Cubans are totally hooked on heavy, meaty dishes served with stacks of rice and beans. And nearly every single islander nurtures a love affair with spit-roasted suckling pork. To many Cubans, piles of delicious veg and aromatic herbs do not a meal make. The island has come a long way, though, in food choices. In the late 90s, meals were served with a single salad leaf! Today, vegetarian, and vegan restaurants are not common but if you know where to go, you’ll find fresh, organic, tasty meals.
For the only true vegan restaurant in the country, you’ll need to head to Baracoa, more than 600 miles from capital Havana. Chef Aristides Smith preps delicious food and regional specialities using local fruits and veg from Baracoa’s lush fields and forests. Bread and tortillas made from yuca flour known as casabe or cassava, feature heavily, as do the tastiest local tomatoes, salad leaves, and rice dishes. Restaurant Baracoando has been created out of a hurricane-shattered home belonging to Smith. Guests sit in his rustic garden and will be regaled with tales of Smith’s life and cooking. Smith is also on a mission to teach Baracoa’s youngsters how to prepare healthy food. Don’t miss this memorable spot in eastern Cuba!
Restaurant Baracoando
Another trailblazing spot is El Romero in eco-community Las Terrazas, just an hour southwest of Havana. It was set up by vegetarian pioneer Tito Núñez Gudás. Tito dabbled in vegetarian cooking at the restaurant in Havana’s botanic gardens after Cuba’s supply lines dwindled following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 90s. El Romero, with an idyllic terrace overlooking San Juan Lake, has its own organic garden, solar farm, aromatic plant beds and bees, and sources other ingredients it can’t find in the local community that have as few food miles as possible. All waste is recycled. You’ll find reviving fresh juices, lots of soups and salads, eggplant steaks, and tempura. I rarely eat anywhere else in Las Terrazas, the food is so good.
El Romaero
In Havana, seek out the superlative Camino al Sol, and Oasis Nelva, El Café and Lo de Monik. Camino al Sol, behind Hotel Melia Cohiba in el Vedado neighbourhood, is a magnet for vegetarians and vegans. Fresh veg juices, pasta made from moringa plant, and beetroot, and delicious soups are prepared daily. Order from the deli counter before taking your seat in its botanical-themed café or grab takeaway. Camino al Sol’s female owner is an engineer turned chef who embraced a greener lifestyle 15 years ago. Oasis Nelva in Old Havana is run by the forward-thinking Carmen Montegueado who gets her purchases her organic greens from a famous farm just outside Havana. Her signature dishes are delicious crepes stuffed with veggies. Meat-eaters are catered for, too. Oasis Nelva also serves crepes and tacos made from yuca flour. Don’t miss one of the café’s signature cocktails, too!
Oasis Nelva
El Café and Lo de Monik are both in Old Havana. El Café’s filling vegan sourdough sandwich with humus, vegetables, and a spicy sauce is a winner. It also does a vegetarian breakfast with avocado, and sought-after stacked pancakes! This cool Old Havana spot on Amargura Street is popular so get there in good time for breakfasts and lunches. Funky little Lo de Monik does a great line in filling vegetarian breakfasts as well as veggie tacos, soups, salads and yuca ‘patatas bravas’. You’ll find Lo de Monik in the buzzy northern quarter of Old Havana. ¡Buen provecho!
Lo de Monik
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