Cuba - Lonely Planet [290]
Taberna Pancho (Map; 48-18-68; Av Jorge Dimitrov; noon-10pm) This is a lively Cuban place between Hotel Pernik and Motel El Bosque with some original menu choices. Nothing on the list, including hamburgers and draft Mayabe beer, costs more than CUC$3. Try the sausage special.
Restaurant 1720 (Map; 46-81-50; Frexes btwn Manduley & Miró; 12:30-10:30pm) Holguín’s finest dining is in this painstakingly restored wedding cake mansion where you can tuck into paella (CUC$6) or chicken stuffed with vegetables and cheese (CUC$8); there’s even complementary crackers. In the same colonial-style complex there’s a cigar shop, a bar, a boutique, car rental and a terrace with nighttime music. Check out the wall plaques that give interesting insights into Holguín’s history.
CAFETERíAS
While the chefs might be gastronomically challenged, Holguín boasts some great street-side cafes and is a mesmerizing place to slump down with a beer or coffee and watch half the city troop by.
Cremería Guamá (Map; cnr Luz Caballero & Manduley; 10am-10:45pm) A Coppelia in all but name. Waste an hour or three underneath the striped red-and-white awning overlooking pedestrianized Calle Manduley and enjoy peso ice-cream alfresco.
Cafetería Cristal (Map; 42-58-55; ground fl, Edificio Pico de Cristal, cnr Manduley & Martí; 24hr) Reliable, affordable chicken meals are served at the chilly Cristal where the air-con does its best to replicate a frigid day in Vancouver. A more upscale restaurant is upstairs (open noon to 10pm).
Cafetería Tocororo (Map; Manduley No 189; 24hr) So the lackluster menu may give you a sneaking sense of déjà vu (think spaghetti, pizza, chicken and sandwiches), but to enjoy Parque Calixto García in all its glory you’ve got to get in on the act. Pull up a seat at this park-side cafe and get down to some serious square-spotting with the local barflies and the odd stray Guardalavaca tourist.
La Cubita (Map; Manduley btwn Frexes & Aguilera; 9am-11pm) Formica tables, some local gossip and cheap shots of strong coffee slammed down on the bar for two pesos. Give yourself enough rocket fuel to last the rest of the day.
Snack Bar La Begonia (Map; 46-85-86; Maceo No 176; 9am-10pm) With ice cream (CUC$1), sandwiches (CUC$2 to CUC$3) and drinks served beneath flowering trellises on Parque Calixto García, this is a relaxed place to meet other travelers. It’s also popular with wedding parties and quinciñera (15th-birthday celebrations for Cuban girls) photo shoots.
Pizzería Roma (Map; cnr Maceo & Agramonte) It’s a long way from Rome, let alone Naples. You don’t need to cross the threshold of this popular local place by Parque Céspedes; just get the guy on the stall by the door to hand you over a slice of thick dough smeared with cheese and tomatoes for six pesos.
GROCERIES
La Luz de Yara (Map; cnr Frexes & Maceo; 8:30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 8:30am-noon Sun) Spartan department store/supermarket with a bakery section on Parque Calixto García.
La Epoca (Map; Frexes No 194) Another make-your-own-picnic option on Parque Calixto García.
There are two agropecuarios (vegetable markets; Map): one is off Calle 19, the continuation of Morales Lemus near the train station, the other on Calle 3 in Dagoberto Sanfield. There are plenty of peso stalls beside the baseball stadium.
Drinking
Taberna Mayabe (Map; Manduley btwn Aguilera & Frexes; 3-6pm & 8pm-midnight Tue-Sun, closed Mon) Newish place on pedestrianized Manduley with wooden tables, ceramic mugs and a hearty pub atmosphere. Tip your sombrero to the doorman on the way in.
Bar Terraza (Map; 46-81-50; Frexes btwn Manduley & Miró; 9pm-2am) Perched above Restaurant 1720, this is the poshest spot to sip a mojito (cocktail made from rum, mint, sugar, seltzer and fresh lime juice) with views over Parque Calixto García and regular musical interludes.
Entertainment
Teatro Comandante Eddy