Friends of mine, Cuban friends of mine, have been raving about this restaurant for some time and it was about time that I paid it a visit. I was told it wasn't a cheap place but with the location being across the street from the Malecon, the view at least would be worth it. Getting a reservation for the time we wanted, calling on the same night, was difficult. I would strongly recommend making a reservation days in advance, especially if you're a larger group. The place is busy and it wasn't lie as we waited for a busload of people (literally, the bus was waiting for them as they left the restaurant) to depart before we could be accommodated in the smoking section, which by the way is allocated in a separate room with the best exhaust that we've every encountered in a restaurant. The wait before getting to the table was on the patio overlooking the Malecon and Havana Bay beyond, we were told we could eat there as well. Since the tables and chairs were more loungy we prefered to wait for the table indoors, it gave us an opportunity to check out the menu while sipping on a cocktail. The menu was very extensive and it proved to be a difficult task deciding what to order...we'll have to come back to try some of the other menu items.
The Restaurant, a Paladar actually, is located in what used to be a residence. The smoking section, I was told, used to be the garage....a little expanded mind you. The service was quite pleasant and very professional. It appeared to be a self-contained space with it's own bar but upon some exploration there was another side to this place with a whole lot of activity going on. The side I'm referring to would be the main building, the house. Here in the nonsmoking section you'll find a more active bar, an indoor lounge and the self serve buffet (one of the menu items)....oh and the bathroom is on this side. The walls on either side are adorned with a nautical theme and the decor is very simple but tastefully done. The dishes are imaginative but a little pricey for the average Cuban, a bargain for us foreigners but a little more expensive than what I'm used to paying here.....however, with several drinks, dessert and a bottle of wine, dinner for two with apps and main course came out to 86cuc before gratuity, that's not too bad.
Definitely worth a visit and I'm going to return to try some of things I didn't get a chance to try on this meal. We ate very simple with the self serve buffet and fritura de malanga to start and 2 fish filets done differently to finish but we enjoyed everything enough for the place to merit a return visit.
www.ellitoralhabana.com
El Litoral
Malecon 161 e/ K y L.
La Habana, Cuba.
Tel:+53 7 8302201
The Restaurant, a Paladar actually, is located in what used to be a residence. The smoking section, I was told, used to be the garage....a little expanded mind you. The service was quite pleasant and very professional. It appeared to be a self-contained space with it's own bar but upon some exploration there was another side to this place with a whole lot of activity going on. The side I'm referring to would be the main building, the house. Here in the nonsmoking section you'll find a more active bar, an indoor lounge and the self serve buffet (one of the menu items)....oh and the bathroom is on this side. The walls on either side are adorned with a nautical theme and the decor is very simple but tastefully done. The dishes are imaginative but a little pricey for the average Cuban, a bargain for us foreigners but a little more expensive than what I'm used to paying here.....however, with several drinks, dessert and a bottle of wine, dinner for two with apps and main course came out to 86cuc before gratuity, that's not too bad.
Definitely worth a visit and I'm going to return to try some of things I didn't get a chance to try on this meal. We ate very simple with the self serve buffet and fritura de malanga to start and 2 fish filets done differently to finish but we enjoyed everything enough for the place to merit a return visit.
www.ellitoralhabana.com
El Litoral
Malecon 161 e/ K y L.
La Habana, Cuba.
Tel:+53 7 8302201
smoking section
self-serve buffet appetizer 7.50
fritura de malanga 6
mingnon de pescado 14
filete en costra de almendra 14
tarta biscuit helada 5
non-smoking section
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