Corte del Principe Sergio’s

CA5
Top Pick
Style of food: Italian
Cost: Expensive
Type of place: Paladar (private)
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: Spectacular homemade Italian pastas. Cozy atmosphere, excellent service.
Worst for: Getting a reservation. Not cheap (although its worth it)
9na esq. 74, Playa
(+53)5255 - 9091
  • La Corte del Principe has rocked up the pop charts in Havana on the back of quality authentic Italian fare. Located on a quiet street behind the lovely park (which runs from Calle 60 to 82 behind the Occidental Hotel) this is Sergio’s place. The seating, all outside under an awning is not fancy but comfortable. Typically busy but not packed there is an atmosphere about the place. Somewhere where no one comes in a hurry. A place you stay to enjoy the wine, smoke that cigar and relax in a laid back atmosphere.

    This is not to say that the food will take an eternity to appear, on the contrary service is attentive and quick. Simply that what is the rush, do you really have somewhere better to be? This is not the Italian version of a Tex Mex, there are no pizzas on the menu. Instead you have a range of pastas made as only an Italian could make them. Tagliatelle al fungi porcini/gamberi y zucchine/alla marinara. Great spaghettis. Take care that you don’t over indulge in the starters (prosciutto, antipasto and brochette) since you will want to leave room for the main course. And did I mention the desserts!

    Undeniably serving the best pasta in town at present look for the Tagliatelle al fungi porcini/gamberi y zucchine/alla marinara. Unless you get stuck on the starters that are so good you don’t even make it to your main course. Just ask Sergio what he recommends today.

    Typically busy but not packed there is an atmosphere about the place. Somewhere where no one comes in a hurry. A place you stay to enjoy the wine, smoke that cigar and relax in a laid back atmosphere.  This is not to say that the food will take an eternity to appear, on the contrary service is attentive and quick. Simply that what is the rush, do you really have somewhere better to be?

    Melazane alla Parmigiana at La Corte del Principe

    I previously gave an “up” to this fairly new Italian paladar, located in Miramar, for its fresh pastas. Those pastas continue to be the strong point of La Corte del Principe where the dishes are prepared daily with fresh products available in the market. Nevertheless if you choose not to go the pasta route there is a great option — the Melazane alla Parmigianino (eggplant Parmigianino), a delicious thin slice of eggplant fried in batter and covered in a tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. It is an appetizer but I could easily have it as an entrée. Remember that in this place you will usually see a changing menu because every day they have only what is fresh.

    The fresh pasta at La Corte del Principe

    This is one of the newest paladares in Havana. It is a charming and yet unpretentious establishment with a few tables in a covered porch and with a limited menu written in a blackboard. The place is nice, the prices are good, service is fantastic… but what is more attractive about this place is the homemade pastas, they are really good and they are offered with a variety of sauces that are also very outstanding: four cheeses, carbonara, amatriciana and pesto to name a few. Follow the recommendations of the owner, Sergio, who will give you personalized service and a detailed description of his Italian creations. You will want to come back. Beware than even though it is an Italian place, pizza is not served.

    
  • La California

    La California  LH 5+

    La California Restaurant For quality food, impeccable service & intimate ambience Superb Cuban-Creole/International menu Dine in a beautifully restored 19th-century colonial building just one bloc …

    Opera

    Opera  LH 5+

    – Best for Homely & Intimate enviroment Quality food in a beautiful setting. – Fresh pasta, vegetarian dishes  and quail.

    Nazdarovie

    Nazdarovie  LH 5+

    I never really knew the Cuba from the days of Soviet support. My first memories of the island belong to a time that is very close to the Great Change, when we were already starting to see that what ha …

    Otra Manera

    Otra Manera  LH 5

    Best for Beautiful modern décor and good food. Don’t miss Pork rack of ribs in honey. Sweet & sour sauce and grilled pineapple

    Rio Mar

    Rio Mar  LH 5

    Amazingly for a city by the sea Havana has precious few places to eat with a view to the deep blue ocean. Rio Mar has a whole terrace overlooking the where the Rio Almendares flows into the sea, oppos …

    El Chanchullero

    El Chanchullero  LH 5+

    El Chanchullero has got to win the most surprisingly good place in Havana award. This looks like a hole in the wall place in a downright run down looking part of Old Havana. It is a hassle to get to b …

    Le Chansonnier

    Le Chansonnier  LH 5+

    When a delegation of chefs from Alice Waters’ celebrated Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley visited Cuba (November 2012) on a mission to spark a revolution in the Cuban diet by exposing islanders to …

    Santy

    Santy  LH 5

    On Santi, the mystical Santi. The one that can never speak its name. The one that everyone talks about but no one can find. The one you may be asked to park a few blocks away from and sneak in under c …

    Bikos

    Bikos  LH 5

    Bikos, which I am reliably, told means kisses opened in June 2013 on the site of the old Galeria paladar. This is pure Spanish food and has quickly established itself as the location of choice for Hav …

    Doña Eutimia

    Doña Eutimia  LH 5+

    It would take a hard heart indeed to be immune to the charms of Leticia, the owner of Doña Eutemia. Small, old, personal, she wants an intimate place where you come to relax. So much so, that she stat …

    1 of 14 pages »