What to eat Cuba? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Cuban restaurants are generally open non-stop, with the exception of a few fancier eateries in the capital. Some are cafés serving food from dawn onwards, while others are more conventional restaurants, usually open from noon to 10pm, 11pm, midnight, or even later on weekends in major cities and seaside resorts.

Like its people, Cuban cuisine is mixed and spicy, without being overly spicy. However, the embargo continues to weigh heavily on the country, and the scarcity of imported products combined with underdeveloped local agriculture is not really conducive to the blossoming of contemporary Cuban gastronomy. To save money, we strongly recommend eating in the casas where you are staying (portions are usually generous) and, when you go out, eating typical dishes, with chicken-rice-beans and ropa vieja at the top of the list. By the sea, combined fish (or lobster) dishes are also good options.

Another factor to consider when dining out is the currency accepted. Since the recent disappearance of the CUC (convertible peso, indexed to the US dollar), most restaurants accept the CUP (Cuban peso), but some will ask you for euros only (or dollars, or pounds... in short, what we in Cuba call MLC for Monnaie Librement Convertible)! If the rate in euros offered by the latter seems right to you, then no problem. However, if you pay by credit card in euros, make sure that the rate displayed on the payment terminal is in euros and not in CUP, because if you pay by credit card a certain amount displayed in CUP, be aware that the rate applied will be the official rate, i.e. 1/125 (compared with 1/300, in the summer of 2024, on the street). In the restaurants of major hotels (especially in the capital), the price can be multiplied by 2.5 or even 3 (compared to the actual exchange rate on the street)! In fact, some hotels only accept credit cards and use the official exchange rate. As a result, a pizza advertised at 300 CUP, paid for with a credit card, costs just under 3 € (compared with 1 € if paid for in the national currency)!

Exchange tips. On the other hand, if you have cash - and we recommend that you arrive with enough for your entire trip - it may be a good idea to pay for your drinks in euros and get your change in Cuban pesos. Of course, make sure that the exchange rate charged by the restaurant, bar or store in question is attractive, i.e. sufficiently close to the daily exchange rate on the street (the eltoque.com website displays the daily exchange rate charged by Cubans - in the summer of 2024, €1 was exchanged for 300 CUP). For example, if your bill is €25, you can pay with a €100 bill and get back €75 in Cuban pesos, i.e. 75 x 300 (if that's the exchange rate where you are AND at the time) = 22,500 CUP. As cash is scarce, we advise you to use this technique as often as possible, provided, once again, that the rate is acceptable to you.

Restaurants specifically dedicated to tourists tend to accept only MLC (euros, dollars, pounds) and display prices directly in these currencies. You can pay either by card or in cash, but in the latter case, if the restaurant owner has to give you change in CUP (Cuban pesos), ask for the exchange rate on the street that day. Otherwise, if the restaurant owner gives you change in CUP at the official rate, you'll lose out. If you go to a restaurant and the prices are displayed in CUP and you're not allowed to pay in euros, always pay in cash! Otherwise, your meal will cost you 2 to 3 times more than its real value.

If you're not the tipping type, you're in for a treat in Cuba. Parking attendants, ladies (or gentlemen) at toilet entrances, waiters, cabs and tour guides all expect a little something, especially from tourists. The same goes for the musicians who liven up the restaurant terraces! Generally speaking, if you're happy with the service, a little extra 10% of the bill is in order. As for street musicians and parking attendants, €1 or €2 will be welcome. Cubans pay a few pesos commission for the ladies and gents at the beehive (carry some change with you!). Finally, in a state-run restaurant, there are two possible options: either you tip the waiter or waitress directly, or you leave it on the table, in which case the employee will be obliged to return it to the employer (the state), who will divide it between everyone at the end of the day. The choice is yours.

In addition to the typical ropa vieja (shredded beef cooked over a low heat with vegetables) and platos combinados (combined dishes such as "chicken-rice-bean" or "fish-rice-vegetable") already mentioned, Cubans are also fond of bocadillos (sandwiches), pizzas and pasta dishes. But don't get your hopes up: Cuban-style pasta and pizza are a long way from their Italian counterparts (although some restaurants are doing quite well).

And while Cuba still lacks quality products (mainly due to the impossibility of importing), the 2011 reforms encouraging self-employment have had a positive impact on the general level of gastronomy. Indeed, the number of paladares (private, non-state-run restaurants) has quite simply exploded, particularly in the capital, which is not to the displeasure of gourmets. However, we can't speak of Havana as a gastronomic destination, although some initiatives bode well for the future of our palates!

Never eat fruit or vegetables that have not been washed beforehand, to avoid gastro-enteritis or turista. You should also be aware that tap water is not fit to drink. Also, beware when buying bottled water, as it may not be spring water but simply filtered water. Normally, this poses no problem, but beware of sensitive stomachs and its unpleasant earthy taste... To make sure your water bottle contains mineral water, check that it's properly sealed. And be careful not to drink just any refresco. Parasites can get into your stomach and bother you during your trip or when you get home.

Children are welcome in most restaurants in Cuba. However, if the establishment you have chosen is more of a drinking establishment than a restaurant, you may not be accepted if you are accompanied by minors.

Smoking is generally prohibited in enclosed, air-conditioned restaurants. However, the vast majority of Cuban tables are outdoors or on terraces open to the four winds. If no one around you is smoking, the best thing to do is ask the wait staff.

As in any tourist area of the world, in Old Havana or Trinidad you'll find touts who'll try to get you seated in the restaurant they work for, thereby securing themselves a commission. This doesn't mean that the restaurant is bad. The better question would be: does a good restaurant need a tout?

Also, remember to ask for the menu when you arrive at a restaurant. If there's no menu, or no prices on the menu, ask how much the dish you want costs. This will avoid any inconvenience when it's time to pay, as some restaurants tend to adapt the price to the customer's head.

Bakeries, cafeterias and ice-cream parlors are generally open all day, until 7, 8, 9 or even later. However, there are no hard and fast rules here, so it's best to make a quick phone call to avoid wasting time. As for bars, they generally open during the day, but tend to fill up when the sun goes down, i.e. around 6-7pm, and close around 1 or 2am, sometimes even later.

In the capital's cafeterias, the price of a coffee ranges from €1 to €2, while a cocktail generally costs €1.50 to €3, provided you go to bars where you pay in CUP (Cuban peso)! On the other hand, if you go to the rooftop bars of the capital's major hotels in particular, the price can be multiplied by 2.5 or even 3! In fact, some hotels only accept credit cards and use the official exchange rate, i.e. around 1/125, so that a cocktail priced at 1,000 CUP and paid for by credit card costs €8 (compared with just over €3 in cash)!

Minors, i.e. people under the age of 18, are officially prohibited from consuming alcohol in Cuba.

Coffee por favor! Cuban coffee, little known worldwide because it is produced in quantities too small to be exported, is particularly good! Mainly Arabica, it is grown in the semi-mountainous areas of the country and is renowned for its low acidity, full body, medium intensity and citrus flavours. Espresso (strong) or americano (long), café con leche (coffee with milk) or cortado (short coffee with a dash of milk), the choice is yours. Note that café con miel (honey coffee) is a specialty of southern Cuba. Locally-produced chocolate is also consumed in Cuba, more specifically in the extreme Oriente region around Baracoa.

A little elegance. When you go out in Cuba, whether to a restaurant, for a drink or, even more so, to dance, it's customary to dress appropriately, not to say elegantly! So if you're invited by Cubans to go out, put your casual attire to one side and dress to the nines!

Rum. Ron superior, double-distilled rum, conveys the warm image of Cuban culture through its light, shimmering cocktails. Havana Club owes its ron superior appellation to the quality of the sugar cane grown on Cuba's best land, in the province of Oriente, and to the expertise of its master distillers. But Havana Club isn't the only brand of Cuban rum! In Cuba, you can also taste other excellent rum brands such as Arecha, Santiago de Cuba, Edmundo Dantes, Varadero and Santero y Caney. Mulata rum, on the other hand, is of inferior quality and is often served in the bars of all-inclusive hotels.

Here are some of Cuba's most popularrum-based cocktails:

Cuba libre. In a tall glass, pour 1 measure of rum, 5 measures of coca, the juice of half a lime and 2 ice cubes.
Daïquiri. Juice of half a lime, half a spoonful of sugar, 1 measure of rum, a few ice cubes, shaken in a shaker. Serve over ice in a cocktail glass. Some even make it with strawberry juice!

Greta Garbo. In a shaker, pour half a spoonful of sugar, a teaspoonful of maraschino, the juice of a lime, one and a half measures of rum, 5 drops of Pernod and ice. Whisk and serve immediately.

Havana especial. In a shaker with a few ice cubes, 1 part rum, 1 part pineapple juice. Shake and serve strained.

Hemingway especial. In a blender with crushed ice, 2 measures rum (hence its other name: Papa Doble), 1 measure grapefruit juice and 1 half-squeezed lime. Beat well and serve chilled.
Mojito. Cubans' national drink, a legacy of buccaneering king Francis Drake, it's Creole as hell. Pour into a glass: half a spoonful of sugar, the juice of half a lime, 1 measure of rum, 2 or 3 ice cubes, crush a few fresh mint leaves with the sugar and lemon juice, top up with sparkling water and, before serving, dip in a sprig of mint.
Ron Collins. Pour into a tall glass 1 measure of rum, 1 half-spoonful of sugar, 1 half-squeezed lemon, 2 or 3 ice cubes, top up with sparkling water, add a slice of lemon and, if desired, a cherry.

Children are generally welcome just about everywhere in Cuba, except perhaps in certain adult-only clubs in seaside areas.

In cafés and bars, as in restaurants, smoking is generally prohibited if the premises are enclosed and air-conditioned. In all other cases, please ask the staff.

The most fashionable tourist trick on our visit was what you might call the "salsa festival" trick. In short, a random man accosts you, assuring you that it's your lucky day, that today is the last day of the salsa festival and that he has a ticket for you. The gullible tourist, amazed at his good fortune, will follow the man to a bar or other venue - where salsa is usually played - and pocket his commission for bringing in one more customer. Salsa, yes, but not THE salsa festival!