Western Cuba Restaurants

Dining in the provincial capitals and towns is spotty; some places are acceptable while others seem fortunate to be able to provide nourishment at all. Pinar del Río for example, has no notable restaurants. Varadero has several good Italian, Chinese, criollo, and international options; buffets in hotels tend to be mediocre but the more luxurious resorts offer more sophisticated fare in their à la carte restaurants. You have to go off the beaten path to find such local specialties as crocodile tail (said to be an aphrodisiac) in the Zapata Peninsula, roast pork on the Isla de la Juventud, and lobster at María la Gorda.

Reservations aren't necessary, except in Varadero—especially at the upscale restaurants. Tipping is important to Cubans; an extra CUC here or there is much appreciated.

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  • 1. Restaurante Don Qko

    $

    Pronounced "Cuco," this excellent Cuban restaurant is hidden off a dusty side street in a surprise oasis of tropical plants and shrubs. Tables are arranged around a curvaceous pool and in a chic dining room that's decorated in black and white. As refreshing and attractive as the decor and setting are, the main event here is the innovative Cuban cuisine, creatively building on traditional dishes. A delectable starter of "tostones" takes typical fried, mashed plantains and raises it to a whole new level, forming plantain tarts filled with minced pork and melted cheese, and served with a sweet and sour sauce. A main course of Asado con sabor y tradicion is pork, slow-roasted, then simmered in red wine and garlic. For dessert, try the light, fluffy cloud of coconut flan, with caramelized fresh coconut. The separate bar is straight out of the 1960s, with swivel stools and yellow and black leather banquettes. The iced daiquiri is perfection. Service is polished and friendly and the owner, Alexe, is an enthusiastic, obliging host. A daily lunch special here, including appetizer, main course of chicken or meat, plus sides and a drink will set you back only CUC$6.25.

    Av. Céspedes, main street through town, esq. de Calle 21, Cárdenas, Matanzas Province, 42110, Cuba
    4552--4572

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
  • 2. Barbacoa Steak House

    $$

    Close to a cluster of hotels, this popular steak house is in an attractive colonial-style villa, with a covered, arched terrace. Specialties include Chateaubriand, grilled beef, or strip loin. The restaurant also serves a variety of seafood plates, including grilled lobster with garlic and butter and mahimahi fillets. It's an excellent, well-priced option for those who have exhausted their culinary choices in one of the many nearby all-inclusive resorts or are just interested in more private dining. Decor is classical, tasteful, and almost elegant.

    Calle 64, esq. de 1ra Av., Varadero, Matanzas Province, 42200, Cuba
    4566–7795

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 3. Café Vigía

    $ | Coffee

    This lively café, with a large, covered terrace overlooking the plaza, is the perfect place to grab a table and a cool drink and enjoy the view of the Sauto Theater. Inside, the scene is vintage 19th century, with wood floors, Corinthian columns supporting the high ceiling, a long, polished-wood bar, and vintage photographs on the walls. Stained glass transoms top the arched windows, while a cool breeze wafts in from the bay, and there are ceiling fans to keep the air moving. Open daily from breakfast to late at night, the menu is inexpensive snack fare, including pizza, large beakers of beer to share and, of course, every coffee concoction. There's a modern art gallery next door, and a little farther along, an interesting book shop that sells artistic, handmade books using old photos, hand-written text, and drawings. The café is a good bathroom stop after visiting the nearby Provincial Museum.

    Calle Magdalena, esq. de Calle Medio, Matanzas, Matanzas Province, 40100, Cuba
    4525--3076
  • 4. Casa de Don Tomás

    $

    Despite the bevy of new eateries along the main street, this is still the classiest place in town, set in the most charming of Viñales's oldest houses. The white clapboard house, circa 1889, has neat, blue trim and shutters, and guests enter along a garden path under an arbor of vines. Both the excellent traditional food and the charming service make this place memorable. Diners can choose a table on the front veranda, in the garden terrace, or in the interior dining rooms decorated with sepia vintage photos. The delicias de Don Tomás, a rice casserole with ham, pork, chicken, lobster, and sausage, is a favorite, as is the tasajo a lo guajiro (shredded beef in a criollo sauce). The signature cocktail here is the Trapiche, a refreshing blend of pineapple juice, rum, and honey with a sugarcane swizzle stick.

    Calle Salvador Cisneros 141, Valle de Viñales, Pinar del Río, 22400, Cuba
    4879–6300

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 5. Eco-Restaurante El Romero

    $

    A rarity in carnivorous Cuba, this is a vegetarian restaurant with an innovative take on local organic and wild ingredients. You enter under a green arbor smothered by blue flowers and descend a few steps to an intimate, two-tier restaurant with a valley view. On the menu: tempura vegetables, creative salads, a bean pancake accompanied by a stuffed tomato, or the house specialty: "boliche," mashed yuca and sweet potato balls filled with vegetables in a cream sauce. There's also a vegetable paella. Portions come in three sizes for different-size appetites: small, medium, and large, and are priced accordingly, making it easy to sample and share.

    Main road, Artemisa, 33800, Cuba
    4857--8555
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  • 6. El Mesón del Quijote

    $$

    The most romantic Varadero restaurant sits atop a small hill, beside what appears to be an antique round stone tower. It's actually part of the aqueduct system the duPonts built to supply their estate. A metal sculpture of Don Quijote, mounted atop his spindly horse, points a lance in the direction of the tower. Cuban and international specialties are on offer inside the candlelit restaurant—count on paella and fabada marinera (seafood bean stew)—with innovative touches from the creative chefs. The menu also includes the usual filet mignon, lobster, fish, and shrimp. The restaurant makes an interesting night out for visitors tiring of their all-inclusive packages.

    Carretera de las Américas, Reparto La Torre, Varadero, Matanzas Province, 42200, Cuba
    4566–7796

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 7. La Bodeguita del Medio

    $

    First-rate Cuban cooking and excellent mojitos are served in this Varadero replica of Havana's Bodeguita del Medio—the famous Hemingway haunt—graffiti included. The food is carefully prepared, the prices are more than reasonable, and the musical trio is one of the reasons diners linger late into the evening. Diners can add their own poems, names, and graffiti to the restaurant's walls.

    Av. de la Playa y Calle 40, Varadero, Matanzas Province, 42200, Cuba
    4566–7784

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 8. La Casa del Pescador

    $$

    Tucked alongside the shaded trail that leads to La Cueva de los Peces, this small but decent open-air restaurant offers seafood, lobster (when available), fish or crocodile options, complete with soup, salad, and sides.

    Cueva de los Peces, Playa Girón, Matanzas Province, 43000, Cuba

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Daily noon--4
  • 9. Punta Perdíz

    $$

    This open-air restaurant—built within the prow of a boat—is the flagship of the Complejó Punta Perdíz, with beachfront, thatch-roof shelters and beach chairs and a dive shop. The restaurant has fine views over the water from its upper deck but, sadly, the buffet menu is uninspiring. The CUC$15 buffet price is only worth it if you plan on spending the day here, imbibing the included bar drinks, and enjoying the beach lounges under thatch-roof shelters facing the sea. The snorkeling is excellent; dives cost CUC$25 a tank. The only place to change clothes is in the inadequate, cramped restaurant bathroom, so bring a large towel along with you. There are outdoor, cold-water showers and basins to rinse off salt water and snorkeling and diving gear.

    Carretera Playa Larga–Playa Girón, Km 52, Playa Girón, Matanzas Province, 43000, Cuba

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Beach: daily 10--5; restaurant: daily 10:30--4:30, Credit cards accepted
  • 10. Restaurante El Salto

    $

    This riverside terrace restaurant overlooks the footbridge that leads to the famous waterfall. The idyllic setting and river view make up for an uninspiring menu of simple Cuban fare featuring chicken and the house specialty, Soroa Tentación, a stew of shredded beef with tomatoes, onion, and garlic. The house drink, the daiquiri cascada, is made of various colors of alcohol, in honor of the rainbow that often appears over the falls. The entrance fee to climb the 250-meter path to the waterfall is CUC$3. Unfortunately, the waterfall is usually dry by April, before the rainy season begins.

    Carretera de Soroa, Km 8, Soroa, Artemisa, Cuba
    4582--2122

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No credit cards
  • 11. Taberna del Pirata

    $

    Lobster is the specialty at this breezy terrace restaurant near the Cayo Largo Marina. Along with criollo recipes featuring fresh fish, there's standard chicken-to-pizza fare. It's more than the beach shack it may seem at first sight, with a good wine list and unobtrusive live music from a local trio.

    Cayo Largo, Isla de la Juventud, 25300, Cuba
    4524--48212

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 12. Albacora

    $$
    Closed Permanently

    This excellent beachfront seafood eatery is named for the albacore, or long-fin, tuna, which has darker meat than the bonito and—as served here with a lemon-based sauce—is exquisite. But Albacora is more than a one-trick pony; it serves other seafood specialties, from lobster to crab to calamari.

    Varadero, Matanzas Province, Cuba
    45-61–3650

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 13. Antigüedades

    $$
    Closed Permanently

    Next to the entrance of the Parque Josone, this romantic spot is a jumble of antique artifacts and furniture. The fare is fresh seafood or steaks, including lobster, shrimp, or filet mignon.

    Av. 1 y Calle 59, Varadero, Matanzas Province, Cuba
    45-66–7329

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential

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