3 Best Restaurants in Varadero, Western Cuba

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.

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.

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.