La Giraldilla

CA2
Style of food: International
Cost: Moderate
Type of place: State
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: Dining in a posh atmosphere before dancing at Macumba.
Worst for: Somewhat sterile atmosphere and food not good enough for the price
Calle 222, esquina a 37, La Coronela, La Lisa
(+53)7273 - 0568
Open noon-midnight
  • Opinions vary at La Giraldilla. It is next to the Macumba nightclub, which is extremely popular on nights when good groups are playing. The entire complex is very upmarket featuring acres of white marble.

    The restaurant itself is another Cuban state high-end place, which we tend to feel ends up being somewhat sterile and bland with average food priced towards the high end. On the other hand, this is a seriously upmarket place, which has a lovely garden terrace. Bottom line is that if you get an invite to a party or a function, then all to the good but not really a destination place for dinner for a small group.

    
  • Raquel Hotel – Jardín del Edén

    Raquel Hotel – Jardín del Edén  LH 3

    The beautifully restored Hotel Raquel is another testament to the wonders being performed by Habaguanex, the Historian’s Office commercial wing. Opened in 2009, the stained glass ceiling simply takes …

    Castas y Tal

    Castas y Tal  LH 3

    Castas y Tal is located on the 11th floor of a large apartment building in Vedado, just around the corner from Hotel Presidente. The restaurant really has three discreet areas, a main dining room that …

    Al Medina

    Al Medina  LH 3

    Al Medina (The City) opened in 1983 as a Middle Eastern restaurant housed inside a lovely 17th-century building, which was formerly a boys’ school. The menu features a large collection of dishes, gril …

    Doña Blanquita

    Doña Blanquita  LH 3

    Overlooking the Prado boulevard, this has a great location and a pleasant relaxed ambience. Although it could probably do with something of an upgrade, it has been in business for many years and has a …

    Razones

    Razones  LH 3

    Razones is a mid-tier place, which attracts a middle class Cuban crowd, and tourists staying nearby in this residential neighbourhood. Even mid week there is a busy feel to the place, which is explain …

    Café Taberna

    Café Taberna  LH 3

    This is a very lively restaurant on the corner of Plaza Vieja, which is dedicated to Benny More and the home to good son bands, notably Son del Trópico, Sonido Son and the Septeto Matamoros who perfor …

    Las Ruinas

    Las Ruinas  LH 3

    Las Ruinas melds offbeat modern architecture–including some eye-catching stained glass by Cuban artist René Portocarrero and immaculately decayed stonewalls–onto the ruins of an old sugar mill, givi …

    El Tocororo

    El Tocororo  LH 3

    When it was opened, the Tocororo was one of the first upmarket restaurants in Havana. This is an old style Havana state-owned restaurant. Lots of greenery and a piano player do at least give some atmo …

    Meliá Cohíba Hotel – Habana Café

    Meliá Cohíba Hotel – Habana Café  LH 4-

    This is where Vincent Vega would get his ten-dollar shake in Havana and although you cannot actually sit inside the Chevy, Pontiac and Buick, which grace the interior; they do add 1950’s chic to the p …

    La Chuchería

    La Chuchería  LH 3

    Tourists often seem somewhat conflicted between finding a place that authentic real Cubans go to and somewhere where there is toiler paper in the bathrooms and the food is reliable. La Chuchería tick …

    « 9 of 14 pages »