass windows, and old black-and-white photos lining the walls.
Calle Aguiar 22 e/Ave. de las Misiones y Pena Pobre, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
One of the most sophisticated-looking eateries in Havana Vieja, this upscale restaurant sits on the atmospheric Plaza de San Francisco. Try for the upstairs corner table, which overlooks the plaza and has a view of the Sierra Maestra boat terminal, the Iglesia y Convento Menor de San Francisco de Asís, and the Lonja del Comercio (Commerce Exchange) across the way. The food is overpriced and only fair, but the suave decor does offer a nice ambience. Tempting dishes here, prepared by head chef Ernesto Rosario, include seafood à la crème or prawns sautéed with rosemary.
Calle de los Oficios 112, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
Another popular addition to Callejón de Peluquerros (Barbers' Alley), El Figaro's tagline is comida sin pelos (food without hairs). The menu, which was set up by the grandson of Cuba's celebrity chef Gilberto Smith Duquesne, is full of gourmet, stylized Cuban dishes, as well as international favorites such as ceviche or gazpacho. Try the signature dish of lobster cooked in coffee, cream, white wine, and cognac. Come later in the evening to watch old movies projected onto the outside wall (like a drive-in movie theater), while sampling one of their 15 varieties of mojitos.
Calle Aguiar 18 e/ Av. de las Misiones, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
Opened on the site of a warehouse that was frequented by Spanish sailors in colonial times, this little hideaway serves such creditable Spanish specialties as tortilla de patata (potato omelet) and gambas al ajillo (shrimp sautéed with garlic). The flamenco performances (nightly at 9) provide a bracing shot of atmosphere, although the Café Taberna just a couple hundred meters on tends to attract the crowds these days.
Calle Mercaderes 257, e/Calle Amargura y Calle Brasil (Teniente Rey), Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$ | La Habana Vieja |
Those on a budget should try this lovely little place located in the gardens of Café del Oriente, which is just around the corner. A favorite with locals on their lunch break, tables are set among the tropical plants and trickling fountains, and it's always packed. Typical Cuban fare is served, as well as an array of filled baguettes. Portions are big and you won't pay more than CUC$5 for any of the main meals.
Calle Amargura 12, e/Oficios y Mercaderes, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
In the Hostal Valencia, this restaurant specializes in paella, just as its name suggests, and has won high praise for its Valencian dishes. House suggestions include grilled Caribbean seafood, Yoruba lobster with béchamel sauce, and buttered shrimp. In keeping with the cuisine, the large, airy dining room has a terra-cotta floor, a rustic feel, and is dressed in traditional Spanish furnishings. A signed image of a notable bullfighter, another of the running of the bulls, and even a memento to former president Fidel Castro Ruz dating from 1989 adorn the walls here.
Calle de los Oficios 53, esq. de Calle Obrapía, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
Ask anyone in Havana Vieja which places they recommend to eat and they'll almost always mention Mama Inés. Owned by chef Erasmo, who has cooked for everyone and anyone including presidents and diplomats, this intimate colonial-style paladar serves classic Creole dishes using the freshest ingredients. Erasmo himself is very humble and friendly, and always comes out of the kitchen to check on diners. Dishes are a little overpriced for what they are, but you are being cooked for by a famous chef.
Calle Obrapia 60, e/Oficios y Baratillo, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
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$ | La Habana Vieja |
Located in a quiet alley near the waterfront, this cozy and intimate paladar serves up tasty Cuban dishes with an emphasis on seafood. Seated under old wooden beams and surrounded by colorful antique lamps, you can sit back and enjoy the rhythms of the house band Legendario Havana. Try the Cuban tamales or malanga fritters with honey to start, followed by the giant mermaid lobster or fresh catch of the day. Like most places in Havana, you won't find many vegetarian options on the menu, but the staff here will be happy to cook up something special for you if you ask (and it won't just be an omelet or rice and beans).
Calle Obispo 1 e/San Pedro y Baratillo, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
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$ | La Habana Vieja |
From its beginnings as the 19th-century Europa Café, the onetime famous colonial-style café and candy shop has reopened as a restaurant serving Cuban and international cuisine. As is typical here, a band plays live Cuban music, greeting visitors walking down Obispo towards the port. Dishes are uninspiring, but if you just want a cheap and simple lunch, this place is good. Plates include basic grilled chicken fillets, traditional Cuban hashed beef, and simple sandwiches cooked by chef Ernesto. There's an extensive cocktail list and an impressively stocked bar. As is often the case in Cuba, the restaurant even sells tobacco products.
Calle Obispo 112, adjacent to Aguiar, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
Formerly named El Patio, Restaurante Paris is still a romantic and atmospheric option for a meal. It might be hard to pick a spot here: tables are either out on the Plaza de la Catedral or in the patio of the colonial house in which the restaurant is located. The criollo menu is complete, and although the food and service fall short of the spectacular settings, the quality of the ingredients is good. Most notable are the array of seafood dishes, such as lobster in salsa criollo or grilled fish.
Plaza de la Catedral 54, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$ | La Habana Vieja |
Located at the rear of the quiet and elegant Hotel Marqués de Prado Ameno, the decor here is simple and understated and dishes range from alluring fare like grilled seafood, langoustines, or filet mignon to the simple, homey stuffed chicken and vegetables that Cubans seem to favor. The best options are its two signature dishes—cider chicken or honey pork. Desserts are uninspiring, including such standbys as cheesecake, chocolate cake, and ice cream, but try the strong but tasty Café Cubano to top off your meal.
Calle O'Reilly 253, e/Cuba y Aguiar, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$ | La Habana Vieja |
An elegant, intimate spot in the Hostal Conde de Villanueva, this restaurant specializes in dishes from Vuelta Abajo, Cuba's best tobacco-growing region. Try the pollo yumurino (in a criollo sauce) or the colonial-trapiche fish fillet, which is garnished with a piece of sugarcane dressed in a ginger sauce.
Calle Mercaderes 202, Havana, La Habana, 10100, Cuba
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
