20 Best Places to Eat in Cuba: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

Cuban cuisine (comida criolla) is a flavorful fusion of Spanish, African, and Caribbean culinary traditions. From private home-run restaurants (paladares) serving slow-cooked shredded beef and fresh Caribbean spiny lobster to street food stalls grilling pork sandwiches, dining in Cuba offers a rich taste of local heritage.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

When traveling across Cuba, make sure to sample these iconic traditional dishes:

Ropa Vieja: Cuba’s national dish of tender shredded beef slow-cooked in a savory tomato, bell pepper, onion, and wine sauce.
Moros y Cristianos: Traditional black beans and white rice cooked together with garlic, cumin, bay leaves, and olive oil.
Langosta a la Parilla: Fresh Caribbean spiny lobster tail grilled over open coals with garlic butter and lime juice.
Lechón Asado: Whole pig marinated in tangy sour orange mojo sauce and slow-roasted over charcoal until the skin is crispy.
Tostones: Crispy twice-fried green plantain slices served with garlic mojo sauce.

20 Best Places to Eat in Cuba

1. La Guarida

Cuisine: Modern Cuban Gastronomy & Paladar
Location: Centro Habana, Havana
Must-Try Dish: Ocean Fish Filet in coconut water and papaya sauce
About the Place: Cuba’s most famous paladar, set on the third floor of a magnificent crumbling 1900s mansion (featured in the Oscar-nominated film *Fresa y Chocolate*).
Explore More: Read our full guide to La Guarida

2. San Cristóbal Paladar

Cuisine: Classic Cuban Creole
Location: Centro Habana, Havana
Must-Try Dish: Ropa Vieja & Malanga Fritters
About the Place: A world-famous vintage paladar filled with antiques and clocks (dined at by President Barack Obama), serving traditional Creole classics.
Explore More: Read our full guide to San Cristóbal Paladar

3. El del Frente

Cuisine: Modern Cuban Tapas & Seafood
Location: Old Havana
Must-Try Dish: Lobster Tacos & Fresh Watermelon Mojitos
About the Place: A trendy rooftop bar and restaurant in Old Havana known for giant craft cocktails, fresh ceviche, and modern Cuban fusion tapas.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El del Frente

4. Restaurant San José

Cuisine: Traditional Cuban & Seafood
Location: Trinidad
Must-Try Dish: Grilled Lobster Tail with Garlic Mojo
About the Place: Trinidad’s most popular dining spot, offering generous portions of fresh seafood, slow-roasted pork, and wood-fired pizzas in a vibrant atmosphere.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant San José

5. Corte y Chorro (Doña Eutimia)

Cuisine: Traditional Home-style Creole
Location: Callejón del Chorro, Old Havana
Must-Try Dish: Lamb Picadillo & Mambí Fried Yucca
About the Place: Nestled at the end of an artisan alley off Plaza de la Catedral, famous for authentic Cuban home cooking, black beans, and frozen mojitos.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Doña Eutimia

6. Finca Agroecológica El Paraíso

Cuisine: Organic Farm-to-Table Cuban Feast
Location: Viñales Valley
Must-Try Dish: Family-Style Farm Feast with Anti-Stress Cocktail
About the Place: A scenic hillside eco-farm in Viñales serving an all-you-can-eat organic feast of roasted meats, taro soup, and farm-fresh vegetables.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Finca El Paraíso

7. El Cocinero

Cuisine: International & Cuban Fusion
Location: Vedado, Havana
Must-Try Dish: Seared Duck Breast & Grilled Prawn Skewers
About the Place: Housed inside a converted historic vegetable oil factory next to Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC), offering chic rooftop terrace dining under a brick smokestack.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El Cocinero

8. Paladar Los Mercaderes

Cuisine: Fine Cuban Creole & Seafood
Location: Old Havana
Must-Try Dish: Ropa Vieja on Tostones & Lobster Thermidor
About the Place: Set on the second floor of an 18th-century restored colonial house, featuring violin music, flower petals, and refined Cuban cuisine.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Paladar Los Mercaderes

9. Restaurant Acha

Cuisine: French Neoclassical & Cuban Seafood
Location: Cienfuegos
Must-Try Dish: Pan-seared Red Snapper with mango salsa
About the Place: Located along the Cienfuegos bayfront promenade, serving fresh seafood catches and Creole specialties inside a restored historic mansion.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Acha

10. Bodeguita del Medio

Cuisine: Historic Bohemian Bar & Creole Bites
Location: Old Havana
Must-Try Dish: Classic Cuban Mojito & Roast Pork with Moros
About the Place: The world-famous birth-place of the Mojito cocktail frequented by Ernest Hemingway and Salvador Allende, featuring walls covered in visitor signatures.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Bodeguita del Medio

11. Paladar El Batey

Cuisine: Traditional Afro-Cuban Creole
Location: Santiago de Cuba
Must-Try Dish: Santiago-Style Pork Ribs & Fried Plantains
About the Place: Santiago de Cuba’s top paladar for eastern Cuban regional cooking, featuring spicy braised meats, cold Bucanero beer, and live Son music.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Paladar El Batey

12. La Redacción

Cuisine: Fresh Farm-to-Table & Seafood
Location: Trinidad
Must-Try Dish: Fresh Catch Fish Filet with passion fruit butter
About the Place: Set inside a restored 1800s newspaper printing house in Trinidad, serving healthy international-Cuban dishes and fresh natural juices.
Explore More: Read our full guide to La Redacción

13. Restaurant El Floridita

Cuisine: Seafood & Historic Cocktail Cradle
Location: Central Havana
Must-Try Dish: Frozen Daiquiri & Seafood Platter
About the Place: Known as "The Cradle of the Daiquiri," this historic fish restaurant and bar was Hemingway's favorite haunt, complete with a life-size bronze statue of the author.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El Floridita

14. Paladar La Cuadrilla

Cuisine: Traditional Baracoan Cocoa Seafood
Location: Baracoa
Must-Try Dish: Fresh Fish in Coconut Milk Sauce (Pescado al Leche de Coco)
About the Place: Celebrates Baracoa's unique regional cuisine, using fresh coconut milk, cacao, ginger, and local river catches.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Paladar La Cuadrilla

15. El Olivo

Cuisine: Mediterranean & Cuban Farm Fusion
Location: Viñales
Must-Try Dish: Homemade Goat Cheese Lasagna & Pork Loin
About the Place: A popular Mediterranean-style bistro in Viñales using organic dairy and produce grown on local valley farms.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El Olivo

16. Otramanera

Cuisine: High-End Contemporary European-Cuban
Location: Miramar, Havana
Must-Try Dish: Slow-cooked Pork Belly with sweet potato puree
About the Place: Located in the diplomatic Miramar quarter, offering sleek minimalist decor, fine wines, and inventive modern cuisine.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Otramanera

17. Paladar 1800

Cuisine: Traditional Spanish-Cuban Grill
Location: Plaza Mayor, Trinidad
Must-Try Dish: Grilled Seafood Skewers with garlic mojo
About the Place: Overlooking Trinidad’s historic main square, featuring outdoor terrace dining, live acoustic salsa bands, and grilled seafood.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Paladar 1800

18. La Terrazza de Cojímar

Cuisine: Coastal Seafood & Historic Bar
Location: Cojímar, Eastern Havana
Must-Try Dish: Whole Fried Snapper with mariquitas (plantain chips)
About the Place: The historic seaside restaurant where Ernest Hemingway ate with his boat captain Gregorio Fuentes overlooking the fishing harbor.
Explore More: Read our full guide to La Terrazza de Cojímar

19. Cafe El Escorial

Cuisine: Artisanal Cuban Coffee & Pastries
Location: Plaza Vieja, Old Havana
Must-Try Dish: Fresh Roasted Cuban Espresso & Milkshakes
About the Place: An iconic coffee house located on Plaza Vieja, roasting single-origin Cuban coffee beans on-site and serving iced coffees.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Cafe El Escorial

20. Paladar El Jardin de los Milagros

Cuisine: Garden Fusion & Modern Cuban
Location: Vedado, Havana
Must-Try Dish: Octopus Carpaccio & Braised Lamb Shank
About the Place: Set inside a lush tropical residential garden in Vedado, offering romantic outdoor dining, craft cocktails, and creative international-Cuban dishes.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El Jardin de los Milagros

Featured Image

Traditional Cuban Seafood and Ropa Vieja Feast