Page 266 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

264  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

In traditional Cuban cooking, rice and of comida criolla (Creole cuisine, see p266).
beans are the staples rather than bread, Places offering food range from state-run
and the most common dishes are meat- restaurants and hotel restaurants (usually
based. Seafood also features heavily with comfortable and elegant), to paladares,
shrimp, lobster and fish dishes found or privately run restaurants (ranging from
on a large proportion of restaurant menus. informal to chic) that serve home cooking.
Different influences can be seen in Cuban In Havana, kiosks selling pizza, sandwiches
cooking and there are local variations, and ice creams are now everywhere.
especially in the east of Cuba. Food is rarely The restaurants listed on pages 270–75
spicy. Besides international dishes, local are arranged by area and cater to a variety
menus generally feature some specialities of different budgets.

Restaurants and Cafés Paladares
Cuba’s state-run restaurants The cheapest and best places
used to have a bad reputation. offering Cuban cooking are called
However, standards have improved paladares. Traditionally, these are
in many, particularly in Havana. private restaurants offering a fixed
This is partly due to competition price or à la carte menu inside
from private paladares, and Cuban homes. Dishes are often
some well-regarded state-run simple but can be surprisingly
restaurants, for example La good – and often better quality
Imprenta (see p270). than their state-run equivalents.
Some of Havana’s most However, be wary of people
delightful restaurants are housed who accost you in the street
in colonial buildings. Many have and offer to show you a paladar:
a view or a patio, and live music once there, your helpful guide
is often performed. will receive a commission and
The restaurants in luxury hotels your bill will cost a few pesos
are usually high-quality and more. Further more, they may ask
feature international dishes along you to treat them to dinner!
with a good wine list. As an Since Raúl Castro’s moderate
alternative to formal à la carte Elegant dining room with grand piano, economic reforms in 2011, the
dining, many hotels offer buffets, Restaurante de Iberostar, Trinidad (p275) private dining scene in Cuba has
which in Cuba are called mesa been transformed. Paladares
sueca (smorgas bord), where, for La Bodeguita del Medio and have become more sophist-
a fixed price, you can eat anything El Floridita in Havana (see p270), icated, and in some cases, have
from pasta to roast pork with and La Terraza de Cojímar (see taken over entire apartments.
rice and black beans. p272). These are open all day They are now found in beach
Some of the capital’s most serving snacks and cocktails, resorts such as Varadero where,
famous bars have a separately and offer a full menu for lunch previously, they had been
managed restaurant, such as and dinner. banned. The greatest changes
can be seen in Trinidad and
Havana. In the capital,
entrepreneurs have increased
the range of dining options by
opening chic dining establish-
ments, putting Havana on the

Private Homes
It often happens that private
homes offering rooms to let
(casas particulares, see p254) also
provide main meals as well as
breakfast. Since the food usually
eaten by the home owners is
plainer than the food offered to
guests, you will be asked to let
Extensive buffet at the Meliá Paradisus resort in Varadero (p260) them know in advance whether

264-265_EW_Cuba.indd 264 14/02/17 11:37 am