By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon Cuba Journal Contributor It’s not every day that I have lunch in Havana. And it’s not every day that I have lunch in a repurposed peanut oil processing plant. But today I’m doing both. Hidden in plain sight on a non-descript street in the Cuban capital’s Vedado neighborhood, El Cocinero is the … Read more
Havana’s restaurant scene moves in three dimensions: style, size and quality – and all are constant in flux, cooking up exciting new alternatives, making Havana’s restaurants a reflection of the broader unleashing of Cuba’s once dormant commercial energies. In Cuba, private restaurants, called paladares (pl) or paladar, are where much of the innovation is happening. … Read more
Havana’s restaurant scene in 2016 is changing as rapidly as an action film. Is there any other choice but to explore? When food is prepared, it becomes culture. Visiting Havana’s private restaurants (or paladares) offers participation into Cuba’s mysterious unfolding as enterprising Cubans combine scarce financial resources, effort and imagination into occasions for pleasure (and … Read more
Cuba is the most fascinating place in the world right now. No destination offers are more remarkable combination of art, culture, history and sheer passion and forbidden excitement than Cuba — but while it has a number of enchanting qualities, it will be some time before Cuba will be mistaken for a foodie destination, for a … Read more
Taste is experienced on the tongue and in the mind – and what better way is there to summon your inner Cuban than to prepare a traditional Cuban feast. Cuban MoJo Roasted Pork (Lechon Asado) is the main guest or centerpiece at almost any Cuban celebration. A Cuban feast typically includes some form of beans … Read more
Earlier this week, about 100 California winemakers, producers and distributors participated in the first-ever California Wine Symposium in Havana in hopes of reviving the presence of California wines on Cuban dining tables. The two-day event that began on Feb. 1 was organized by the California Wine Institute, associations of Sonoma and Napa Valley wine producers … Read more
What’s the best rum in Cuba? It’s a question people often asks us, but it’s one that has many answers. Is it the best value, like Havana Club Anejo Especial? Or the most expensive, like Havana Club Maximo? Right now, it’s one: Santiago de Cuba 11 Años. And it isn’t just the favorite of bartenders … Read more
By the Cuba Journal staff The Memories Miramar Havana hotel has added a new specialty restaurant, parent company Sunwing Vacations announced. The NeXo restaurant features an “exciting fusion menu,” according to the company. More significantly, the restaurant is the brainchild of Michelin-star Chef Jesus del Cerro, one of the first of a number of culinary … Read more
By Alexander Britell Was that Manu Chao? It sure sounded like him, coming from the far back corner of the second floor of a tucked-away paladar in Havana called La Familia. La Familia wasn’t one of the more famous paladares, or private restaurants, in the capital; it was simple, hidden away upstairs off a side … Read more
By Alexander Britell HAVANA — The food scene in Havana has changed significantly in recent years. As in, now, there is a food scene. Or a nascent one, at least. With the birth of the paladar, or privately-owned restaurant, several years ago, there are more and more ways to find high-quality food in Cuba. And yes, that … Read more
