If you ever thought the Cuban diet consisted of variations of meat and fish with the accompaniment of rice and beans, well think again for Havana has been engulfed with a spate of Paladares.
These privately owned restaurants offer an exquisite array of cuisine in homely but atmospheric surrounds with excellent service and attention to detail.
The opening of the Paladares has been quoted as being one of the emblems of the economic reform programme that Raul Castro instigated in 2010. Paladares had been opened all over Cuba but nowhere else as swanky as you will find in the alluring 1950’s stylised capital, Havana.
Paladares can be quite homely family outlets where a room in a house has been turned into an eaterie or they can be more expansive and stylish being housed in one of the beautifully dilapidated mansions present in the city. Either way, the food scene in Havana is most definitely up and coming and a million miles away from its former past.
I therefore found it only appropriate that I should try a bunch of cherry-picked Paladares to sample the revolutionised food being served in glorious mansions with a romantic ambience that only candlelight can shape.
Dining at Private Paladeres in Havana
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1LA GUARIDA
This is hands down my absolute favourite restaurant and roof-top bar in Havana. La Guarida is the first paladar we dined in Havana and lets just say the bar had been set, set very high!!
The building itself blends in quite nicely with the surroundings however, once you are through the tall front doors, you will immediately learn the meaning of first impressions really do matter and this was most certainly the case for me as La Guarida made such an impression that I can still not stop raving about it. There is a huge painting of Fidel Castro on the ground and as you climb up the palatial staircase up to the second floor to the restaurant, you will see that La Guarida is a fine example of a Paladar as the building itself has other tenants residing in the rooms and flats below and to the side of the restaurant.
We were lucky enough to get a table on the balcony on a balmy evening and enjoyed the classic Mojitos along with our choice of food from the a la carte menu.
Our starters consisted of eggplant caviar on tomato coulis and tuna, sesame seeds, vinaigrette with a chilli salad.
Moving onto our mains, Grilled Mahi Mahi with sweet potato chips, spinach and vinaigrette and grilled tuna with a side of black beans.
Post dinner we headed up to the roof-top bar to enjoy the live music with decks being spun by a local DJ and the Mojitos kept on coming.
If you pay La Guarida a visit, ensure to visit the ladies/boys room as lets just say it’s as classy as the rest of the joint!
Just ensure you make reservations for an evening meal either via your hotel concierge or emailing in advance. You will be asked to confirm your reservation 24 hours before also.
Oh and before I forget, Madonna has spent an evening at La Guarida and Beyoncé even celebrated a birthday at this upmarket establishment. So with an A-list patronage, you never know who you may bump into!
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