Best Bites in Havana
Walking the streets, asking the locals, and following the scents and sounds led to some of my best food memories EVER.
Back in 2016 and 2017, when I was curating travel experiences in Cuba, there were a ton of new restaurants opening up in Havana. Because many of them didn’t have a digital presence then, I had to find them on the ground. My trip packages included all meals - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - and so finding finding great places to bring my groups was critical. I ate high and low and often and, I must say, it was a delicious job 😅🤤. Check out my top 5 favorite restaurants and the dishes I ate over an over again.
First up, Habana 61. This was the first official stop on the itinerary. After guests landed at the airport and dropped their bags off at our Casa Particular (guest house), I’d take them to lunch at this restaurant. Because folks were flying in from all over the US, and arriving at different times, I’d *have* to eat multiple lunches! I’d always order the fried malanga with garlic-infused honey, ceviche, and croquettes. For the mains, the pescado en salsa verde (fish in green sauce), solomillo 4 sabores (steak), and ropa vieja were all always hits.
Lamparilla Tapas y Cervezas has a fun retro vibe that is as cool as the food is delicious. They serve traditional Cuban dishes as well as those with their own modern twists. The ceviche, grilled octopus, and croquettes are a must. The big leafy fresh salads are a welcome delight and classics like grilled lobster, grilled chicken, ropa vieja and more do not disappoint. If you’re in the mood for something different, they offer international flavors with their risotto, meatballs, tacos, burritos, and more. Plus, their frozen daiquiris are so good, brain freeze is inevitable!
You can find suckling pig and grilled chicken all over Havana, but my favorite renditions are served at Al Carbon by Ivan Chef Justo. The skin on the pork is inexplicably crisp and the flavors of the chicken belie its simple name. They also have a ton of small plates that kept us coming back: grilled provolone and tomatoes, roasted pumpkin salad, crab empanadas, chicken wings, ceviche, and more. Staples like grilled fish, ropa vieja, and rice and beans are also consistently delicious.
Photos by Sean Q. Munro
While El del Frente has indoor seating, the rooftop is where you want to be. This tucked away bar and restaurant has a great vibe, both day and night, and with food and drinks to match. Their gin and tonics are especially good and their tacos and pastas are some of the most popular menu items. You also can’t go wrong with their fish of the day, grilled chicken, rice and beans and other classic Cuban fare. If you’re up for some bar hopping, their sister restaurant is another fave and right across the street: 304 O'Reilly.
It is with the utmost sincerity that I say dinner at El Partenon was consistently my favorite meal (ever??). While the other restaurants included here are in Old Havana, this paladar (private restaurant) is in a house in a residential neighborhood 20 minutes outside the city. When you see the greek-inspired decor and the mounted TVs playing Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, and other late ‘80s classics, you might not be sure what you’re in for but the food is incredible and everyone makes you feel like family. I always start with fried yucca smothered in garlic, tostones rellenos stuffed with ropa vieja (shredded beef), fish ceviche, shrimp ceviche, and my fave, grilled octopus with an insane pesto. Then the mains: fish, chicken, pork, and lamb, prepared however the chef decides that day, plus rice and beans, grilled veggies, salad, boiled yucca, and fried sweet plantain. Not to mention the BEST frozen mojitos on the island. By the time dessert rolls around, the only thing you can fit is a spoonful of a frozen dessert that we pass and share. Finally, the dinner is capped off with overflowing tastes (ie. shots) of the best Havana Club, Santiago de Cuba, and Legendario rums. Yum.
