Italian/Caribbean
Moderate
Paladar

A stone's throw from Hotel Meliá Cohíba, do not be put of by the ugly exterior, inside lurks a cosy paladar with soft lighting and a collection of grandfather clocks. The family can seem a little weird and wonderful at times but manage to produce excellent food in a nice atmosphere. One of the best steaks in Havana.

Habana Café: American snacks
La Piazza: Italian
Expensive
State restaurant

While this impressive hotel is not to everyone's taste if you want reliably consistent quality food with attentive service than you would do well to check out one of the hotel's 5 restaurants. The two places which we really like are La Piazza (1st floor) which has a standard Italian menu (great pizza) with lots of sports memorabilia on the walls and Habana Café (located next door), a wannabe hard rock-style which serves Havana’s best hamburgers and is a great place to get a bite pre cabaret.

Caribbean
Moderate
Paladar

La Casa is a premium paladar worth the track out to Nuevo Vedado. Faux waterfalls provide a pleasant background and the well oiled kitchen produces excellent grub. A dinner generally does not come out too cheap but the experience is generally worth it. It is hard not to spot the esteemed owner enthroned in his ever present seat keeping an eye on all that goes on.

International
Expensive
State restaurant

This restaurant offers unmatched views and is worth a visit in itself just to take in the bird's eye view of Havana. This is an elaborate fine dining experience with attentive service and good quality international food. Sometimes this does seem like too much of a well-kept secret and you should try to arrive neither too early nor too late to ensure that you have company in a large dining room.

La Barraca: Cuban/BBQ
Comedor de Aguiar: International
Expensive
State restaurant

The Hotel Nacional is a must see fabulous place. In the heart of the city overlooking the Malecón you will drive past it repeatedly. There are a number of restuarants within the grounds of which La Barraca is probably the best. Set in the lovely gardens this is a traditional ranchón (ranch) and serves drinks in ceramic mugs and a succulent all-you-can-eat chicken menu. The other feauture restaurant is the Comedor de Aguiar which is very grand, a little intimidating, expensive with beautiful chandeliers and immaculate waiters.

Cuban
Cheap-moderate
Paladar

If you want an opportunity to chat with an interesting paladar owner then look no further than this friendly and welcoming paladar overlooking leafy Calle 25, near the university. The décor is provided by an impressive weapons collection which is the key to a long and interesting family history. Traditional Cuban fare is the order of the day-frijoles, tostones and big pork chops.

This painted, peach-coloured 1920s mansion has two indoor colonial-style dining rooms and an outdoor grill restaurant. , Both offer healthy-sized traditional Creole dishes which are reasonable value without being of exceptional quality. The inside dining room may leave you somewhat cold, it misses that x factor which is a shame since the décor including stained-glass ceiling lamps and contemporary paintings is impressive.

Creole
Moderate
Paladar

This friendly paladar hides out in a newly painted but crumbling Vedado building. Make your way up to the first floor, traipse across the living room, down a long gloomy corridor to the kitchen and up to the roof terrace on a pretty steep spiral staircase. When you eventually get there, it's all worth it for the kitschly lit, quirkily decorated rooftop dining area. Try the huge breaded pork schnitzel ($5). Traditional Creole dishes abound in hearty, tasty portions.

Creole
Moderate
State restaurant

If you want to eat rabbit this is the place to go. A good quality state run restaurant set in a 1960s redbrick exterior which belies a 17th-century Tudor mansion replica. The restaurant opened in 1966 and its style was an idea of Fidel‘s powerful personal secretary Celia Sánchez. The mushroomy Conejo Financiera ($8) is recommended.

Creole
Moderate
Paladar

This is a good paladar near the Hotel Habana Libre with a loyal clientele. Recently refurbished it still is a little claustrophobic but with attentive staff and good food. Speciality of the house: grilled pork. Tasty deserts: chocolate mousse and fresh fruit ice creams and sorbets.

Cuban
Cheap-moderate
State restaurant

An extremely popular place with Cubans and foreigners La Roca offers ok food for very good prices in an art décor style setting with multi-coloured glass windows. At 11pm a Cuban comedy set starts up for which there is often a long line of Habaneros keen to see the latest in Cuban humour. You are welcome to stay and enjoy the show although this will require a superb level of Spanish to make sense of it. Dress for the cold, air conditioning is intense.

International
Expensive
State restaurant

Now fully renovated both the bar and restaurant offer un-matched views across Havana. The food is not bad either, at CUC 15 for a tasty steak this is a good venue if you want to eat in style.

Creole
Moderate
State restaurant

This small cosy paladar a local feel and is cute but horrendously overpriced.

Monseigneur is an ice-cold, dimly lit world of fake marble, artificial flowers, kitsch statues, and grand piano. It falls into the typical Cuban state restaurant category with average food at reasonable prices and uninspiring service.

Creole
Moderate
Paladar

This beautiful run-down corner house with the large porch filled with run-down furniture is a 'this could be such a nice place' paladar. It s suffers from a lack of atmosphere or buzz and subsequently paying 12 dollars for roasted pork going to leave you feeling underwhelmed.

If you like interior design then a table for dinner at this exquisite mansion built in the 1920’s by the wealthy Catalina Lasa is a must. The food is pretty standard fare but the house is to die for. You may eat at the marble table literally built into the room, admire the marble floor, central fountain, mirror wall and intricately designed iron-grill windows.

Old-world opulence meets Hollywood glamour in this eclectic-style house. Guests are led down the red carpet to the two ornate dining rooms, one of which opens on to the sea. The ambience is stiff and formal with waiting staff to match; make sure you do not dine alone. Food is good but not as good as it should be.

Cuban
Expensive
State restaurant

Situated in a lovely corner mansion by the John Lennon park, one of Vedado’s quieter area. Quite popular. You definitely want to go up to the top floor spacious roof terrace surrounded by plants with the beautiful view of the greeny calm Vedado. Waiters are eager to please and the smoked chicken served with lemon sauce speciality is worth trying.