When you travel more than 40 minutes by car (we usually rent a 1950s convertible for the trip!) from Havana Vieja to Guanabo in eastern Havana for a slice of pizza at Il Piccolo, a small Italian private restaurant or paladar, it goes without saying that your expectations are already running high. And luckily, you won’t be disappointed. The pizza is made in a real wood-burning stone oven (considered a luxury among Italian eateries here) and the margherita pizza is simply great with a cold Cristal beer or a fresh glass of white or rosé wine. It’s a nice change from rice and beans! The crust is very crisp and clean. Ingredients are fresh and most of the vegetables and herbs are grown in the restaurant’s garden. The stone tables and blue chairs give the mostly outdoor restaurant a nice Mediterranean feel (the owner is of Greek descent), but the mini-zoo with turtles and snakes is a little bit at odds with its ambience. Other than that, the pizzas here rule!
Address: Ave 5ta e/ 502 y 504 Guanabo, Habana del Este, La Habana
Tel: +53 7796 4300
Opening hours: Noon-midnight