Havana advice please

[Pencruise]

We will be visiting Havana next week on the Empress and intend to have lunch somewhere after our tour. Can anyone who has been there advise on approximate prices in restaurants, about same price as the US or more or less ? We obviously don't want to change more money than we anticipate that we will need. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Biker19]

It varies greatly depending on the venue, but typically less than US.

[buttrfly78]

most places in havana are reasonably priced. I usually had a couple drinks and entree for $20 or less. That is at a sit down place. You can eat for much less at the counter places. I recommend El Rum Rum de la Habana. Great food, great happy hour specials!

[Pencruise]

most places in havana are reasonably priced. I usually had a couple drinks and entree for $20 or less. That is at a sit down place. You can eat for much less at the counter places. I recommend El Rum Rum de la Habana. Great food, great happy hour specials!

 

It varies greatly depending on the venue, but typically less than US.

 

Thanks so much to both of you.

[Havingfun2010]

We will be visiting Havana next week on the Empress and intend to have lunch somewhere after our tour. Can anyone who has been there advise on approximate prices in restaurants, about same price as the US or more or less ? We obviously don't want to change more money than we anticipate that we will need. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

My understanding is that you can change you money back at the port. So, if say you had about $20.00 too much, it would cost you $0.60 to change back. I wouldn't worry too much of having a little too much. I plan on changing $100.00 USD for two days, two people, and if on the second day, I think I need more, I will change a little more. Note the 10% penalty is only changing USD to CUC and not changing back. Also I was told that some places will take USD, but be careful, they might overcharge you doing this.

[VidaNaPraia]

Here's a good list of Havana restaurants:

http://www.lahabana.com/guide/havana-guide-home/restaurants/

 

For example, Los Nardos (on that list, in Havana Vieja) serves a lamb entree with a nice salad (anything other than shredded cabbage is a luxury in Cuba) and a glass of sangria for 11 CUC.

 

For another example, a great lunch sandwich at a tourist-oriented hole in the wall in Vieja was 4 CUC.

 

Some of the 5* on that list may run 25 CUC+ or so pp with drinks and/or wine, according to reports, but most should have entrees around 8-10 CUC.

A drink (mojito, daiquiri) at a tourist oriented place might be around 6 CUC, less at a local bar.

[Pencruise]

Here's a good list of Havana restaurants:

http://www.lahabana.com/guide/havana-guide-home/restaurants/

 

For example, Los Nardos (on that list, in Havana Vieja) serves a lamb entree with a nice salad (anything other than shredded cabbage is a luxury in Cuba) and a glass of sangria for 11 CUC.

 

For another example, a great lunch sandwich at a tourist-oriented hole in the wall in Vieja was 4 CUC.

 

Some of the 5* on that list may run 25 CUC+ or so pp with drinks and/or wine, according to reports, but most should have entrees around 8-10 CUC.

A drink (mojito, daiquiri) at a tourist oriented place might be around 6 CUC, less at a local bar.

 

Thanks so much for that link, very interesting.

[hrwi]

For another example, a great lunch sandwich at a tourist-oriented hole in the wall in Vieja was 4 CUC.

 

 

Any recommendations for great sandwiches? My family is more the "walk a while, eat a sandwich, walk a while more, eat an ice cream" type of family.

[VidaNaPraia]

A roast pork sandwich is always a safe bet in Cuba. But if you want "great" Cuban food, try a Cuban restaurant in the U.S., not street food in Cuba. You take your chances every time, particularly at the CUP places for locals, but even at the so-called 5* restaurants. The tourist oriented sandwich place I mentioned was purely serendipitous.

If you are going to be buying ice cream and whatever on the street, at places locals frequent try to carry some CUP or some smaller CUC coins to pay with.

[CruiseGal999]

My understanding is that you can change you money back at the port. So, if say you had about $20.00 too much, it would cost you $0.60 to change back. I wouldn't worry too much of having a little too much. I plan on changing $100.00 USD for two days, two people, and if on the second day, I think I need more, I will change a little more. Note the 10% penalty is only changing USD to CUC and not changing back. Also I was told that some places will take USD, but be careful, they might overcharge you doing this.

 

They don't 'overcharge' you if you pay in USD. They adjust for the exchange rate AND 10% TAX that the recipient will be charged when they have to exchange the USD you paid them into CUC. And that doesn't account for their time and hassle the person has to go through to exchange the USD to their native CUC.