Cuba - Lonely Planet [95]
Hotel Habana Libre (Gran Caribe; 834-6100; Calle L btwn Calles 23 & 25; d/ste incl breakfast CUC$200/300; ) Havana’s biggest and boldest hotel opened in March 1958 on the eve of Batista’s last waltz. Once part of the Hilton chain, in January 1959 it was commandeered by Castro’s rebels who put their boots over all the plush furnishings and turned it into their temporary HQ (Castro effectively ran the country from a suite on one of the upper floors). Now managed by Spain’s Meliá chain as an urban Tryp Hotel, all 574 rooms in this skyline-hogging giant are kitted out to international standard, though the lackluster furnishings could do with an imaginative makeover. The tour desks in the lobby are helpful for out-of-town excursions and the 25th-floor Cabaret Turquino is a city institution.
Hotel Meliá Cohiba (Cubanacán; 833-3636; Paseo btwn Calles 1 & 3; r CUC$220; ) Royally professional, this oceanside concrete giant built in 1994 (it’s the only building from this era on the Malecón) will satisfy the highest of international expectations with its knowledgeable, consistent staff and modern, well-polished facilities. After a few weeks in the Cuban outback, you’ll feel like you’re on a different planet here, although the ambience is more Houston than Havana. For workaholics there are special ‘business-traveler rooms’ and 59 units have Jacuzzis. On the lower levels gold-star facilities include a shopping arcade, one of Havana’s plushest gyms and the ever-popular Habana Café Click here.
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EATING
Paladares
HABANA VIEJA
Many of Habana Vieja’s once vibrant paladares have been squeezed out of business in recent years, leaving just a handful of legal places that compete gamefully with the heavily promoted Habaguanex-run restaurants. The following three places are all worth a visit if you want a break from the sometimes mediocre state-sponsored eateries.
Paladar Moneda Cubana ( 867-5984; San Ignacio No 77; meals CUC$8-10; noon-midnight) There’s a soccer obsession going on at this perfectly placed paladar just off Plaza de la Catedral that must be passed by every tourist in Cuba at some point. Underneath the sporty regalia, a quartet of tables offers chicken and pork dishes at very reasonable prices (CUC$8 to CUC$10). Go on, contribute a few Convertibles to the spirit of private enterprise.
La Julia ( 862-7438; O’Reilly No 506A btwn Bernaza & Villegas; meals CUC$10; noon-midnight) It’s been around long enough to be called an institution and outlasted almost all the opposition – except, perhaps, Fidel. La Julia is an unfussy family-run paladar in Calle O’Reilly that serves Cuban comfort food – comida criolla – with patience and panache.
Paladar La Mulata del Sabor ( 867-5984; Sol No 153 btwn Cuba & San Ignacio; meals CUC$10; noon-midnight) Delicious smells emanting from the kitchen in this hole-in-the-wall paladar have lured in many an off-track traveler disorientated after taking a wrong turn out of Plaza Vieja. Thankfully, La Mulata is an amiable hostess and the word-of-mouth reviews from budget travelers are always good.
CENTRO HABANA
Paladar Bellamar (Virtudes No 169; meals from CUC$6; noon-10pm) In the gastronomic desert of Centro Habana (La Guarida apart), the family-run Bellamar is a good standby. Sticking to the official rules, it serves classic chicken and pork dishes in a 12-cover front room whose walls have been ‘decorated’ Bodeguita del Medio–style with the graffiti of punters past.
Paladar Doña Blanquita (Paseo de Martí No 158 btwn Colón & Refugio; meals CUC$7-9; noon-10pm) Overlooking the Prado boulevard, this is one of Centro Habana’s best-placed paladares, with a proper typewritten menu and meat-biased main plates in the CUC$7 to CUC$9 range. You can dine in the shabby chic salon or on a pleasant terrace overlooking the promenade.
Paladar Torressón ( 861-7476; Malecón btwn Capdevila & Genios; meals CUC$7-9; noon-midnight) Situated at the eastern