Updated July 2023.
Food means far more than just eating, especially when you are on vacation. It is also a way to learn about the place you are visiting, and a way to meet locals and see how they live and enjoy life.
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, and the capital city is Havana. Please read Travel Cuba. Havana Guide for First Time Visitors to get more of an insight.
The privately run restaurant scene in Havana is a vibrant one. Shelves in shops I came across in towns like Havana, Trinidad and Viñales are often bare of everyday products. Tropical fruit and vegetables, like aubergine, carrots, coconut, papaya, capsicum, watermelon, pumpkin, plantain, pineapple, sweet potatoes, avocado, mango, and manioc are readily available.
Good news for vegetarians. When at a restaurant in Cuba, I found that occasionally dishes offered on the menu weren’t available, this is due to a general shortage of food. You never know what will be offered, the Cubans just prepare whatever products they have on the day. Black beans and rice and fried plantains are seemingly everywhere, ask whoever visited Cuba, they tell you these are the main dishes in this country. Meals are flavoured with lime or lemon juice, cumin or garlic. Dessert options are fresh fruit, flan or ice cream. When at a restaurant in Cuba, order bottled water (one is advised to not drink tap water).
Before
I went to Cuba, everyone told me the food is so bad, and some even
recommended I should take muesli bars to get through the day and to best
also carry a bottle of tomato sauce to make dishes at restaurants
edible. I took the muesli bars and even a bottle of tomato sauce with me
and can happily report I didn’t need any of these. Things in Cuba's
restaurant scene obviously must have changed at a rapid speed over the
last few years. What you won’t find in Havana are cafés on every street
corner, as you would find them in many other places around the world.
There aren’t many opportunities for snacking during the day, as in, have
a sandwich here, go for coffee and cake there and buy a bite to eat at a
food truck in between. Follow me, I show where to eat vegetarian in
style in Havana.
Travel Cuba. Where to eat vegetarian in style in Havana
Casa Mia Paladar in Vedado
Modern restaurant in the Havana borough of Vedado, right by the ocean with a stellar view. You will be well looked after at this friendly and welcoming place. The waiters take all the time in the world to explain dishes, and to give you information about Cuban food. As a vegetarian, you can expect to get a plate of pasta with what is available on the day. You would need to book in advance, it is such a popular restaurant.
Information: Casa Mia Paladar, Calle 1ra, No.103, entre C and D, La Habana, Cuba. Phone: +53 7 8329735. Monday to Sunday 12pm to 11pm. Expect to pay CUC 35 to 45 per person for three courses, inclusive wine. This is a privately owned and owner-run restaurant. You reach the restaurant in only 11 minutes by taxi from the Capitol in the centre of Havana. Bring cash.
Opera in Vedado
The Italian chef makes his own pasta which gets served in a stately residential white villa. If you enter through the garden, and when you are welcomed by the Cuban owner, it feels as if you are visiting a friend’s home. There are plenty of vegetarian options to choose from, whereas ingredients are tomatoes, basil, eggplants, carrots, peppers, onions, mushrooms, Roquefort cheese, green beans, garlic, and pepperoncino. I highly recommend the ice cream as a dessert too. On one of my visits, I even ordered two portions of ice-cream for dessert.
Information: Opera, Calle 5ta N. 204 Entre E y F | One block from Presidente Hotel, +53 7 8312255, Hours: Wednesday 7pm to 10pm, and Thursday to Monday 12pm to 10pm. Expect to pay CUC 30 to 45 per person for three courses, inclusive wine. This is a privately owned and owner-run restaurant. You reach the restaurant in only 12 minutes by taxi from the Capitol in the centre of Havana. Bring cash.
They have me at popcorn, which is served while I read the menu. This is a stylish, welcoming, warm, and fun place. Try the mozzarella as a starter, which is made locally; who would have thought they produce mozzarella in Cuba? The owners are a Cuban and Spanish couple and together they created the most beautiful place, a mix of minimalist, arty and tropical. On both occasions I dine here there is no vegetarian dish on the menu. I ask for help, and the chef cooks what is available. For dessert try the rice pudding or the Tocinillo with coconut.
After dinner, stay for drinks at the bar. There even hangs a swing from a willow tree in the garden. Right, it is that perfect.
Calle. 35 | # 1810, Havanna 220150, Cuba, Phone +53 7 2038315. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 12.30pm to 11pm. Latin, Cuban food. Please book in advance. Expect to pay CUC 50 to 60 per person for three courses, inclusive wine. This is a privately owned and owner-run restaurant. You reach the restaurant in only 17 minutes by taxi from the Capitol in the centre of Havana. Bring cash.
Le Chansonnier in Vedado
A light-blue villa built in 1860, in the residential part of the Havana borough of Vedado. On my first visit, I have to ask locals, so I can find the entrance. It is an arty place, chandeliers, polished tiled floors, whitewashed walls, decorated with lots of paintings, and best of all is the funky mural which is made from sprayed metal and covers the wall all around the entrance to the bathroom. As the waitress tells me it is by local artist Damian Aquiles. Please read this story about his home: Pamela Ruiz and Damian Aquiles Havana House and visit his website. Try Eggplant Gratin, Terrine of Eggplant with Tomatoes and Basil, Asparagus Gratin, and for dessert Caramel Flan, or what is available on the day.
Information: Le Chansonnier, Calle J No. 257 e/15 and Linea, Vedado, Havana, Cuba, Phone +53 5 3063560. Please contact the restaurant for hours and book in advance. Expect to pay CUC 50 to 60 per person for three courses, inclusive wine. This is a privately owned and owner-run restaurant. You reach the restaurant in only 6 minutes by taxi from the Capitol in the centre of Havana. Bring cash.
La Guarida in the Havana borough of Centro
Admittedly this is probably one of these places that have already been hyped a little bit too much. I watched the film ‘Strawberry and Chocolate’ (Fresa y Chocolate),’ and I simply had to eat at La Guarida. Watch the Oscar-nominated film with Cuban actor Jorge Perrugoría as the main character Diego.
The restaurant is to be reached over a marble staircase all the way through a drop-dead gorgeous run down residential palacio which was built in 1913. It is decorated with photos everywhere, and sculptures, and memorabilia of all sorts. The floor is tiled, and the design certainly hasn’t been touched for decades. The bathroom is modernized and has got a large, slightly rose coloured, freestanding marble washing basin. If the owners care that much about their bathroom, that already is a good indicator for the quality of the food (it is true for most places I visit). When I enter, the atmosphere tells me that this restaurant is a passion project and labour of love.
There are several vegetarian options to choose from, as often in Cuba, some dishes won’t be available on the night (because of the food shortage in this country, it is not the fault of the restaurant). I recommend you mention you are vegetarian when booking and you will be well looked after. Is it touristy? Yes. Is it an experience and an incredibly beautiful restaurant? Yes and yes.
Information: La Guarida, 418 Concordia, La Habana, Cuba, Phone: +53 7 8669047. Hours: Monday to Sunday 12–4pm, 6–11:45pm. Expect to pay CUC 50 to 60 per person for three courses, inclusive wine. Please book in advance. This is a privately owned and owner-run restaurant. You reach the restaurant in only 6 minutes by taxi from the Capitol in the centre of Havana. Bring cash.
Café Bohemia
This is right in the centre on Plaza Vieja, and perfect for lunch, or coffee and cake or all of it together. This cafe and restaurant is named after the magazine Bohemia, a publication that has reported on events for a whole century. Relax in the white and blue courtyard and choose between roast vegetables, a vegan sandwich, freshly prepared juices or milkshakes, and salads. This is a popular and busy place, on my second visit the waiter already greeted me like a friend.
Information: Café Bohemia, San Ignacio, La Habana, Cuba. Phone: +53 7 8603722. Hours: Monday to Sunday 9.30am to 10pm. Expect to pay CUC 15 to 25 per person for lunch, inclusive water and espresso. This is a privately owned and owner-run restaurant. You reach the café/restaurant in only 15 minutes from the Capitol in the centre of Havana. Bring cash.
Hoy como Ayer Café Vintage in Vedado
As I was walking from the centre of Havana towards the Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón, the Colon Cemetery, I got hungry. Only a few minutes away from the cemetery, I found Hoy como Ayer Café Vintage, and to me it felt like I found an oasis in the desert. Espresso and sandwiches, what more would one need for lunch? Warm welcome plus a trendy interior make this place even better. From the outside one wouldn’t notice this is a café, so best to look closely, to not miss it.
Information: Hoy como Ayer Café Vintage, Calle 12, e/ 23 y Zapata, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba. Phone: +53 7 8303828. Hours: 11am to 1pm. Expect to pay CUC 10 to 15 per person for lunch, inclusive water and espresso. This is a privately owned and owner-run restaurant. You reach the café/restaurant in only 15 minutes by taxi from the Capitol in the centre of Havana. From the Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón it is a short five-minute walk. It is temporarily closed.
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