Las Marías

CA3
Style of food: Cuban/Creole
Cost: Cheap
Type of place: Paladar (private)
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: The three Marias are all very charming. Cute. Personal.
Worst for: Those expecting more. This is a small neighborhood place.
Calle 48 No 1107, entre 11 y 13, Playa
(+53)7209 - 2140
Open noon-midnight daily

  • Las Marías is a small charming outdoor terrace in the heart of Miramar, which re-opened on Christmas Eve 2011. More to the point, it is a family affair between María Ofelia, her daughter Marilé and granddaughter Marisol. If this is too much oestrogen for you, there is Julio César who takes care of the kitchen. There are perhaps six tables set beside a nice bar around the side of a typical Miramar mansion with an increasing amount of green shrubbery. Pleasant, warm.

    Marilé is the heart of the place, charming, attentive, and busy. She takes care of her customers and then finds time to chat. She should run courses on multi-tasking to some other people I could care to mention! The atmosphere is low-key with Cuban musicians playing some nights, while on others a TV will play innocuously in the background.

    The food is anchored by the large charcoal grill, which provides for a range of fish and meats as well as a range of other dishes from the smallish kitchen inside the main house. Specialities include Filete de pescado con camarones en salsa bechamel y queso gratinado (fish fillet with shrimp in béchamel sauce au gratin) as well as surf and turf kebabs. Other dishes include octopus, grilled prawns and ropa vieja (shredded meat). The prices are pretty reasonable with a Crema de queso (cream of cheese soup) only CUC 1.50 and chicken dishes at around 5 CUC. Everything is fresh bought directly from the fishermen, which showed in the quality of some of the fish we tried. Desserts include a very tasty, Mermelada de guayaba con queso (guava marmalade and cheese) 1.50 CUC.

    You should be warned that the Marías have developed their own completely lethal cocktail ‘Las Marías.’ This consists of Havana Club 7 años, mint, and blue Curacao, lemon y hierbabuena.

    
  • Marina Hemingway – Pizza Nova

    Marina Hemingway – Pizza Nova  LH 2

    Once upon a time the Pizza Nova was one of the better Havana restaurants serving good quality pizza in the upmarket Marina Hemingway. Perhaps the competition just got better and it is now simply relat …

    Don Ricardo

    Don Ricardo  LH 2+

    On for a good Irish pub in Old Havana where you could get a meat pie and a pint of Guiness. Don Ricardo is an Irish restaurant, but how Irish is a little debateable. The place recalls the founder of t …

    Zaragozana

    Zaragozana  LH 2+

    This restaurant’s origin dates back to its founding in 1830. Some people say that it always had the distinctive cooking style of the Spanish region it was named after ever since they opened. In those …

    La Amistad de Lanzarote

    La Amistad de Lanzarote  LH 2

    We had dinner here once a few years ago. We have never been back. The décor looks cheap and there have been reports of aggressive overcharging. Food wise, the specialty is Pollo Lanzarote, chicken wit …

    El Castillo de Farnés

    El Castillo de Farnés  LH 2+

    In the 19th century, this building was home to a grocery store. Later, Francisco Puig bought the establishment and turned it into a cheap restaurant, which he named Castillo de Farnés after a fortress …

    La Cabaña

    La Cabaña  LH 2

    La Cabaña has a great view of the city but truth be told is a relatively basic place. The Cabaña Restaurant Bar has a private air-conditioned room for 30 people with live music. The rooftop terrace ha …

    Juana la Cubana

    Juana la Cubana  LH 2+

    This is an outdoor restaurant with quality food and reasonable prices. You have to take a picture with Juana la Cubana’s horse and then sit back to enjoy a good Cuban Creole meal.

    La Dolce Vita

    La Dolce Vita  LH 2

    Cuba Absolutely Review: July 2012 Oh, La Dolce Vita. Named after the famous Italian film, this looks fabulous, chic, and elegant. Miami style. An awning out of a corporate tennis tournament covers the …

    Mi Jardín

    Mi Jardín  LH 2

    Mi Jardín used to be the only Mexican place in Havana. The place shows its Mexican colours through Mexican flags and other Mexican memorabilia in the main inside dining room. Outside in the attractive …

    Don Cangrejo

    Don Cangrejo  LH 2

    Cuba Absolutely Review: December 2011 I once ate in Don Cangrejo years ago. This is a state-run seafood restaurant with a lovely view over the ocean. Fresh fish dishes include red snapper, grouper and …

    « 12 of 14 pages »