Paladares and a spaceship of communist ice cream
Havana is not the first place one would think of for good food. Still, it’s the best culinary destination in the whole of Cuba and the best opportunity to sample traditional cooking. Spoilers: it’s mostly pork, beans, plantains, and yucca.
Standards are comparable to mid-range restaurants in Western Europe…provided one sticks to the tourist restaurants and eschews resort food. Normally, I avoid tourist restaurants but I haven’t come across a locally-oriented restaurant in Havana that’s worth recommending. Choice ingredients and skillful technique are unfortunately priced out of range for the vast majority of Cubans.
I assume that you’re not planning to go to Cuba to eat French, Italian, Spanish, or American food, so I’ve focused on the unique Havana experiences in this article.
The vicissitudes of eating out in Cuba
Havana’s culinary scene has gone through ups and downs. It was mostly forgotten by the world after the Cuban revolution in 1959. Restaurants became state-run. It became a challenge to find somewhere that would accept foreigners, let alone with good food.
When Cuba opened up for tourism in the 1990s during the “special period” (período especial; tough economic times), the government allowed private enterprise in the form of paladares: family-run restaurants out of their own homes. That marked the renaissance of Cuban dining. Today, the range, quality, and ambience of paladares exceeds that of government-run food establishments. They are indistinguishable from regular restaurants elsewhere in the world, other than the discreet home residence beyond the kitchen.
The second challenge to deal with is the availability of ingredients. Especially imported ones that upscale restaurants advertise like olive oil and squid ink. The US trade embargo has made it difficult to secure a consistent and affordable supply chain. Tourists complain of how often most items on the menu are not available. I say Cuban chefs have to improvise like nowhere else in the world in the face of unstable supply issues. They have to be creative about substitutions and figuring out how to maximize the ingredients they have on hand.
A more recent challenge affects tourists as much as Cubans: currency. Since 2021, Cuba’s inflation rate has run amok at 70%. Before 2021, Cuba had two currencies: peso (CUP) and convertible peso (CUC). 1 CUC is exactly 1 US dollar and it was what (most) tourists used and restaurant menus were priced with. Now, there is just CUP, whose value continues to plummet against global currencies each day. Virtually all prices are quoted in CUP now and tourists have to use them for everyday purchases (with some exceptions). Until the currency stabilizes, you’re better off exchanging for pesos in the black market than at the bank or ATM. Otherwise, you’ll be wondering why you just paid 8.00 € for a slice of mediocre pizza. The street rate is two to three times better than the official one.
Doña Eutimia: tradition with a touch of modernity
Habana Vieja (Old Havana) has the best dining standards in Cuba. That’s where the target market is: rich tourists. The paladar that every tourist guidebook recommends is Doña Eutimia. It’s one of the oldest in the country and centrally located next to the cathedral square, at the back of an alley. Fight through the touts from other restaurants in the same alley to get there.
For newcomers, it’s a good place to get acquainted with the national dish, ropa vieja (literally old clothes). Named after its resemblance to shredded clothes, it’s really shredded meat in a tomato-based stew. The sauce at Doña Eutimia was rich and tangy, though I felt it could use a hint of brightness. Unusually, they chose goat (chorro) instead of the traditional beef. The meat was firm but not tough. The accompanying potato chips were the cheap supermarket variety and was the only weak point. Es Cuba; I can understand that they don’t have tons of potatoes to make their own kettle chips in-house.
As with convention, the main course came with rice and beans. I had expected the beans to be cooked with the rice but this was even better. The beans were in a thick, savoury gravy and complemented the rice and chips beautifully. 8/10.
The biggest surprise was how reasonable the prices were, considering it’s one of the most well-known restaurants in Havana. The dining area isn’t huge and there is barely any outdoor seating, so go at non-peak periods.
La Guarida: pushing the envelope for Cuban cuisine
La Guarida claims the top spot in many travel lists for best restaurants in Cuba. Although I haven’t travelled extensively in Havana, let alone Cuba, I tend to agree. It’s one of the few restaurants in Cuba that offer modern Cuban cuisine. They’ve had a lot of time to refine their formula, being one of the OG paladares from the 1990s.
The restaurant is on the top floor of a colonial apartment block in Habana Centro (Central Havana). It stands in contrast to the run-down buildings in the neighbourhood. The faded opulence is slowly being restored and there are informational panels along the corridor if you are interested to learn more.
My first choice of beverage, the tropical juice of the day, was not available so I got a limonada (lemonade). It wasn’t remarkable other than it was made from sparkling water. They have an extensive cocktail selection though.
The carpaccio de pargo (snapper) was beautifully plated in a contemporary fashion. The fish was sliced as thin as tissue paper. It was transparent and the taste was equally light. The dominant flavour was olive oil, accentuated by mildly spiced drops of piquillo pepper. Bonus points for chilling the plate. 8/10.
Although the carpaccio wasn’t very Cuban, the cochinillo lechal certainly was. It was an elevated Cuban suckling pig. Confit and shredded pork was molded into a block and topped with a crackly piece of chicharron. It was a clever deconstruction and reconstruction of roast pork. The texture was sublime. And the sauce showed restraint with naranja (orange) and miel (honey). No Cuban pork meal is complete without some carbs. The standing fried plantains added height while the fufú de platano was actually a garlicky plantain mash. 9/10.
Another Caribbean staple, moros y cristianos (rice and beans), was standard. The carbs were cooked well and adequately seasoned, but I felt it was a missed opportunity to elevate this humble side. 7.5/10.
Because of COVID-19, their menu is accessed through a QR code. The website is only accessible using their wifi intranet. I hope you can read Spanish! If not, all waitstaff speak excellent English.
I was impressed with how they managed to source ingredients for their modern Cuban menu, given the ongoing economic and pandemic difficulties.
The ambience and decor is a mix of retro kitsch and old world charm. They have a surfeit of seating places. Only one other customer was there when I was there for lunch but I visited during pandemic times. Expect a full house when things get back to normal.
San Cristobal: classic dishes
Paladar San Cristobal is often cited as the main competitor to La Guarida for best restaurant in Havana. I have not tried it. The menu didn’t look as innovative and Cuban-focused, so I went to La Guarida instead. I’m including their menu here for those who are interested.
Cafe Laurent: terrace dining with a view
Vedado and Miramar are the upscale and modern neighbourhoods in Havana. It supposedly has a vibrant dining scene oriented towards locals, but I wasn’t able to find any restaurants that tasted as good as those from Habana Vieja. It didn’t help that several paladares had closed or were offering limited menus because of the pandemic and economic troubles.
So instead of great food, I settled for great ambience. Cafe Laurent is particularly atmospheric, located at the top of a mid-rise building.
Come nightfall, one can admire the lights of the malecon (promenade) and the imposing edificio FOCSA, the tallest building in Cuba. Side note: there’s also a paladar in FOCSA, La Torre, with even more stupendous views but the food is reportedly underwhelming.
The suquet de pescado (fish stew) was loaded with large chunks of fish. It was enough for two. The flavours were simple and plain: tomato-based and a few spices. It could have used more punch. It felt like regular home cooking served on prettier tableware. 7/10.
On the other hand, the moros y cristianos were outstanding. They were the best I’ve had on this trip. The secret is the bits of fatty pork they add that infuse the dish with sweetness, unctuousness, and moisture. I’ve never seen that before for rice and beans. It ate like a fried rice and I would gladly have seconds. 8.5/10.
The menu isn’t huge nor imaginative. The attraction is the ambience though the food isn’t terrible.
Part of the fun in getting to Cafe Laurent is the elevator ride. It’s a vintage elevator—the type where the doors are manually operated.
Parque Coppelia: spaceship of communist ice cream
For eating with locals, the most accessible experience is at the flagship Coppelia in Vedado. For some reason, Fidel Castro decided that ice cream is a food essential that should be affordable to the masses. Thus, Coppelia was born: the state-run ice creamery. No one is complaining. It’s 5 pesos (0.05 €) for a single scoop. It has remained open through tough economic times although the available flavours may dwindle to two.
Treat this as an attraction rather than a culinary destination. Even if you’re not interested in so-so ice cream, the modernist spaceship building is worth a look.
Nearly everyone orders the ensalada mixta (mixed salad). It’s 5 scoops of ice cream topped with cookie crumble. When I visited at night, only fresa (strawberry) and mantecado (custard) were left. I wanted a scoop of each but accidentally ordered two ensalada mixtas instead. Oops. Though the scoops were small, I struggled to finish it. I was shocked that a man sitting across me had ordered 4 servings to devour.
Everything was artificially flavoured and coloured. It reminded me of cheap ice cream in developing countries. It was neither great nor bad. My favourite part was the crushed, scented cookies. They had more fragrance than the ice cream and weren’t too dry. Between the ice cream flavours, I preferred the mantecado. It’s a uniquely Cuban flavour that tasted like three-quarters vanilla and one-quarter custard. 5.5/10.
The menu is on boards around the complex. It’s easy to miss. Only Spanish spoken here.
There are multiple entrances to the building and each has its own queue and cordoned-off eating area. There are kiosks, open-air sections, and communal bars. Air-conditioned seating is on the second floor, overlooking the surrounding park. Tables are distanced and alternate seats are marked off for COVID-19 protocols.
The etiquette for lining up is to shout ¿Ultimo? when you arrive. The person who responds is the last person in the queue. You are now the new last person and should respond when the next arrival asks ¿Ultimo?. This way, there is no need to remain in line. People are free to sit in the shade, go run a quick errand, or wander around until it’s closer to their turn. It’s a nifty system for lining up that is unique to Cuba.
Where to eat Cuban food in Toronto
El Habanero and Churrobar was the clear front-runner for Cuban cuisine in Toronto. Their ropa vieja was better than those I’ve tried in Cuba. Sadly, they decided to wind down the business at the end of March 2022. Watch out for their next project and hope it features Cuban food.
There aren’t any comparable alternatives. La Cubanita in Plaza Latina and Cuba’s Restaurant in Oakville are average.
Verdict
Havana may not be known for its food but its paladares have done an admirable job in the face of economic and logistical uncertainties. The worst thing one could do is to remain in the bubble of resorts and hotels and miss out on the burgeoning culinary scene.
Practical information
Prices in Cuban pesos unless otherwise stated.
Doña Eutimia
- Rating
- 8/10
- Prices
- Ropa vieja del chorro: $520
Additional 10% service charge - Address
- At the end of Callejon del Chorro
- Hours
- Daily 1200h – 2200h
- Date of visit
- February 2022
La Guarida
- Rating
- 8.5/10
- Prices
- Limonada: US$2.50
Carpaccio de pargo: US$6.00
Cochinillo lechal confitado: US$15.00
Moros y cristianos: US$2.50
Additional 10% service charge - Address
- Concordia, between Gervasio and Escobar
- Hours
- Daily 1200h – 1600h, 1800h – 2345h
- Date of visit
- February 2022
San Cristobal
- Rating
- NA
- Prices
- NA
- Address
- San Rafael, between Lealtad and Campanario
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 1200h – 2400h
- Date of visit
- February 2022
Cafe Laurent
- Rating
- 7.5/10
- Prices
- Suquet de pescado: $640
Moros y cristianos: $100
Additional 10% service charge - Address
- Calle M, between Calle 19 and Calle 21
- Hours
- Daily 1200h – 2400h
- Date of visit
- February 2022
Parque Coppelia
- Rating
- 5.5/10
- Prices
- Ensalada mixta (5 scoops with cookie crumble): $25
Súper tiwins (4 scoops): $20
Jimagua (2 scoops): $10
Arlequín or sundae (1 scoop): $5
No service charge - Address
- Park bounded by Calle K, L, 21 and 23
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday 0900h – 2000h
- Date of visit
- February 2022