Milano Lounge Club

CA4
Style of food: International
Cost: Expensive
Type of place: Paladar (private)
Food
Ambience
Service
Value
Best for: Miami style contemporary glamour. Quality food.
Worst for: Expensive and to date lacking the clientele to make for the necessary vibe
Ave 3ra No 2404 E 24 y 26, Miramar, Playa, La Habana
(+53)7203 - 4641

  • While Milano may be the new kid on the block, opening in mid April 2013 in Miramar’s burgeoning entertainment district, there was nothing modest about the smart party that announced its arrival loaded with bling-bling. This is a beautifully decorated Miramar mansion, which could have walked in straight from South Beach, Miami. All white lines, minimalist and stylish.

    You can eat inside the main house, on the smallish terrace (our choice) or out in the pleasant garden (watch out for chairs sinking into the ground though!). There is a small chill-out space inside although truth is told this is a place for a party, get your DJ and fill out the garden with the glitterati of Havana.

    The menu is well put together if somewhat lacking in a theme and definitely on the pricey side. Look for standard international fare: appetizers include Serrano ham, brochette and mozzarella salad while main courses include an excellent Fillet Mignon, several lobster dishes (all about the bling-bling remember) and an interesting sounding chicken with yoghurt as well as a range of pastas (the ravioli was great).

    We hear there were a few growing pains the first weekend as the place got slammed and food took forever to be served. The night we went perhaps they were overcompensating with staff everywhere you looked. Give the place a little time and we are sure it will be up there with the very best places to eat in Havana.

    Pricey butter or oil for your bread at Milano

    Milano opened to a big splash on April 20, 2013. This is an extremely good-looking place, decorated in white and with a huge window looking out on the front yard that faces 3rd Avenue in Miramar. The food is O.K. but overpriced and the service is below mediocre. In our last visit we ordered a basket of their delicious homemade olive oil and rosemary bread, but it was brought without any oil or butter, so we asked for some. Ten minutes later we were presented with two tiny bowls (one with oil and one with butter) and informed that our bread would go up in price from 2 cucs to 5 cucs, because the bread did not come with any spreads. In my humble opinion that is beyond ridiculous but I am still willing to give them the benefit of the doubt since they are new and the waiters very obviously lack experience.

    
  • Marina Hemingway – El Pabellón del Tesoro

    Marina Hemingway – El Pabellón del Tesoro  LH 4

    There are only two good Chinese restaurants in Havana and this is definitely one of them. In many ways, it is the Yin to Tien Tang’s Yang. Instead of being located at the end of a busy scruffy Central …

    El Buganvil

    El Buganvil  LH 4

    El Buganvil is a solid, reliable place owned by the indomitable Margarita with the help from her family. This has been open since 1996 (apart from a brief two-year period from 2008-2010). What are val …

    El Diluvio

    El Diluvio  LH 4

    Cuba Absolutely Review: February 2013 El Deluvio was an institution in the Havana paladar scene for many years as the authentic Italian place with great quality pizzas and pastas courtesy of their Ita …

    Calle 10

    Calle 10  LH 5

    Calle 10 has had a makeover. Back in the day this was somewhere you would come to for a huge portion of pork ribs cooked barbecue-style in the owner’s back garden under a thatched roof (ranchon).  Now …

    La Terraza Romana

    La Terraza Romana  LH 4

    Having waited years for a good private Italian restaurant in Havana, it is with sheer joy for us pizza lovers that there is another great addition to the scene. La Terraza Romana is an Italian’s Itali …

    La Imprenta

    La Imprenta  LH 4

    La Imprenta is a beautiful place restored on top of the ruins of what used to be La Habanera printing house back in the 19th century. This is a place of homage to Gutenberg’s printing. More to the poi …

    Iberostar Parque Central – Rooftop Patio

    Iberostar Parque Central – Rooftop Patio  LH 4

    Parque Central Rooftop Patio (hamburger review) Havana A fellow traveler recommended the Hamburger at the Rooftop Patio at the Parque Central Hotel in Old Havana to me. I had been meaning to check the …

    Doctor Café

    Doctor Café  LH 4

    Cuba Absolutely Review: December 2012 Doctor Café has been an expatriate favourite for some years. The formula is pretty straightforward but it seems to work. Décor wise the main space is outside on a …

    Meliá Habana Hotel -La Scala

    Meliá Habana Hotel -La Scala  LH 4

    I never knew the name of La Scala before I had to write about it. Thus is the fate of hotel restaurants. Even the best ones like La Scala become anonymous, generic, the pizza place at the Meliá Habana …

    La Campana

    La Campana  LH 4

    Chill out bar and grill, La Campana seems at first glance more an upmarket homestead finca (farm) than anything else. This is an upmarket ranchón beside a nice pool. The tables are comfortable and wel …

    « 3 of 14 pages »