Have breakfast in the colonial houses, eat in the paladares and dine on the most charming rooftops in the city!
They will have already warned you not to let yourself be guided by a Cuban. They are masters in gibberish and yes, in Havana They take you where they want.
But you also have to live it, so don't resist and let yourself go. The Cuban capital is improvisation, photogenicity, rhythm, color and heat. It will take at least 48 hours to understand how everything works, but you will always remember your first time.
Because Havana is only without buts and without fuss. And, of course, hungry and thirsty: you will arrive with the idea of eating ropa vieja or cuban sandwich at all hours and try all the mojitos and pina coladas from the city, but on the way you will get hooked on malanga, yucca and sweet potato ; you will end up asking egg custard for dessert day after day and you will find yourself wanting to buy all the sweets they carry guava, coconut or fruit bomb (as they call papaya).
Our advice: have breakfast in the colonial houses, eat in the paladares –name given to private restaurants– and dinner on the most charming rooftops in the city.
You will get hooked on the breakfasts at El Café
WHERE TO HAVE BREAKFAST
The first days, do it in the same colonial house in which you are staying. They all offer a very complete breakfast for about 5 CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso): papaya, banana, eggs, toast, honey, cheese, avocado, tomato or guava dumplings. After this banquet, you will be ready for your day in Havana and, above all, to cross things off your list.
When you get tired or want to change, subscribe to the breakfasts of The coffee , a charming place that will teleport you to any European capital (also because of its prices) with its colorful dishes of hummus, avocado, poached eggs or their tropical smoothies and fresh lemonade. And lots of coffee, of course. If you have a sweet tooth, ask their North American-style arepas with fruit and honey or their chocolate and banana panatela. They also have very complete sandwiches to take away, which will solve any picnic or meal at the airport.
Another of our favorites for a hearty breakfast is the dandy : Always crowded, it combines the Cuban tradition with the Mexican and the Spanish. Order their eggs rancheros, their quesadillas or their tacos. Open all day and at night it becomes a cocktail bar.
El Dandy combines the Cuban tradition with the Mexican and the Spanish
Brown color : one of the latest novelties in Havana is this multidisciplinary space, which is both fashion workshop, cafeteria, restaurant and cocktail bar. You will like it for its decoration, with exposed brick and hydraulic slabs but with modern furniture and it will conquer you for its abundant breakfast (6 CUC): coffee, natural fruit juice, waffles, toast and eggs. Before you go, check their calendar of events, because they often offer live music or salsa classes.
WHERE TO EAT
Palate Doña Eutimia : Reserve a few days before in this restaurant always full of tourists, because all the guides praise it. We really like its small terrace in Callejón del Chorro, because its dining room is noisy and always packed. Here you can try the most traditional and homemade Cuban cuisine: malanga fritters with honey (which will remind you of fried aubergines, so Cordovan), the tostones stuffed with old clothes, the habanera-style hash or some delicious Cuban croquettes.
El Paladar Doña Eutimia, a classic in all the guides
Palate Otramanera . Market cuisine with local raw materials but with Mediterranean influences: Cuban mojama, mutabal and fried plantain, lobster and mango salad or marinated beef and yucca brochettes. Otramanera is an intimate and intimate gastronomic space, created by a Havanan (Amy) and a Catalan (Álvaro), which emerged in 2010 as a dream, as their own personal project.
Otramanera, the dream of a habanera and a catalan
The Marines : To eat fresh fish and seafood on one of the breakwaters of the bay , but one step away from Old Havana. It is authentic, cheap and the best sign is that it is always full of locals. Choose a table on your terrace, but not on the main one, but in the rear, because it has views of the sea and the Casablanca neighborhood.
This is not a cafe : Your terrace, too in the Chorro Alley (as Doña Eutimia) is pleasant and her menu is very careful and appetizing: shrimp, lobster, old clothes… Side dishes (rice, salad, beans, or banana chips) are generous.
Victrola : Its terrace, which occupies the corner between Muralla and San Ignacio streets, next to the Plaza Vieja It is perfect to see and be seen. Proof their chilindrón lamb, their Cuban sandwich and, whatever time it is, their mojitos: experts say that here they have the best in Havana. Note: La Bodeguita de Enmedio does not count, because when you arrive you will hear ad nauseam that they are not, by far, the most recommended. Tourism (and romance) is what they have.
Whatever you order at La Vitrola, accompany it with a mojito
WHERE TO DINNER
the lair : The most magical terrace in Havana is that of this restaurant that occupies part of a decadent but magnetic mansion from the 20th century, the Camagüey mansion. Strawberry and Chocolate was filmed here, the only Cuban film nominated for an Oscar and later, in 1996, Enrique Núñez and Odeyssi turned it into a palate: La Guarida has been, since then, that cosmopolitan and exclusive redoubt but at the same time cozy, something very atypical in Havana. Cubans will tell you not to go, it's expensive, but it's worth having dinner there at least one night.
Reserve on its terrace, but go early to photograph its regal and chipped staircase, to browse its rooms with tablecloths drying in the sun and its dining rooms, full of framed photos of all the celebrities who have visited it: from Madonna to Mick Jagger, passing through Rihanna or Reina Sofía.
Order your smoked marlin tacos, yucca or sweet potato as a side dish And save yourself for desserts, because, along with their cocktails, they are the best. Try their tres leches chocolate cake and, of course, his most famous dessert: strawberry and chocolate fondant. Top it off with a piña colada on its rooftop terrace with views, which opens mid-afternoon and also has a tapas menu.
the one in front . When you're tired of old clothes (if that's even possible), come here and order their refreshing dishes: salads, grilled fish, lobster, ceviches... If you go as a couple, choose a table on its tiny but charming balcony. If you go with a group of friends, the atmosphere is on its crowded rooftop. For dinner, avoid peak hours, because it can be a bit chaotic. And don't leave without a cocktail…or two.
5 senses : This palate is a rare bird in the city. If you are looking for authenticity this is not your place, but it is if you want to try the modernized Cuban cuisine. Their original dishes are a fusion of different gastronomic cultures and are made with the best raw materials. Try their octopus wok, their fish tartare, their ropa vieja arancini or their fruit pannacotta.
5 senses, the rare bird of the city
Siá Kara Cafe : Just behind the Capitol is this small bar that enlivens your nights with live music. We like it for its young and casual atmosphere, for its retro decoration and for its cocktails. To eat, order their teriyaki or curry chicken, their stuffed avocado, their malanga fritters or their ceviche.
Lamparilla Tapas & Beers : It looks like an antique store, but it's a Caribbean cuisine bar, authentic and different. When you begin to notice that the gastronomic monotony is stalking you, come here and try the lobster tataki, shrimp tacos or chicken meatballs. You can also sign up for one of their mojito courses.
Looks like an antique store, but it's a Caribbean cuisine bar
Come to me : An ace up your sleeve for when you have a craving for homemade italian food. Who does not happen when traveling? In Havana there comes a day when your body no longer admits old clothes and that is why in this tiny restaurant with only six tables you can make up for it: pizzas and focaccias, fresh pasta, lasagna, tiramisu... and very cold Bucanero beer, one of the strongest in Cuba.
BETWEEN HOURS
Mid-morning or mid-afternoon, look for the street vendors on Calle Mercaderes or Plaza Vieja, that sell chips, peanut cones (peanuts), guava or coconut cupcakes, fried banana or buns stuffed with roasted suckling pig.
guava cupcakes
Don't miss the ice creams. The most famous ice cream parlor (and the one that appears in all the guides) is the mythical and gigantic Coppelia: They call it “the cathedral of ice cream”, it occupies an entire block and there is always a queue. It was one of Fidel Castro's personal bets, back in 1966, and it was also one of the settings for the feature film Strawberry and Chocolate.
Apart from the patience required to get your ice cream, there is only one but: it will not catch you passing by, you have to go expressly or take the opportunity to pay a visit to the residential neighborhood in which it is located, El Vedado. Note: closed on Mondays. If you go, take advantage of the excursion: in that same area there is also the national hotel (its terrace with sea views is highly recommended) and the Focsa Building, one of the tallest in the city and considered one of the Seven Wonders of Cuban Civil Engineering.
Coppelia, famous for the movie 'Strawberry and Chocolate'
But our favorite ice cream parlor is Ice cream: they have about 15 flavors –soursop, muscatel, lemon cake, dulce de leche, mojito, peanut nougat…– and you will have a hard time choosing. If you like coconut, ask for the Cocotazo... and don't resist asking for two balls.
Ice cream, our favorite
And so far our gastronomic guide to Havana. One last tip: accepts the recommendations of the Cubans, that will tell you about other sites that we (also) like, such as the racketeer, Ivan Justo Chef, Print, Or Reilly 304, Palate San Cristóbal or Los Nardos. But take this route with you so that, even if you get lost, you can find those places to eat again and then tell about it.
the racketeer