In the last 10 years a culinary revolution has been cooking up in the kitchens of private restaurants in Havana. The naysayers will tell you Cuba’s dining scene is abysmal, and that no one travels to Cuba for the food. But what they don’t know is that new rules allowed more Cubans to open more restaurants (paladares) in their front rooms and open dining rooms in new properties investing in chefs, locally grown food, and chutzpah. Those with the right address book now dine differently in Havana. Find hearty Cuban cuisine, grilled seafood, roasted meats, tacos, sushi, pizza, and more right across the Cuban capital.
La Bodega, set in a patio of leafy plants and secret spots for seating, opened inside boutique hotel La Reserva in the artsy el Vedado neighbourhood in 2021. Dishes are rooted in regional cuisine. Find fish cooked in coconut milk, a recipe from distant Baracoa, and a revival of old Cuban recipes with modern twists. I tucked into three tasty mini pork burgers on bao buns topped with tomato confit and malanga shavings. Another burger was layered in cheese and chutney. Caribeñas, a delicious main dish of grilled lobster tails came with grilled peppers, carrots, okra, and beans, all scattered with rosemary. For dessert, a rich, moist brownie made with cocoa from Cuba’s chocolate country Baracoa, was served with a scoop of creamy almond ice cream. Menus change daily here and are chalked up on a board.
La Bodega
Tucked away inside a 50s home with a garden, close to the Casa de la Música in the Playa neighbourhood, is Otramanera. It’s run by a Cuban art graduate and Spanish sommelier who employ the city’s best chefs. Dine inside air-conditioning cool alongside Korean art or on the shaded terrace opposite the bar. Otramanera consistently gets my vote for the best restaurant in the city. And I love the serving of popcorn always offered when you sit down. I started with an intense dish of truffled and roasted quail eggs served in a small pan on a bed of fried potato shavings and sausage. I couldn’t resist the tenderest pork belly with Cuban banana puree as a main. I then made room for the brilliant, moreish Drunken Cake soaked in a piña colada soup with a side of vanilla ice cream.
Cuban restaurant Antojos enjoys an enviable position on popular Alley Espada with red parasols and a string of lights above tables streetside. The menu is huge encouraging you to return which you’ll want to. Drinks are generous and served in cut glass with plenty of pretty garnish, the complimentary pork scratchings are the best in the city, and the pork tacos are winning. Try, too, the croquettes which come with garlic mayo and honey for dipping. The rich ropa vieja (shredded beef) with moist fried sweet plantains (maduros) served with rice and beans is a great choice, too.
Antojos
Still hungry in Havana? In Old Havana, don’t miss fresh seafood at La Petit Paladar, opened by owners who once ran a successful paladar near the US Embassy, and Jama which serves expert sushi, sashimi, and tuna tataki. The standout on the menu at Fangio inside the new Hotel Claxon in el Vedado is the tenderest pork cheeks in a Thai curry. At nearby Grados the dedicated owner-chef revives old Cuban recipes in his family’s home.
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