Cuba - Lonely Planet [243]
Villa de Recreo María Dolores (Cubanacán; Map; 99-64-10 Carretera de Cienfuegos Km 1.5; s/d CUC$59/74; ) Trinidad goes rustic with the out-of-town Recreo María Dolores, situated 1.5km west on the road to Cienfuegos and Topes de Collantes. Equipped with hotel-style rooms and cabins, the latter are the better option (try for one with a porch overlooking the Río Guaurabo). On nights when groups are present, there’s a fiesta campesina (country fair) with country-style Cuban folk dancing at 9:30pm, (free/CUC$5 for guests/nonguests, including one drink). There’s also a swimming pool, a ranchón restaurant and boat and horseback-riding tours. One kilometer west of the Recreo María Dolores is a monument to Alberto Delgado, a teacher murdered by counterrevolutionaries.
Eating
In truth, the casas particulares are Trinidad’s best restaurants. Dinners usually cost from CUC$6 to CUC$10, depending on what you eat, and they’re nearly always more accommodating for vegetarians. Nonetheless, the lure of Trinidad’s nightlife is strong and the small stash of colonial restaurants is pretty, even if the food isn’t.
PALADARES
Trinidad has three long-standing legal paladares. Innumerable hustlers will accost you around Plaza Mayor claiming otherwise. Don’t believe them.
Paladar Sol y Son ( 99-29-26; Simón Bolívar No 283 btwn Frank País & José Martí; mains CUC$8-10; noon-2pm & 7:30-11pm) All the ingredients of a fine Trinidad evening – think antiques, an elegant patio and the dulcet strains of an eloquent trovador – plus good food thrown in. Even the waiting room (yes, it gets busy) is a veritable museum piece. The house special is roast chicken and it’s worth the wait. English is spoken here.
Paladar Estela ( 99-43-29; Simón Bolívar No 557; 2-11:30pm) You can choose the dining room or pretty rear garden to take your meals in this popular place located above the Plaza Mayor (the owner also rents rooms). Cordero (lamb) served shredded is the house specialty, and the portions are large.
Paladar La Coruña (José Martí No 428; 11am-11pm) A battling third after Sol y Son and Estela. Eager-to-please and friendly staff at this no-frills paladar serve chicken and pork, and the occasional fish.
RESTAURANTS
Housed in an attractive array of colonial mansions, Trinidad’s government restaurants are full of the standard state-run foibles: average food, bored staff, and menus where most of the dishes have gone AWOL. These places are OK for an un-fancy lunch but, for a filling dinner, you might want to stick to the home cooking in your casa particular.
Restaurante Plaza Mayor ( 99-64-70; cnr Rubén Martínez Villena & Zerquera; dishes from CUC$4; 11am-10pm) The best bet courtesy of its on-off lunchtime buffet, which, for around CUC$10, ought to fill you up until dinnertime. Nighttime offerings aren’t bad either if you stick to the chicken and beef, though the atmosphere can be a little flat.
Trinidad Colonial ( 99-64-73; Antonio Maceo No 402; 11:30am-10pm) Here you’ll dine on good portions of Cuban cuisine in the elegant 19th-century Casa Bidegaray. Meals are reasonable, even if the service is a bit frosty, with smoked pork topping out at CUC$6. The store attached has a good selection of books.
Restorante Vía Reale (Rubén Martínez Villena No 74 btwn Piro Guinart & Pablo Pichs Girón; lunch CUC$4; noon-4pm) Break the chicken-and-pork grind at this Italian place with good pizza and spaghetti lunches. This is a viable vegetarian option.
Restaurante El Jigüe ( 99-64-76; cnr Rubén Martínez Villena & Piro Guinart; 11am-10pm) Stunning setting with less-than-stunning food. Bank on the house specialty, the aptly-named pollo al Jigüe; it’s baked at least, offering savory flavors distinct from the usual frito (fried).
QUICK EATS
Mesón del Regidor ( 99-65-72; Simón Bolívar No 424; 10am-10pm) A cafe-cum-restaurant with a friendly ambience and a revolving lineup of local musicians, including the town’s best trovador, Israel Moreno, who’ll drop by during the day and serenade you with a song over grilled cheese sandwiches and café con leche (coffee with milk). Savor