Food and Wiine Besst Pa alada as in n Ha avan na By: THE E GLOBAL GOURMET: G L Lydia Bell, Fom: F The Au ustalian, Febuay F 25, 2012 Dona Eu utimia is loca ated in a cob bbled steet off of Plaza Cath hedal. Pictu ue: Lydia Bell NOT long l ago o, a popula effain in Cuba C wa as: "Wha at ae th he thee failues s of the evoluti ion?" The answe: a "Beakffast, lun nch and dinne." Basic fo ood shota ages, a desp peate lack k of ingediients and a punitive ttax system aimed at a pivate estauant s (o palad daes) consspied to make m the fo ood scene in n the cap pital of Havvana sometthing of a unning joke. But eccent movess by the govenment to ba alance huge public-seecto job cu uts and a lo oosening o of smallbusinesss egulatio ons meanss times ae changing. Moe pala adaes havve opened in the passt six montths than in the pevio ous six yeas, and cetain state estauants ae evo olving into sophistica ated dining g spots. But, as always in Havana, you y need to o be in the know, k with h the new w wave of g estauan nt opening gs often con ncealed in quiet esid dential steeets. exciting
Best newcome Le Chansonnie: This once-faded, Fench-themed palada has einvented itself in a new location as the best estauant in Havana. Eveything about the place, fom its inventive inteios (bespoke shelves, spacious yet homely kitchen, walls of polished concete and eclaimed aluminium) to its geat little ba with esident mixologist and moody, ambient music, eveals a efined, moden sensibility moe akin with Pais. But this is Havana, and the achitects pobably taipsed though ubbish dumps to find the aluminium, and hand-painted the blue bulbs that decoate the industial hanging lamps in the ba. The menu, fom maite'd and chef Hecto Higuea, is wide-anging, with eveything fom baba ganoush to abbit teine. Moe: Calle J #257 between Calle 15 & Linea, Vedado; +53 7 832 1576. Best location Dona Eutimia: Booking is impeative at this diminutive palada in a cobblestoned alleyway off Plaza Cathedal, one of Havana's most iconic colonial squaes. Though only ecently opened, Dona Eutimia feels like it's been hee foeve; its walls ae cowded with decoative antique clocks, paintings and local atwok and its ooms ae divided by a splendid stained-glass window. The food is classic ceole chicken, pok and fish, cooked well, and thee ae decent fesh juices (pineapple, guava, oange and papaya) and coffee -- not always a given in Havana. The fied malanga (a Cuban oot vegetable) appetise is not to be missed. Pices ae good fo a place that attacts its fai shae of touists, with no exta chage fo sides such as ice, beans and salads. Moe: Callejon del Choo #60C, Plaza de la Catedal, Habana Vieja, +53 7 270 6433. Best antiques San Cistobal: In the same neighbouhood as the vastly moe famous La Guaida, San Cistobal shaes its neighbou's penchant fo coveing its walls with antiques, photogaphy and eligious iconogaphy. But while La Guaida has taken ove a seies of ooms in a tenement, San Cistobal on Calle San Rafael occupies one of the few gand esidential homes in cental Havana. Its high-ceilinged side teace, with foliage and esident paot in a cage, is a delight,
with quality objets d'at scatteed about. San Cistobal was oiginally the casa of owne Calos Cistobal Maquez's gandmothe. The pesonable Maquez conveted the family home into this appealing palada last yea and his wold tavels might explain the eclectic menus, fom chicken Agigento to gazpacho and Cuban-style mezze plates with octopus and fied sweet potato. Moe: Calle San Rafael #469 between Calle Lealtad & Calle Campanaio, Cento Habana; +53 7 860 1705. Cafe Lauent's walls ae peppeed in 1960s magazine ads. Pictue: cubaabsolutely.com Best Floida vibe Cafe Lauent: Occupying the penthouse space of a midcentuy block in Vedado, a middle-class enclave close to cental Havana, just a few blocks fom the famous Hotel Nacional de Cuba, the chilled-out, immaculate Cafe Lauent offes a laidback Floida vibe. A beige palette, walls papeed in 1960s black-and-white magazine advetising, and a beeze-cossed teace decoated with billowing white cutains povide a beachy, at-deco aesthetic. Expect pleasantly low-key sevice and well-cooked food with a Spanish seafood slant. Red snappe in salsa vede is the house speciality, though thee's a plethoa of beef options, fom solomillo to chateaubiand and, unusually, a ange of
innovative puddings. Cafe Lauent's ceatos ae fome chefs and manages at El Templete, Havana's classiest seafood state estauant, and it's a geat example of the new wave of public estauateus taking thei expetise to the pivate secto. Moe: Calle M #257 between Calle 19 & Calle 21, Vedado; +53 7 832 6890. Best pizza Piccolo: Until a few yeas ago, the quest to find a decent pizza in Havana would have ended in failue. Now, a clutch of good pizzeias has stepped into the beach. The most chaming is Piccolo, a palada shaded in bougainvillea and suounded by an oganic gaden, home to guinea pigs, tukeys, chickens and caged bids. Piccolo is in the Guanabo neighbouhood, a half-hou spin in an old Ameican ca fom downtown Havana, whee hose taxis ae the ode of the day, and the beach is at you feet. Pizzas ae cooked in a wood-fied oven, with toppings such as mushoom and good jamon seano. Moe: Avenida Quinta #50206 between Calle 502 & Calle 504, Guanabo, Playas del Este; +53 7 96 4300. Most elegant inteios La Espeanza: Espeanza is small but pefectly fomed, a home appaently peseved in aspic fo the past five decades, offeing a glimpse of a moe elegant yesteyea. Bimful of tasteful antiques, paintings and black-and-white family photogaphs, the estauant featues polished mable floos, stained glass and a omantic gaden and is owned by a membe of the Pola bewey family. "Fench Cuban fusion" is the specialty though the accent is heavily ceole. Dishes include geen cuies and pok stewed in malt, as well as simply cooked fesh fish. Sevice can be fosty. Moe: Calle 16 #105 between Avenida Pimea & Avenida Tecea, Miama; +53 7 202 4361. Best view Vistama: As the name suggests, the unique selling point hee is the ocean view. The malecon de la Habana, the city's famous boadwalk, neve extended as fa as well-heeled Miama, and the majoity of this baio's seafont popeties ae a mess. Which is why this mid-centuy home-tuned-estauant is a gem, with its oiginal pool fonting the choppy Floida Staits. The food, a combination of classic Cuban and Euopean staples, lives up to the views, and sevice is fiendly and efficient. Don't miss out on the octopus state o the seano stuffed with a honey and fig paste. Moe: Avenida Pimea #2206 between Calle 22 & Calle 24, Miama, +53 7 203 8328.
Best seafood El Templete: El Templete, which opened in 2004, emains the best state estauant in Havana, specialising in comida mainea: lobstes, paella, fish en papillotte, gilled ed snappe, pawn and seafood bochettes. Its habouside position, behind the sumptuous Plaza de Amas, makes it one of the most pleasant eating-out expeiences. Go al fesco unde the lage awning, with a decent glass of wine. Come fo dinne, and at 9pm you'll hea the Canonazo fied at La Cabana fotess acoss the wate: it once signalled the closing of Havana's city gates. El Templete was named afte the mini neo-classical temple that was built in 1519. Moe: Avenida del Pueto, cone Calle San Pedo, Habana Vieja; +53 7 866 8807. Checklist Cuban specialist Esencia Expeiences' Cuba Culinay Tou includes esevations at the best paladaes and state estauants, meetings with poduces and chefs and guided visits to fams and makets. Moe infomation: www.esenciaexpeiences.com