Havana is growing significantly as a gastronomic destination. Every day we see improved service and last year many new restaurants of exceptional quality opened, putting the city on a par with some far better known culinary hubs.
But with so much now on offer in Havana, and with increasingly specialized and creative venues capable of satisfying diverse and sophisticated tastes, how do you select where to go?
Let us help. Havana Insider is committed to recommending the best this city has to offer. We want your experiences to be spectacular, so here is our carefully selected list of the best new Havana restaurants of 2019.
- Aguacate 11
Aguacate 11 is now the only Mexican restaurant in Havana. It doesn’t have a single competitor. But even if other Mexican restaurants were around, we doubt they could capture the same magic that we found at Aguacate 11. The décor alone is worth the visit. Colorful and full of life, with Mexican hats and typical catrinas hanging on the crayon-painted walls. The cuisine is exceptional, with a Mexican chef faithful to the culinary traditions of his home. Nothing Cubanized here! This is one of the most exciting restaurants in Havana right now.
Food: Mexican
Average Price: 7.00 cuc – 10.00 cuc
Opening hours: Every Day 12:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Address: Aguacate #11, e/ Chacón y Tejadillo, Old Havana
Contact: +53 7866 3197
- Michifú
It’s easy to imagine large groups of friends having drinks and sharing stories in this glamorous bar-restaurant. Michifú has an atmosphere of improvisation and stands out in Havana. It’s eclectic and sophisticated, with lots of art and other touches that display the remarkably good taste of the owners. The menu gets straight to the point, with half a dozen simple recipes with a French touch. Ratatouille is the signature dish of the house, which appears as a side dish for nearly all the preparations. We recommend visiting at night, when the lighting is perfect and Michifú adopts a nostalgic tone, and the soundtrack jumps between live piano sessions and Cuban boleros.
Food: International, French
Address: Concordia, esq. Escobar
Contact: +53 78624869, elmichifu@gmail.com
- Amir Shisha
This is an interesting and exotic restaurant with exquisite Lebanese dishes mixed with some Korean classics. The restaurant consists of an immense manicured courtyard surrounded by tropical trees and bamboo plants, and through a set of sleek sliding doors the kitchen, where the chefs show off their expert techniques. They offer a rich variety of oriental dishes and flavors, with fresh ingredients and top-notch products, all made to halal standards. The star recipes are: the shish – tender lamb or chicken kebabs, falafel, kebbe, sambusak, hummus, baba ghannouj and shawarma. And of course, if you like Arabic aromas, this is the place to smoke shisha in Havana.
Food: Arabic
Address: Calle 40 A #115 e/ 1ra y 3ra, Miramar, Playa
Contact: +53 7206 3443, shishaamir40a@gmail.com
Average Price: 8.00 – 14.00 cuc
Schedule: Every Day 12:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
- Beijing
This project has been cooking for a while, as part of a cooperation initiative between the governments of China and Cuba. The result is a truly Chinese restaurant, with flavors and ingredients totally unknown to most of its customers. The decoration combines elements of the two cultures elegantly. The menu is extensive, with more than 50 recipes. All the dishes are authentic, intense and delicious, with top quality ingredients. Definitely the best Chinese restaurant in Havana.
Food: Chinese.
Schedule: Every Day 12:00 – 3:00 p.m., 6:00 – 10:
Cost: 15 – 20 cuc
Address: 7ma e/ 2 y 4, Miramar, Playa.
Contact: +53 72046418
- Jíbaro
Jíbaro is located in the neighborhood of San Isidro, one of the most picturesque areas of Old Havana. Jíbaro is easy to spot: a large mural full of striking colors indicates the entrance. The design is modern, casual and efficient. The food here is comprised of simple, typical dishes with local ingredients, curiously presented. But everything changes on Fridays each week, when their recipes are inspired from different regions of the world. So far their Fridays have turned Hindu, Gypsy, Bolivian, Thai, Colombian, Moroccan, Taino, Brazilian, and more, with guest chefs.
Food: Cuban and International
Schedule: Every Day 10:00 – 00:00 hrs
Cost: 7 – 10 cuc
Address: Merced 69 e/ Cuba y San Ignacio, Habana Vieja Contact: +53 7860 1725, +53 53468789, therealjibaro@gmail.com
- Casa Mía Paladar
Casa Mía is a living example of the new Cuban paladar (private restaurants). This is the story of a family that turned their house into a restaurant, like many others before them. The difference is that they didn’t have a large house with a spacious patio, but a rather small apartment. However, what it lacks in space it makes up for with an incredible panoramic view of the malecón (seawall). There’s loads of personality and charm here. The menu is not extensive or particularly innovative, but they use easily accessible national products that combine perfectly. The guys in the kitchen know their business, particularly when it comes to the seafood dishes.
Food: Internacional.
Address: calle 1ra #103 1er piso e/ C y D, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución
Contact: +53 7832 9735, info@casamiapaladar.com
- Totó e Peppino
Totó e Peppino is a small, cozy and conveniently located Italian restaurant. It has an elegant, discreet and clean design, and a dedication to authentic Italian creations. From any table you can see the exceptional pizza makers making their pizzas in the wood-burning oven. And of course, the pizzas here are amazing, with lightly charred, thin and airy crusts, true to the Neapolitan style. Fresh pasta is another of the house specialties; very al dente, yet delicate and delicious. The food is reasonable priced, as is the wine list.
Food: Italian
Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Average Price: 10.00 – 17.00 cuc
Address: Calle 8 e/ 5ta y Calzada, Vedado
Contact: +53 78331914