La Casa de la Parra Hanoi

CA3
Style of food: Cuban/Creole
Cost: Cheap
Type of place: State
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: Dreaming of Vietnam. Looking for backpacker friends
Worst for: Limited food, not as cheap as it might be
Bernaza esquina a Tte. Rey
(+53)7867 - 1029
Open noon-midnight

  • For anyone who has visited Vietnam and tasted even the street food in Saigon, the opportunity to go Vietnamese in Havana would be a treat to be savoured. Unfortunately, Hanoi Havana is just a name and the food is standard Creole fare.
    The Hanoi is one of the only fully restored buildings in the untouristy Plaza del Cristo del Buen Viaje, which dates back to 1640 adjacent to the church of the same name, also called “Calvary Chapel” because it used to be the final station for the Via Crucis procession along Amargura Street. I like the church here and there is always a good local atmosphere with local kids playing basketball/volleyball and all of the real noise of a Cuban neighbourhood as opposed to the somewhat forced beautification, which exists in the more touristy areas of Old Havana.

    This is a cheap and cheerful place (although possibly not as cheap as it could be); there is a down-at-heel scruffy feel to the place without actually being down at heel. This is the sort of place you will find backpackers looking to discover the real Cuba, of simply have a decent meal on the cheap.

    
  • Marina Hemingway – El Pabellón del Tesoro

    Marina Hemingway – El Pabellón del Tesoro  LH 4

    There are only two good Chinese restaurants in Havana and this is definitely one of them. In many ways, it is the Yin to Tien Tang’s Yang. Instead of being located at the end of a busy scruffy Central …

    El Buganvil

    El Buganvil  LH 4

    El Buganvil is a solid, reliable place owned by the indomitable Margarita with the help from her family. This has been open since 1996 (apart from a brief two-year period from 2008-2010). What are val …

    El Diluvio

    El Diluvio  LH 4

    Cuba Absolutely Review: February 2013 El Deluvio was an institution in the Havana paladar scene for many years as the authentic Italian place with great quality pizzas and pastas courtesy of their Ita …

    Calle 10

    Calle 10  LH 5

    Calle 10 has had a makeover. Back in the day this was somewhere you would come to for a huge portion of pork ribs cooked barbecue-style in the owner’s back garden under a thatched roof (ranchon).  Now …

    La Imprenta

    La Imprenta  LH 4

    La Imprenta is a beautiful place restored on top of the ruins of what used to be La Habanera printing house back in the 19th century. This is a place of homage to Gutenberg’s printing. More to the poi …

    Iberostar Parque Central – Rooftop Patio

    Iberostar Parque Central – Rooftop Patio  LH 4

    Parque Central Rooftop Patio (hamburger review) Havana A fellow traveler recommended the Hamburger at the Rooftop Patio at the Parque Central Hotel in Old Havana to me. I had been meaning to check the …

    Doctor Café

    Doctor Café  LH 4

    Cuba Absolutely Review: December 2012 Doctor Café has been an expatriate favourite for some years. The formula is pretty straightforward but it seems to work. Décor wise the main space is outside on a …

    Meliá Habana Hotel -La Scala

    Meliá Habana Hotel -La Scala  LH 4

    I never knew the name of La Scala before I had to write about it. Thus is the fate of hotel restaurants. Even the best ones like La Scala become anonymous, generic, the pizza place at the Meliá Habana …

    La Campana

    La Campana  LH 4

    Chill out bar and grill, La Campana seems at first glance more an upmarket homestead finca (farm) than anything else. This is an upmarket ranchón beside a nice pool. The tables are comfortable and wel …

    La Terraza Romana

    La Terraza Romana  LH 4

    Having waited years for a good private Italian restaurant in Havana, it is with sheer joy for us pizza lovers that there is another great addition to the scene. La Terraza Romana is an Italian’s Itali …

    « 3 of 14 pages »