El Gringo Viejo

CA3
Style of food: Cuban/Creole
Cost: Moderate
Type of place: Paladar (private)
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: Discovering the underground treasure trove. Nice décor, friendly service.
Worst for: Old school place which seems a little dated today compared to newer places
Calle 21 No. 454 entre E y F, Vedado
(+53)7831 - 1946
Open noon-11pm
  • El Gringo Viejo (The Old Gringo) is at its name suggests something of an old-timer being a mainstay of Vedado paladares for many years. This is one of those places that inspire loyalty from its clientele (mostly tourists), who will regularly head over to have a bite in this comfortable place.

    It is located in the basement of a typical Havana mansion, although don’t be put off since this is not a dingy basement but more of an underground treasure trove. This is one of the few Havana eateries to have a proper booth, which is much the best table in the place. Bear in mind that this used to be often full so try and make a reservation ahead of time. We have not been for a while so we have no idea how the opening of so many new places has impacted business, we could guess negatively but difficult to tell.

    Food wise, this is a classic Creole place that does a mean ropa vieja (shredded beef), as well as a variety of other dishes including smoked salmon with olives and Gouda or crabmeat in red sauce (CUC 10 to CUC 12). Quality wise, this is reasonable; it never was my favourite but is decent if not spectacular.

    
  • La Fontana

    La Fontana  LH 5

    La Fontana is quite simply one of the very best places to eat in Havana. Great food, a good atmosphere, efficient and unobtrusive service for a reasonable price make this a real Havana institution, th …

    Habana Mia 7

    Habana Mia 7  LH 5

    HM7 is not the nickname of a famous athlete or some secret code name. It is, though, a symbol of tranquility and relaxation—a newly discovered, little known formula for a perfect evening. HM7 is one o …

    Ivan Chef Justo

    Ivan Chef Justo  LH 5

    There is only one problem with Ivan Chef Justo and that is describing to people how to get there. Actually it is not that complicated, opposite the Museum of the Revolution on the Old Havana side. Con …

    La Guarida

    La Guarida  LH 5+

    Enrique and Odeisys Nuñez first opened what has become Cuba’s most celebrated paladar on July 14, 1996. During 2009, it closed its doors out of what may be determined as an abundance of caution before …

    El Atelier

    El Atelier  LH 5

    Atelier keeps getting better, recent renovations have improved the place while the food remains excellent. Atelier is run by Niuris Higueras who has a passion for creating food. She is the driving for …

    Otra Manera

    Otra Manera  LH 5

    Best for Beautiful modern décor and good food. Don’t miss Pork rack of ribs in honey. Sweet & sour sauce and grilled pineapple

    Rio Mar

    Rio Mar  LH 5

    Amazingly for a city by the sea Havana has precious few places to eat with a view to the deep blue ocean. Rio Mar has a whole terrace overlooking the where the Rio Almendares flows into the sea, oppos …

    Corte del Principe (Sergio’s)

    Corte del Principe (Sergio’s)  LH 5+

    La Corte del Principe has rocked up the pop charts in Havana on the back of quality authentic Italian fare. Located on a quiet street behind the lovely park (which runs from Calle 60 to 82 behind the …

    El Chanchullero

    El Chanchullero  LH 5+

    El Chanchullero has got to win the most surprisingly good place in Havana award. This looks like a hole in the wall place in a downright run down looking part of Old Havana. It is a hassle to get to b …

    Casa Miglis

    Casa Miglis  LH 5

    Little is given away by the regular entrance, but as soon as you walk into the restaurant you get an idea why this took Mr Miglis over a year to renovate this building to fit his dream of opening Cuba …

    « 2 of 14 pages »