La Bodeguita del Medio

La Bodeguita del Medio Review

Havana's best-known bar-restaurant is a great place to hoist one for Hemingway. The downstairs bar is always packed with tourists looking expectantly toward the door as if Papa himself were about to swagger in and belly up to the bar. If you decide to dine here, ask for a seat on the airy upstairs terrace. The criollo fare is unjustifiably famous, and the expensive dishes aren't any better than the cheap ones. Best bets are picadillo a la habanera (ground beef with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and olives) and aporreado de tasajo (shredded beef in criollo sauce). Walls here are pasted with visitors' notes and pictures of the many notables that have passed through over the years, including Nat King Cole and Harry Belafonte.