Hope to spend a day in Havana over Christmas. Any restaurant suggestions? We have 2 kids so it should be a kid-friendly place.Thanks.

Hola Dock:
Well there's lots of great places to eat in Havana so here are a couple that I have eaten at and enjoyed. Some are kid friendly and others might not be so, but I have noted which. Also, I don't know how old your kids are.

1) EL ALJIBE in Miramar suburb offers a great house specialty, Lemon Chicken. Grand and not too pricey. Their wine selection isn't too bad either. Mostly from Torres, a Spanish company, but good none the less. Near the Canadian Embassy. A nice place to eat, and kids would not be out of place here. Won't break the bank either.

2) EL FLORIDITA in Habana Vieja (Old Havana) serves the absolute BEST frozen daquiri imaginable. But at $6.00 per drink it is a little pricey. But that is the bar and drink made famous by Hemmingway and for it's historic note, and lots of photos of Papa Hemingway on the walls (with Fidel no less) is neat. Food is pretty good as well, but I have only eaten in the bar section, not the dining room. Probably NOT for kids, but Mom and Dad might want to sneak out for an evening!

3) EL PATIO in Plaza de la Catedral (Cathedral Square in Habana Vieja) is also great. You can dine inside or outside in the square under unbrellas. I have always preferred the outside because the music isn't quite as loud, and also I simply love to soak up the atmosphere in the Plaza. Service can be a bit slow however. I often stop here for lunch (Sandwich Cubano) with a cold Crystal Beer. Very nice. Ok selection for kids for lunch. Adults too.

4) LA BODEGUITA DEL MEDIO
If you are in Havana and want a great Mojita at the legendary bar made famous by Ernest hemmingway, then you have to have a drink at The Bodeguita Del Medio, Empedrado 207, Habana Vieja (Old Havana). Comida Criolla y Mojitos (Native food and Mojitos), what a great place to eat and drink. Located just around the corner from Cathedral Square. The walls are covered with signatures of its patrons from the day it opened. Famous signatures such as Hemmingway's and Salvadore Allende's are protected under glass. No visit to Havana is complete without a Mojito at the Bodeguita. The kids can actually write their names on the WALL and it's OK to do so. Might be fun for them (as long as they don't do it at home) to know that they left their names behind.

5) LA DIVINA PASTORA. Tucked into the berth of the sailing ship El Galeón at the foot of El Morro Castle, it is a good spot for dinner after the cañonazo (cannon blast) at La Cabaña. I took my girlfriend here and the atmosphere is terrific. Soft breeze, soft music and soft lips. What a treat. Very romantic spot with the lights of the harbor glimmering. The food is good too. Not a place where you have paid for the view and get substandard fare. Worth every penny, though it does take quite a few of them. If you only have one night and want to make it special, then this is the place to go. Again, great food and location but probably not for kids. Kinda pricey for kids.

In addition, on Calle Obispo in Old Havana there are many outdoor cafes and other cafes as well. My favourite of these are just off the edge of Plaza de Armas at the corner of Obispo and Oficios. There are three cafes in a row. Cafe La Mina, Casa del Agua la Tinaja, and Dulceria Dona Teresa. All offer good food and great ambience on the outdoor patios. The Dulceria Dona Teresa has a wonderful large well stocked bowl of soup that is just great with a Sandwich Cubano for lunch. With a Cerveza Crystal (beer) it will run you about $10 for the whole thing. Good place for family lunch in Old Havana.

To the west of the Capitolo on Ave. Dragones is a small China Town. Not bad actually. I wandered around and ate at a place that looked nice. Sorry, didn't note the name.

Also, just about across the street from El Aljibe (in Miramar suburb) is a place called "Sandwichteria" (not exactly sure of spelling).
It is DEFINATELY KID FRIENDLY and you can get big sub sandwiches, milkshakes, burgers, fries, etc., and all the good stuff kids like. Also very reasonable for prices. When I went there with my Cuban friends with their kids, 3 kids and 3 adults ate for a total of less than $25 USD.

You must think all I do is eat. In six trips I have found some nice spots and spend the time just relaxing and absorbing the atmosphere.

Have fun and FORGET THE DIET.

If you want to check out some of my Cuban photography (with full info) then here is my website. Enjoy....
Steve

http://photopilot.tripod.com

note there is NO www in the URL.

Hope this gives you some thoughts on a few places to eat.
Enjoy the Cuban experience.
Steve

Hi Dock, me again.....

One thing I forgot to mention. If you have kids in Havana, a MUST DO is to take the kids to Parque Coppelia. Coppelia is THE place to get icecream in Havana. It covers a whole city block at the top of La Rampa in the Vedado area of the city. They serve over 30,000 icecreams a DAY!!!! While this doesn't exactly fall into the "restaurant" scope of things it sure would be fun for the kids, big and small. Isn't icecream one of the major food groups?

Steve

Thanks for the info, I have printed it out, and I am not sure if you had given me info on things to do in havana on Carib on line, that was steve yyz. I have tried to access your site again , with no luck will keep trying. Thanks.

Hola Dock.

Yes, that is me Steve (YYZ) on Caribline.
Someone else started using Steve so I identify myself with the ICAO airport identifier for Toronto, my hometown (YYZ)

Glad to be of help.

Steve