Cuba

We celebrated my sister's birthday here and had a wonderful experience! We worked with Angel to plan the event and everything was just as expected. The atmosphere was lively and fun, the staff (Tony & Eduardo) were perfectly attentive and professional and the food was delicious and served beautifully. We had our event in the larger of the 3 private party spaces, complete with a bar. All of our guests had a fabulous time -- and many can't wait to return for dinner. After 10 years in the city, we can't believe I've never been to Cuba! We will most definitely be back soon -- especially for the sangria and mojitos. If you need a great space for a memorable event, go to Cuba!

Pros: Great for a private party, fun & lively atmosphere

Posted 06/30/07

i spent my birthday here and ended up having a bigger crowd than initially anticipated. the staff was extremely accomodating and made it a great experience. the mojitos are the REAL deal...they are not joking when they brag about "the best" and the food was amazing. i was totally impressed with the whole experience at cuba and cannot wait to come back.

Pros: food, service, ambience,mojitos, cigar roller

Cons: none

Posted 06/18/07

My third time here and now I know why I returned,tastes like my grandmas cooking back in Miami.
The food is soo delicious loved the lechon asado and the white sangria.My family and i celebrated my
parents 5oth wedding anniversary.And the staff and manager were very freindly and personable.WE listened to the band and then got some free hand rolled cigars very kool will be back Highly recommend going at least try you'll see

Pros: Great food,

Cons: no outdoor seating

Posted 05/24/07

great food great service goood job guys. I really love this restaurant. the best in town we love it good job

Posted 05/21/07

We had a reservation but once seated had to wait about 40 mins for our food to arive, however, we did get our appetizer immediately. The empandas were delicious and the mago mojito was amazing. Hubby got the shortribs with black bean sauce and I loved it. The chicken and yellow rice was ok but not great. I'll come back for the mojitos and the short ribs or ropa vieja. The servers are far from friendly but they aren't rude either. Overall it was a good place but not somewhere I'd go for a special occasion.

Pros: great mojitos

Cons: slow

Posted 05/21/07

My wife is Cuban so we went here for Mother's Day for lunch. Everything about our experience at Cuba was awesome. The food, the music, the ambience, the drinks, the decor, and the location make this place A MUST GO!
My wife says (and me too) that Cuba is by far THE best Cuban food in NYC and even rivals some of the Cuban restaurants in Miami. We give this place our very best and highest recommendations. You will not be disappointed.

Pros: Food, ambience, decor, service, value

Cons: might be a little noisy for some people.

Posted 05/18/07

Cuba is a place I truly enjoyed.My wife and freinds came across this place by reading the great reviews
so I had to place mine in as well. First of great feel of the place s not stale like other restaurants and then the staff was very vibrant and courteous.When our dishes came out ropa vieja.paella and sangria we were very happy .The bombon cubano deliciously sinful(warm chocolate cake mmmmmm)We will be back again:)I would recommend this place

Pros: Food and decor straight A's

Cons: gotta have a reservation

Posted 03/12/07

Do not come here please!!. The food is average, but the worst thing is that after we were done having dinner, and we were having drinks, the people there tried to "bribe" us to give up our table so that somebody else could come and have dinner there (it's all about the money guys!!). But that is not the worst, once we were forced to go to the bar for one "free" round of drinks "the bribe" (like if we were that cheap), the restaurant people duped the table next to us by offering ("bribing") the head of family (which was celebrating his 60th birthday and just got a rolex watch from his family there), a "free" cigar to free up the table (it's all about bringing more money, again!!). I was really offended by this behavior. I would think that as long as you are consuming and showing good behavior, no one would ask you to leave (I was so wrong!!) . Unfortunately that is not the case. My mother-in-law is Cuban and she was pretty offended when we told her the kind of treatment we got at Cuba. I honestly could not believe that a "Cuban" restaurant would treat customers so poorly. Save your time and your liver, there are better Cuban places in the city where you will get top quality treatment and you won't be kicked out just because of greediness and poor spirit. It's so sad to see something like this happening in here. It's really a shame.

Pros: The cigar roller and the live Cuban Music

Cons: Everything else, but especially the service overall (so rude!!)

Posted 03/11/07

definitely a fun spot for a date or dinner out with friends. small and cozy, but also loud and fun. authentic, too! the menu is pricey though...be prepared to spend about $40/person with drinks. their sangria is great!!

Posted 03/07/07

My boyfriend never had cuban food so this was a great opportunity. The bathrooms were immaculate. The service was excellent. The appitizers, main course and mojitos were fantastic. The place was romantic and had a great vibe. We had such a great time we were the last to leave the place! The staff was extremely patient with us. I definately recommend this retaurant! Thank you CUBA you definately made our night one to remember!

Pros: Everything about this place is great !

Cons: Reservations are recommended

Posted 01/08/07

I'm a little bit shocked to see this restaurant received a 8.9 rating. I had reservations there on a Tuesday night at 8pm. The place was pretty busy and I was happy we did actually make reservations. However, when we entered the restaurant the hostess ignored us and went to answer the phone. Instead of motioning, "Just one minute" to us, she continued to ignore us and stayed on the phone for five minutes. Then when she finally hung up, she didn't apologise for the wait but just took us to our table - which was literally 4 steps away from the table. It was also right next to another table (another couple). It looked as if we were one party. Unfortunately, there wasn't any other tables available. The restaurant is adorable but TINY. The musician and cigar maker is a nice touch. But for some reason or another (maybe b/c it's so small and/or the music is too loud) everyone in the restaurant was yelling and screaming. My boyfriend and I spent the whole dinner yelling at each other because we couldn't hear each other over the loud music and loud people. Our waiter was nice and competent. I ordered the pineapple salad which was a complete JOKE. It was a $9 salad served with ICE BERG lettuce. The red snapper with veggies was good but not worth $20 - esp. since the veggies were only zucchini and carrots. I was throughly disappointed and in complete shock with the low quality of the food. The restaurant could easily be the Olive Garden of Cuban food. There are so many other latin restaurants - The Yuca Bar in the E. Village - that surprasses the menu, service and money than this low grade establishment. I can not remember the last time I went to a more disappointing restaurant in NYC.

Pros: Mojitos

Cons: Hostess, Food quality, Loud

Posted 12/20/06

Time and time again I return to Cuba and have recommended freinds and family.Their report
such as mine especially being a latino at Cuba has been with the utmost respect and fanfare.The food is amazing as so are the drinks.Lord knows I gain nothing for writing this but it just so happens is that i
witnessed the rude behavior not from the restaurant but from the customer who also forgot to mention was hammered and started singing Karaoke to all of us .In all fairness to cuba they handled it with style taste and class and that guy should be lucky he was offered a drink to him and his entourage. as he clearly should have been told to leave after sitting for what seemed to be was hours of loud behavior.So dude wake up it is a business!!!

Pros: Music and cigars nice touch

Cons: need a reservation

Posted 12/20/06

I recently helped plan a surprise party for my boss at Cuba. The party was great. Everyone loved the food! I had the Roja Vieja for my entree which was really delicious. The place was very festive-the band playing Cuban music was a nice touch. There was even a Cuban man in the corner of the restaurant cutting cigars for the guests of the party. Angel, the manager was very helpful in planning the party and made sure that things ran smoothly. I highly recomment Cuba for both dinner and private parties. Wendy

Posted 12/09/06

The food was great...drinks was great and the price was right...even though I made prior reservations...I was seated downstairs where it was very loud and raucas.. I could barely here my date speak...I also went on a thurs to hear the live band but since I was put down stairs all I heard was an radio and drunk ppl screaming....

Pros: the mood and setting

Cons: too much noise...not enough seats upstairs

Posted 11/30/06

I just went to Cuba on Friday night for my birthday with a group of 4 other girls and had a blast. The staff was so attentive, especially Angel, the manager. He completely took care of us and made us feel welcome. Try the Coco Mojito, so good. The appetizers were delicious...and to top it all off the music was great! The band is wonderful...if you're looking for a fun place to eat, listen to good music and have a few drinks Cuba is the place.

Posted 11/12/06

I was there last Friday and saw that the place had a great upbeat atmosphere.The food was sooo delicioso and the ultimate mojitos on point.The staff and Hostess were so accomodating to grant us a table without a reservation. The Manager came over and gave us a free dessert nice touch. Living in Miami we felt we found our Miami paradise in NEW YORK we will be back :)

Pros: Great touch with Cuban authenticity, Love the complimentary Cigar, live Music

Cons: no dancing

Posted 10/25/06

Went here with a friend for the first time and it was surprisingly crowded, yet lively, and food was awesomely good!!! Those mojitos are a o.k. There was alot of pple and I thought we're gonna have to wait, but miraculously we were seated right away. I recommend making reservations.

Posted 10/25/06

Went here last Friday, the food was amazing. The staff was fun and polite. However, the host was rude and snobby. He instantly made my party feel uncomfortable and not welcome. Besides all of that I would go again in a heartbeat.

Pros: service and food

Cons: host

Posted 10/24/06

This place was recommended to me by a close friend. It was my first date with this lady so i wanted to get it right. Made reservations (that was such a good idea!). Landed there at appointed time and found the place to be packed. On a Wednesday night? Apart from that the service was par excellence. The guy waiting on our table was ultra nice and explained everything to us on the food/drink menu. The mohitos at Cuba are heavenly. Highly recommended Ultimate Mohitos. For entrees got the FILETILLO SALTEADO and she got the VACA FRITA and both were delicious and the serving portion was just right. It was quite crowded and everybody seemed to be having a blast with the Cuban music playing softly in the background. We ended up leaving the place cigar in hand which was rolled up fresh by this gent who sits in the corner of the room. Overall a fabulous experience!

Pros: Mohitos + Cigar

Cons: Gets kind of noisy

Posted 10/04/06

I have done all of the well known Cuban restaurants thru-out the city Victors,Cuba cafe,Havana
Central even Son Cubano which I like. But Cuba in my opinion is special. Why you ask ?Because of the detail in service they remember you by name offer great dishes like the vacca frita ,ropa vieja etc.Trust me the last thing I want to do is sound like a commercial but those guys the staff and management team really care about people.Unlike some other places that don't.The Last 3 times I was there the music the vibe really was cool!
One small favor though get a bigger rest room the line can be long at times.Gracias

Pros: Excellent

Cons: bathrooms too small

Posted 09/28/06

I ALWAYS order the same dishes when I'm here. Their seafood/meat paella is so good! I've had their vegetarian paella as well but I wasn't too fond of it. Too much garlic. I love their fried cassava that comes with this very tasty sauce. Service is decent but sometimes hard to get the waiter's attention.

Pros: food!

Cons: noisy, small/tight

Posted 09/05/06

I am a cuban food connosieur and this is definitely not Cuban food at its best. Nevertheless, the location is appetizing enough if you overlook the faults. Most of the staff was pleasant; our waiter left something to be desired & rec'd a mere 15% tip; waiters complain about tippers + never take into acct. Their performance. Mojitos were on the sweet side after the top note of rum dissipated; plenty of village/soho/e.village can make Mojitos that transport you to the island~just keep looking. Congri was pretty good; needed to be hotter. Sweet plantains were merely edible. Papa rellenas were good; however would benefit from stronger seasoning. My date had the Paella and it was pretty tasty; however, prepared Spain style; criolla seasonings were not present to categorize the dish as Cuban style. The word is not bland~seafood flavors took top note; whereas their should have been a marriage of seafood & criolla seasonings.

On to the good points: I liked the dim, candlelit feel of the place. Cramped never looked so good; yet, I did not feel uncomfortable. The lower floor was even romantic; although, my date was an old friend, I could not help but notice a lot of couples did frequent. The bill w/tip was $75; not bad, however, I did whince at my share the next day simply b-c I have had MUCH better Cuban food in NYC.

Posted 08/25/06

LOVED THE VIBE AT THIS PLACE GREAT FOODEVEN DANCED THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYONE STARTED DANCING! WE WILL BE BACK>>>

Pros: EXCELLENT LATINO EXPERIENCE

Cons: BATHROOMS too SMALL

Posted 08/04/06

Overall good service, great restaurant, great experience - Definitely will be coming back to Cuba!

Pros: food

Posted 07/25/06

Went there for brunch on a Sunday afternoon. Good music and sangria. Poor service. They were slow to take our order and only got 1 out of 4 of our orders right.

Pros: music, drinks

Cons: service

Posted 07/20/06

Cuba has it all -- ambience, great food, great service, great location!!! From the second we stepped inside, this place was wonderful. We were warmly greeted at the door and seated promptly. The nostalgic feel and live music (even on a Monday!) has made this my new favorite spot! So, if you are hungry or simply feel like having a drink and want to feel like you are away from bustling city for a few hours, get to Cuba quick!

Pros: food, ambience, service

Posted 07/10/06

Just had my bday dinner here - I had moved my party here after I couldn't reserve at some other restaurant due to the number of people I had (12). I had passed by Cuba on a number of occasions and remembered it so I took the risk and made a last minute reservation. What a good call!! Food was great - everybody had clean plates by the end of the night. Prices are reasonable for a "night out" kind of restaurant like this. It's my new favorite restaurant!

But what really makes this spot is the ambiance and vibe. Don't let the standard exterior fool you - go past the front area and you'll be surprised by the little cozy nooks the space has to offer. We were seated downstairs and it was even better - just have to see it for yourself. I would describe the vibe as cozy/romantic but also lively and loud. I went saturday and it was a busy night - I can see it being a good date spot but probably on weedays. My only complaint was that music at times was a tad too loud.

Overall good service, great restaurant, great experience - defintely coming back here again!!

Pros: great ambiance, romantic feel but lively at the same time, great for groups

Posted 07/08/06

My friend and I were roaming around for a good place to eat, and we walked by this restaurant. We haven't had cuban food in a while; so, we decided to try it out. It was a great dinner experience!!! The atmosphere was fabulous with the music, the lighting, everything! We chose to dine downstairs, only because we wanted to talk, and I thought it was the perfect area to have a relaxing dinner with a friend.

The food was simply AMAZING!!! However, I thought the dishes were pretty pricey, but I think it's worth every penny. If you go here, you HAVE to get a pitcher of their Sangria. It's the best I've EVER had!!!

I think this is definitely a place worth checking out!!

Pros: Great Food, Great Music, FABULOUS DRINKS!!!

Cons: Parking, Expensive

Posted 06/11/06

Great ambience, live music on a Monday night! Service was a little slow, but they were attentive and friendly. Food is good and the Mojitos are great!

Pros: Mojitos, Friendly staff

Cons: Small bar

Posted 05/31/06

Wonderful experience: The food, drinks, music and attention were simply excellent!!! I would highly recommend CUBA!!

Pros: Food, Drinks, Music

Cons: Small, a little expensive

Posted 05/17/06

Fabulous food, great service. I can't say enough good things

Posted 04/24/06

I WAS THERE FOR A FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY PARTY. FOOD WAS GREAT, STAFF WAS NICE AND PATIENT (CONSIDERING WE HAD ABOUT 30 PEOPLE IN OUR GROUP).

Posted 04/17/06

While strolling up Thompson St my boyfriend and I stumbled upon Cuba and decided to try it. The service was excellent from the get go. It's a small place and dimly lit with a nice romantic ambience. I had lamb and my friend had chicken, my lamb melted off the bone and was excellent (his dish was so-so) - both with cous-cous. I'd go again although I found prices to add up rather quickly with wine.

Pros: Food, Ambience, Service

Posted 03/28/06

Had my brothers 30th B-day dinner there. All the food was great and the portions were very nice. (I am a big fan of BIG portions) Everything was great, had the downstairs room next to the bar. One thing to keep an eye out for. If you have a large party, they already include the tip in the bill. We almost paid the waiter a double tip. Look out!!

Pros: food, portions

Cons: tip inludeded w/party

Posted 03/20/06

we took a friend from London to Cuba and had a wonderful evening. we were seated downstairs in a cosy setting. the staff were fantastic and kept the mojitos coming (very highly recommended). the food is average, but clearly the service, ambience and drinks make up for it.

Posted 02/19/06

After reading all of the poor reviews for the service at Cuba I was somewhat hesitant to dine here on Valentine's Day. We were seated as soon as we arrived at the restaurant. The live band was excellent. Red roses were given to all of the ladies. The food was excellent, as was the service. We even had a friend join us in the middle of our dinner and they accomodated our friend. This is a fun place. Thank you for a memorable Valentine's Day!

Pros: Food, Service, Decor

Cons: Very loud music

Posted 02/14/06

My associates @ the Law firm told me all about this place and seeing it from the outside you don't see much but once you go inside you realize its special purpose.The place was jammed with people so they sat us downstairs in this room they called Hemingways Hideaway. The MGR/Host ANGEL was most accomodating and attentive.We sat downstairs ate our meal.Vacca frita,paella,bocaditos,and some other tasty dishes.Then we came
back upstairs to enjoy the LIVE CUBAN MUSIC playing. To top it off a great cigar for my husband.Thanks for taking us during this crazy snow storm!!Thanks Angel ! Thanks Cuba

Pros: service, ambience, cigars

Posted 02/13/06

this is a great find...food yummy, great drinks and kool atmosphere!

Posted 01/18/06

We returned to Cuba restaurant to find our lil gem in the west village as cozy as returning home.The food tastes amazing ropa vieja with some pinchos and emapanadas for starters.We grooved to its sultry latin music. Makes me feel proud to be in touch with my latino roots.Thanks Cuba Thanks Angel the Mgr for making us feel special

Pros: cigars and musica

Cons: BAR Traffic

Posted 01/02/06

Well the ambiance, decor & cigar roller make up for the lack of service Cuba is able to provide. The Sangria & the live band helped to shorten the 2 hour wait we had for our 9 pm reservation. Mind you, a reservation that was made over 6 weeks prior, confirmed, & reconfirmed the same day. Staff apologies aside, the restaurant is best for small parties & off nights. The main dining room gets more crowded as Happy hour progresses. All in all: Good food, Great price, less than stellar service.

Pros: ambiance, price, live music

Cons: service, staff, small space

Posted 12/29/05

what a great place! the ambience is fantastic; we were seated in the back room which was really cozy and well decorated... the mojito was the best i've ever had, and they have a good selection of Chilean and Argentinean wines too... the appetizer we shared [pototo "balls" stuffed w/ cheese] was delicious, albeit small... get one for each of you! great seafood selection; the red snapper on a bed of plantains was the best thing i've had in a long time! my friend loved her steak, and even though shes not a vegetable lover, they were the first thing off her plate! The portions are just perfect - you'll finish your plate AND you'll be satisfied.... especially if you try the desserts - the flan was delicious as was the chocolate souffle... the bill, for two came to 90 WITH tip... absolutely worth it for such a great night!

Pros: food, ambience

Posted 12/18/05

This place is excellent. I had a great time. The inside is very cute, the pictures dont do it justice. Our server was polite and the service was fast, a rare combination in NYC. He greeted us with a smile and made us feel very comfortable. The mojitos here are AWESOME! This was my first time eating at Cuba but it will not be my last...I'll be back.

Pros: Food, Value, Service

Posted 12/10/05

We went to Cuba with a party of seven on Saturday night. We were early for our reservation but they seated us right away. Our waiter Tony was the best, fast, courteous and made sure our pitchers of Mojito and Sangria were always filled. The food is outstanding from the appetizers to the desserts, we were all stuffed and happy with the savory Cuban flavors. The band rocked the house and sang Happy Bday to my friend and got everyone in the place involved. They even served her a Flan with flame shooting sparklers as her candle, it was so exciting. Hand rolled Cigars are given to all patrons and they were great. My husband smoked it that night and raved about it.
Truly an outstanding time!!! We will definitely be back!

Pros: delicious food, great drinks , great service

Posted 11/06/05

The host was very accomodating and our waiter was so friendly. We had a large party and was originally seated downstairs. However, we wanted to sit upstairs for the entertainment, so they moved us and we were seated promptly. This restaurant has great menu selection and extremely reasonable prices. I recommend the Suckling Pig and Paella Valenciana. Also, if you go there, try not to be seated too close to the musicians. We were seated right behind them and since the place is pretty small, we had to shout to hear each other.

Pros: Bang for your bucks, friendly staff, great food

Cons: Small

Posted 09/12/05

I had a party of 15 this last saturday at the downstair room called Hemingway. The mojitos were terrific, the music out of this world, service cordial and friendly, something very unusuall in this days. The only problem was the manager who introduced himself, as Jorge, aproached our table in numerous time asking if everything was right, something that became kind of annoying, until I noticed alcohol breath coming from him. That explained everything, although, I'll absolutlly come back

Posted 09/11/05

The place is exellent as the food, it has a special atmosphere, It's the hot place in the Village, last friday I tried the Hallibut and it was exellent, It was one of the best fish that I have ever try. The staff was really great, everybody smile, and you can feel how happy everybody was. I will recomend this place to everyone

Pros: Fish, Service, Ambiance

Posted 08/29/05

If Cuba changed its wait staff's attitude, this place could be a really great restaurant. The waiter became visibly irritated when we didn't want to order any drinks at the start of the evening. I don't know, I guess he really likes serving drinks and us not ordering drinks just ruined his evening. My wife ordered Paella Valenciana but got Paella Marinera. I didn't want to make a big deal out of this so I just let it go. We ended up actually wanting a couple of glasses of wine later in the evening with our food but I figured if this place gets so hung up over drinks and they can't get the food right, better to save my money and spend it somewhere else. Oh, you should have seen the look on the waiter's face when we told him we didn't want any coffee after the meal.

Pros: See 'Cons' first, good food

Cons: Pushy wait staff, brought wrong dish

Posted 08/28/05

The service was horrible and painfully slow. Our female server was RUDE, had ATTITUDE, and SARCASTIC! My mother is from Cuba, and my family came from LA to visit me, so we made the mistake of coming here...it really put a sour note on our experience.
There are many other great cuban restaurants in the city...try ANY other one!

Pros: NONE

Cons: attitude, aweful service

Posted 08/23/05

I had a farewell party on Friday night for 14 people, and was a little nervous simply because I'd never been there before. Although I made the reservation the same day Ricardo, the manager, accommodated us and gave us a special party room at the back. We all had an awesome time and all my friends loved it. We're definitely going back. Mojitos and the sangria were the best I ever had in the city. The food was delicious and our waiter was great - very friendly and fun. The music and the ambience made us feel like we were in Cuba - was a great experience overall. The hand-rolled cigars at the end was the final touch of excellence.

Pros: great food, mojito, ambience

Cons: none

Posted 08/14/05

As a Cuban , I really recomend this restaurant. The food and drinks are very good....... like in the real Havana !!!!!!!!. The live music and the cigars are a plus.....
And If you want to know about the real " Cuba" , talk to Sergio.

Posted 08/11/05