Marina Hemingway – El Pabellón del Tesoro

CA4
Style of food: Chinese
Cost: Moderate
Type of place: State
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: Excellent Chinese food in a pleasant atmosphere.
Worst for: A little sedate and bland atmosphere.
Ave. 5ta esquina a 248, Jaimanitas
(+53)7204 - 1150
Open noon-midnight

  • 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 Havana Chinatown street, it is at the end of one of the jetties in the exclusive (if slightly run-down) Marina Hemingway. There are no houses here, no Cubans living here, simply foreigners renting villas or apartments.

    There is no outside space here; it is a two-story building with the restaurant on the top floor (there used to be a buffet on the first floor but that seems to have gone now). The restaurant is air-conditioned, airy, non-smoking and extremely pleasant, especially when escaping the sun on a hot summer day. The view on one side is out to see through the marina. It is soothing.

    The tables are for right people, great round creatures with revolving glass centres. And the food? Good, excellent, not fabulous and if you are a connoisseur you may find room to grumble but, especially if you know what to order (try the spicy soups, the beef and the chicken) you will go home happy and well fed.

    
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