Las Ruinas

CA3
Style of food: Cuban/Creole
Cost: Cheap
Type of place: State
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: Eclectic and interesting architecture in the park
Worst for: Basic décor and condiments
Calle 100 y Cortina de la Presa, Parque Lenin
(+53)7643 - 8286
Open 11am-midnight Tue-Sun
  • Las Ruinas melds offbeat modern architecture–including some eye-catching stained glass by Cuban artist René Portocarrero and immaculately decayed stonewalls–onto the ruins of an old sugar mill, giving the place an arty and elegant atmosphere. This is located within the overall Parque Lenin complex on the southeast side and at first glance is something of a revelation in the fact that it is not another ranchón. This is a place with a history and a vibe, which makes a distinctive statement.

    So far so good. The problem really comes with the décor, the toilets, the table clothes, the chairs, the cutlery, the glasses, and the plates and on and on. This could be a very classy and stylish place. It simply isn’t, however arty the surroundings. It has though found a niche serving reasonably big portions of standard food to mostly Cuban families.

    This is a place to get chicken or pork and rice for CUC 5. It is definitely edible and offers reasonable value (don’t bother with the upstairs part). The outdoor terrace is pleasant and opens up onto some nice open space where (if you have them) kids will enjoy, although watch out for the entrance which can be something of a death trap for toddlers!

    Definitely worth checking out but manage your expectations before you go in.

    
  • La Chuchería

    La Chuchería  LH 3

    Tourists often seem somewhat conflicted between finding a place that authentic real Cubans go to and somewhere where there is toiler paper in the bathrooms and the food is reliable. La Chuchería tick …

    Doña Juana

    Doña Juana  LH 3

    This friendly paladar hides out in a newly painted but crumbling Vedado building. The place itself has a revamp in 2011 and now is a lot more upmarket than in the past. The terrace up top is huge done …

    Las Tres Medallas

    Las Tres Medallas  LH 3

    Las Tres Medallas was opened in September 2012 by Olympic champion Mireya Luis and her Italian husband. The name of the place refers to the three gold medals that Mireya won in Barcelona, Atlanta, and …

    Conde de Villanueva Hotel – Vuelta Abajo

    Conde de Villanueva Hotel – Vuelta Abajo  LH 3

    This building was once the house of Claudio Martínez de Pinillos, a 19th-century celebrity who played an important role in the Island’s economic, scientific and literary growth of the time, now home t …

    El Mercurio

    El Mercurio  LH 3

    Located on the ground floor of Lonja del Comercio, an old building that in 1996 was turned into the first modern office building in the Cuban capital, the Mercurio (Mercury) opened its doors on 27 Jan …

    Monte Barreto

    Monte Barreto  LH 3

    Monte Barreto is located just behind the park, which is just behind the Occidental Hotel. It opened on December 16, 2011 by Aldo, who while a lawyer by trade has an interest in food, drinks and talkin …

    Europa

    Europa  LH 4-

    Europa is strategically located on one of Old Havana’s main thoroughfares, Obispo. Many Havana residents may still remember it as the old Café Europa, the best patisserie in town in the late 19th cent …

    Santo Ángel

    Santo Ángel  LH 4-

    In 1866, the house now occupied by this restaurant was owned by Susana Benítez de Parejo, who then decided to establish El Santo Ángel (The Holy Angel) college for poor children in this place, which s …

    Café El Escorial

    Café El Escorial  LH 4-

    Café El Escorial was opened a few years ago in the magnificent Plaza Vieja. The coffee is excellent, everything from Cuban coffee, café au lait, coffee frappé, coffee liquor through to coffee daiquiri …

    La Julia

    La Julia  LH 3

    La Julia is an old timer on the Old Havana paladar circuit. It’s been around long enough to be called an institution. This is an unfussy family-run paladar on O’Reilly Street that serves Cuban Creole …

    « 7 of 14 pages »