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Havana Restaurants Cuba Restaurant
"Looking for a good restaurant in Havana?
Check my "secret" list of best restaurants!"
When selecting Havana restaurants, understand that Cuba is no food paradise, where you can expect
gourmet cuisine. It took me a trial and error period to find a good Cuba restaurant in the Havana “food jungle". I tried some (state) hotel restaurants my first time in Havana, and I can be short about this experience, don’t do it, forget it, it isn’t worth the money, the food is over priced.
My next experience in the Havana restaurants was the “paladar” Cuba restaurant. Let me explain the “paladar” system in Cuba: under this regulation a Cuban family is allowed to install a small restaurant in one of the rooms in their house. This is a private enterprise under strict government regulations. The restaurant is limited to one room and a maximum of four tables and sixteen seats. They should have an official license and pay a heavy tax.The paladar has a limited menu and they may not offer dishes like lobster and shrimp to avoid competition with the State restaurants and State owned hotels.
Paladares are thought to be the better restaurants in Cuba, because they are privately owned. I can say there are good ones and bad ones. I tried several paladares and some are excellent and others are not worth the money. Watch out when a Cuban guy recommends a paladar restaurant, most of the time he does it only for the fee he gets from the paladar owner.
After all these Havana restaurant experiences I felt a bit lost, so I did some research and ultimately I found some good Havana restaurant addresses. I am happy to share my “secret list” with you. Here are my top picks, they all offer good food for a reasonable price.
Restaurant Los Nardos
My favourite Cuba restaurant and at this moment the place to be in Havana: Los Nardos is located on the Paseo del Prado 563, opposite the Capitolio. Restaurant Los Nardos
Restaurant El Guajirito
A Cuban private owned restaurant in Old Havana, nicely decorated
in Cuban country style. The waitresses are pretty girls dressed in traditional country clothing.
Restaurant El Guajirito
Restaurant LA CASA - Paladar
A private restaurant, owned by the Robaina family.
Located in the Nuevo Vedado district, 30th street #865 between 26th and 41th street
Read more:
Restaurant LA CASA
Restaurant : A Prado y Neptuno
Located at the corner of Neptuno street and the Paseo del Prado, very close to the Central Park. This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Havana. (READ UPDATE 2009!)
Restaurant A Prado y Neptuno
Restaurant El Aljibe
Located on 7th Avenue, between 24th and 26th Streets.
One of Havana's most popular restaurants famous for the best
chicken in Havana...
Restaurant El Aljibe
Located on Ignace Street # 368, Corner Plaza Vieja (Old Square)
this tavern is a unique Havana experience....
More about Taberna de la Muralle
Paladar La Guarida
Calle Concordia # 418
Havana Centro
The famous Cuban movie “Fresa y chocolate “ was filmed at this paladar
Good quality – reservations required
Paladar La Guarida
