Cuba - Lonely Planet [132]
Restaurante Maeda (Av Quebec; noon-midnight) Guanabo’s other paladar is still going strong hidden away on the hill (near Calle 476).
Pizza for CUC$1.50 and up per slice is available at Pizzería al Mare (cnr Av 5 & Calle 482; 24hr), and there’s the peso stuff served out of a charcoal-stained shack nearby. For ice cream, head to Bim Bom (cnr Av 5 & Calle 464; 11am-1am). Panadería D’Prisa (Av 5 No 47802; 24hr) is the place for pastries and light snacks.
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¿QUIÉN ES ÚLTIMO?
After half a century of interminable shortages, the Cubans have become quite adept at the rather dreary art of queuing; so adept, in fact, that they’ve reinvented the whole tedious rigmarole.
Shunning the long snaking lineups that plagued postwar Europe, the Cubans prefer to wait around in a less orderly fashion – some sitting and talking, others canoodling and whispering – killing time as best they can until the queue clears.
Negotiating a Cuban queue is easy when you know the rules. Roll up at the relevant assembly point and yell out ¿Quién es último? (Who is last?). In reply, someone within a 90m radius will shout back ¡Yo! (Me!). Make a mental note. This is the person directly in front of you in the line and your two-minute warning when it’s time to be served. In the meantime, feel free to pace around, sift through the latest propaganda in Granma or – if it looks like an extra-long wait – wander off for a revitalizing mojito.
Despite its lackadaisical appearance, queuing in Cuba is a serious business and line-jumping is a crime akin to breaking and entering. If you ever witness a heated argument in a busy Cuban street, chances are that some impatient bystander has unsocialistically pushed their way into a queue to howls of communal derision.
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BOCA CIEGA
El Cubano ( 796-4061; Av 5 btwn Calles 456 & 458; 11am-midnight) This is a spick and span place with a full wine rack (French and Californian), checkered tablecloths and a good version of Gordon Bleu (chicken stuffed with ham and cheese).
SANTA MARíA DEL MAR
Restaurante Mi Cayito ( 797-1339; 10am-6pm) On a tiny island in the Laguna Itabo, this place serves lobster, shrimp and grilled fish in an open-air locale. Nice ambience and cheap pork fillets. There’s a live show here every Saturday and Sunday at 3pm, which you can enjoy for the price of a drink.
Restaurante Mi Casita de Coral (cnr Av del Sur & Calle 8; 10am-11pm) Tucked just off the roundabout by the international clinic, this secluded little place is surprisingly upscale for this neck of the woods and serves good seafood at reasonable prices.
When the Guanabo pizza gets too much, head for Don Pepe (Av de las Terrazas; 10am-11pm), a thatched-roof, beach-style restaurant about 50m from the sand. It specializes in seafood, as the waiters will keenly explain.
Among the many small grocery stores in and around Santa María del Mar are Minisuper La Barca (cnr Av 5 & Calle 446; 9:15am-6:45pm Mon-Sat, 9:15am-2:45pm Sun); Mini-Super Santa María (cnr Av de las Terrazas & Calle 7; 9am-6:45pm), located opposite Hotel Tropicoco; and Tienda Villa Los Pinos (Av del Sur btwn Calles 5 & 7; 9am-6:45pm).
EL MéGANO
Pizzería Mi Rinconcito (cnr Av de las Terrazas & Calle 4; noon-9:45pm) Located near Villa Los Pinos, this place contains a surprisingly delicious pizza-fest (CUC$2 to CUC$3), plus cannelloni, lasagna, salads and spaghetti (CUC$2 to CUC$3.50).
Entertainment
GUANABO
Cabaret Guanimar ( 796-2947; cnr Av 5 & Calle 468; per couple CUC$10; 9pm-3am Tue-Sat) An outdoor club with a show at 11pm; if you want to be in the front rows, it’s CUC$16 for a couple.
Teatro Avenida ( 796-2944; Av 5 No 47612 btwn Calles 476 & 478) has children’s matinees at 3pm Saturday and Sunday. For a movie try Cine Guanabo ( 796-2440; Calle 480; 5:30pm except Wed) off Av 5.
SANTA MARíA DEL MAR
Playas del Este’s gay scene revolves around a beach bar called La Paté (Calle 1), near Restaurante Mi Cayito, at the east end of Santa María del Mar. You might also check all the way west