Style of food: Spanish/Mediterranean

Cost: Expensive

Type of place: Hotel

Food
Ambience
Service
Value

Best for: Lovely décor, good food, definitely looks the part

Worst for: Expensive and always seems a little empty

Paseo e/ 1ra y 3ra, Vedado

(+53)7833 - 3636

Open 1pm-midnight daily

Cuba Absolutely Review: December 2012

The Med is another attempt of one of Havana’s glitziest hotels to develop quality a la carte restaurants in situ. The publicity states that:

“Exclusive newly refurbished restaurant premiers its new image with a mouth-watering menu that combines its regular Mediterranean-style cuisine with seasonal specialties and delicious tapas. The restaurant serves a variety of meats, fish and seafood which may be accompanied with exquisite wines.”

The reality is that this restaurant certainly looks the part, the decoration has been well done and the menu, chalked up on the wall Mediterranean style, looks great. We have not eaten here but good friends who have said it was decent–decent but not outstanding and packing a reasonably hefty price tag.

My problem with this place is simply that it seems a bit sterile. It always looks quiet when we go to the next-door pizza place (which is great), and it never really inspires me to go in. Maybe it is that a true Mediterranean restaurant needs to have people passing by to be in the little port town on the Algarve not locked up inside a five-star hotel.

For a business crowd or simply for visitors who want some peace and quiet and a quality dinner, you could do a lot worse than come here since it does appear well managed and there is none of the hustle and bustle of Havana, but then again that seems to be what it is most missing.