Forget it, there is no good food in Cuba. Local food is (i) rice with beans and (ii) whatever is available and can be thrown together to resemble a dish.
An entire nation of people of mixed origins and their capital city has nothing nice to eat?
There are so many variations of chicken, beans and rice.
I went there with a few mates and had a great time really. We did not mind the mediocre food and just enjoyed our beer and Cuba libres. On any terrace, you would find some couples that had planned for a romantical tropical holiday/honeymoon but were completely annoyed of a week of chicken, rice beans and a coke.
Also, prepare to be disappointed by the fact that every kind and welcoming local you meet has a sales pitch and/or sob story ready to squeeze a couple of bucks from you. No question if they bring it or not, just when.
I adored Cuba, especially Havana. Food. Well, it was a struggle finding any, usually we could not get anyhting at lunchtime, and in the evenings it was difficult too. What you could get was dreadful and no veg or fruit the whole time. One time in the car between Santiago and somewhere else we screeched to a halt and did a u turn simply because we saw someone selling bananas on the other side of the road. We both lost about 10 lbs.
this was in 1998, mind. Cuba barely having just started accepting tourists.
For example most tourists in the know head to La Guarida. It's amazing. It's an dilapidated building and the menu changes depending on what's available but it's definitely the best place to go.
I enjoyed my two visits to the US very much, especially the home-built musical tour from Atlanta airport to Nashville (country) via the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Holiday Inn, then to Memphis (blues) including the cafe where they filmed the Boston scenes from The firm, then to New Orleans (jazz) where we stayed in the French Quarter 5 minutes walk from the Cafe du Monde for breakfast every morning. (This was in the 90s.)
I'd rather go to Cuba, and risk not being able to travel to the US again, than not go to Cuba. Based on today's news it seems highly likely that America is going to become an even bigger shitpit than it is now and if they want to keep me out because of something belligerently trivial like I visited a country they don't like, I'm not going to fret about it. Plenty of other countries to visit.
I was already less inclined to visit because of their attitude towards electronic devices being carried by tourists.
When I went through at Cuba they stapled a page into my passport and stamped that, so no mark left on passport except staple holes. Definitely would rather go to Cuba than US anyway. Food isn't as bad as the above posters say, not a huge variety though and don't be vegetarian.
We went to a place recommended by the bloke who ran the classic car tour company that I booked with - La vitrola, on San Ignacio, at the corner of Plaza Vieja. Not too far from the cruise dock, and a lively place; we sat outside in the alley (=narrow pedestrian road).
While we had our food (don't ask me what I ate, I forget!) we had two different lots of musical entertainment including an old guy who came and spoke to us conversationally and then offered to do requests, so my mum asked for Frank Sinatra. A young woman came and did a caricature of me. An older woman smoking a bloody great cigar was getting down to the music.
An hour later we were in the hot pink classic car touring the city. Fascinating. I did not know, for example, that Bacardi hasn't had any presence in Cuba since the Revolution.
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a cruise?
welcome back Senex, thought the covid or frost had got you for sure
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there is basically no good food in Cuba sorry
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oo na na
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That's clearly untrue.
An entire nation of people of mixed origins and their capital city has nothing nice to eat? Puh-lease.
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LOL @ cruise. Woke is right - you mean "where can I get decent westernised versions of frankly shit local cuisine in this location"?
You'll prob all have norovirus anyway.
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Local food as in chicken, beans and rice? Everywhere! But it's the only thing you'll get.
You can eat lobster in El Asturianito. It was OK.
Food on Cuba is nutritious at best but never super tasty.
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Forget it, there is no good food in Cuba. Local food is (i) rice with beans and (ii) whatever is available and can be thrown together to resemble a dish.
Just go for Mojitos.
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There are so many variations of chicken, beans and rice.
I went there with a few mates and had a great time really. We did not mind the mediocre food and just enjoyed our beer and Cuba libres. On any terrace, you would find some couples that had planned for a romantical tropical holiday/honeymoon but were completely annoyed of a week of chicken, rice beans and a coke.
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Also, prepare to be disappointed by the fact that every kind and welcoming local you meet has a sales pitch and/or sob story ready to squeeze a couple of bucks from you. No question if they bring it or not, just when.
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sorry, the food in cuba is notoriously shite
I’m not talking about their “cuisine”, I’m talking about the actual food you can get to eat there in restaurants
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Thinking of it, the North-Korean tinned veggies had some taste to them.
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Fine.
I'll report back after I've been.
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If you visit Cuba you now won't be able to apply for an ESTA in future so you might consider staying on the boat if you plan to visit the US again..
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At least you won’t arrive with your hopes up
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I adored Cuba, especially Havana. Food. Well, it was a struggle finding any, usually we could not get anyhting at lunchtime, and in the evenings it was difficult too. What you could get was dreadful and no veg or fruit the whole time. One time in the car between Santiago and somewhere else we screeched to a halt and did a u turn simply because we saw someone selling bananas on the other side of the road. We both lost about 10 lbs.
this was in 1998, mind. Cuba barely having just started accepting tourists.
sexiest place on earth iirc.
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Havana is a brilliant city
The food is awesome if you know where to go
For example most tourists in the know head to La Guarida. It's amazing. It's an dilapidated building and the menu changes depending on what's available but it's definitely the best place to go.
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It does look fab
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I’d love to go actually. A drink or few at Floridita, go and see the boat.
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Really liked Cuba/Havana, but the food is diabolical, i mean really bad. The mojitos are good though!
Was > 10 years ago though tbf
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Hehh, Davos you are the most contrary poster on Rof...
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http://otramaneralahabana.com/kitchen/
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Davos and playftse - Thank you.
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@ Green Triangle - thanks for the heads up.
I enjoyed my two visits to the US very much, especially the home-built musical tour from Atlanta airport to Nashville (country) via the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Holiday Inn, then to Memphis (blues) including the cafe where they filmed the Boston scenes from The firm, then to New Orleans (jazz) where we stayed in the French Quarter 5 minutes walk from the Cafe du Monde for breakfast every morning. (This was in the 90s.)
I'd rather go to Cuba, and risk not being able to travel to the US again, than not go to Cuba. Based on today's news it seems highly likely that America is going to become an even bigger shitpit than it is now and if they want to keep me out because of something belligerently trivial like I visited a country they don't like, I'm not going to fret about it. Plenty of other countries to visit.
I was already less inclined to visit because of their attitude towards electronic devices being carried by tourists.
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When I went through at Cuba they stapled a page into my passport and stamped that, so no mark left on passport except staple holes. Definitely would rather go to Cuba than US anyway. Food isn't as bad as the above posters say, not a huge variety though and don't be vegetarian.
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Ben - what did you eat?
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Who's the Cuban leader ?
Fre Bentos
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heh@sumoking
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@ Edd
We went to a place recommended by the bloke who ran the classic car tour company that I booked with - La vitrola, on San Ignacio, at the corner of Plaza Vieja. Not too far from the cruise dock, and a lively place; we sat outside in the alley (=narrow pedestrian road).
While we had our food (don't ask me what I ate, I forget!) we had two different lots of musical entertainment including an old guy who came and spoke to us conversationally and then offered to do requests, so my mum asked for Frank Sinatra. A young woman came and did a caricature of me. An older woman smoking a bloody great cigar was getting down to the music.
An hour later we were in the hot pink classic car touring the city. Fascinating. I did not know, for example, that Bacardi hasn't had any presence in Cuba since the Revolution.
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NB Nobody stamped my passport; two bored policepersons on the way out of the cruise terminal barely glanced at it.
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I didn’t rate Havana at all. In horrible shape and falling apart and felt crime infested.
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