Havana Alma De Cuba
“For the entree I got the ropa vieja, which is truly as delicious as everyone says.”
“Come here for the best Cuban you'll find off the island, blueberry caprahinia's, and HAND ROLLED cigars (they are free!)”
“Everything from the beef empanadas to the bistec de palomilla to the mojitos were fantastic.”
Havana Alma De Cuba
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Cuban Goodness
Tasty Brunch
Came here with friends for a birthday brunch. We were seated in a back room which was not attached to the main dining area. Plenty of long tables for large groups, and friendly wait staff.
I had the soup of the day which had some meat and potatoes in it. Along with a beer it was a nice light choice. Have been here several times but never for brunch before. Looking around at the brunch options everything that came out looked pretty good, but if you're a vegetarian this place isn't going to be a top spot for you. Dessert was good, the flan being my favorite of the two desserts we tried. Both were somewhat sweet but not too. Great consistency.
If you're looking for an all you can drink brunch special, they've got one here. I wasn't personally up for day drinking but if you're in the mood, add Havana Alma to your list of spots.
All around nice spot, just not my personal favorite.
The Scene: Casual
Destination Rating: 5
Date Rating: 4
Hob Nob Potential: 2
Note: reservations for brunch might be a good idea if you plan on coming.
Working in a new area I am on the hunt for new lunch spots. I was craving Cuban so a Yelp search brought me to Havana Alma de Cuba. Score! Or so I thought. I was scanning their menu and found that they serve Choripan – it has been a personal goal of mine to find a place that serves a good Choripan sandwich like my family makes. I was excited (and hungry) so placed an order for pickup along with steamed yucca with mojo. Not cheap, the total it cost me $16 and but if the sandwich was as good as I was hoping, it would be worth it to me.
I was thinking about the choripan as I walked to Christopher street…mmm, couldn't wait. When I finally get to HADC, boom, big ol "B" letter rating on the window. Dammit…ugh. Ok, I can get over this.
Walk in to pick up my order, and it's dead like the horse I'm beating talking about the choripan. The woman who helped me couldnt figure out if I had been charged by Seamless yet and it took a minute for her and another person to determine that yes, it was paid for.
Walk back home and open the container. Disappointment….A big piece of italian bread with a little bit of chopped chorizo and onions. Wow, not worth the price or walk. The yucca on the other hand was delish but don't think that was even the $6 price tag.
Hey I tried, and failed.
The restaurant has a nice quiet ambiance in the back. The front area was more lively.
Order:
Yucca fries as an appetizer
Grilled corn as a side
Steak special of the evening as entre
Yucca fries were tasty, not a very large amount.
Grilled corn was split into two, quite delicious.
The steak special was a bit disappointing. The rice and veggies were great but the steak was over done and tough.
Overall, decent meal but a bit pricey.
Came in with a large group of coworkers (about 10 of us) with a reservation and while I was generally happy with the food, I thought the service could have been a tad better.
We ordered about 6 apps to share, and they were VERY small. The servers didn't do a great job describing the amount (rather than saying "it's a decent size" why don't you just tell me the specific number of each item come in an order). So some people missed out on certain things, but it ended up working out okay.
Our co-worker who couldn't make it ordered us a round of shots which were supposed to be delivered when we arrived but they didn't come until right before we were eating our meals.
The apps were all tasty, and for an entree I had the ropa vieja which was good, but I actually found it to be lacking some seasoning. I'd try something else if I returned. Churros for dessert were delicious.
I'd definitely give it another try with a smaller group so I could get a better sense, since I know sometimes with a large group it's hard to get the true vibe.
Tried Havana for desserts last night. Small but homey restaurant with a "feel good, feel home" atmosphere between regulars and super friendly staff. Live acoustic guitar also made for a lovely night. I tried the coconut flan and the tres leches cake, and although I've had better, the pastries were decent. The tres leches was very sweet and not as spongy/moist and the coconut flan was quite dense. But both were served fast and with a great smile, satisfied a craving and were not too expensive ($8 each). Will be back to try the full menu!
My gf was craving a boozy brunch and heard about this place. We decided to check it out.
For 13.95 you get unlimited brunch drinks (sangria, and few other options) for 1.5 hours. The Blueberry Caipirnha is strong and it tastes strong. The sangria is nice and sweet.
THe bistec a caballo….was just meh. I should have tried some other dishes like the arroz con pollo or ropa vieja.
A solid location if you're willing to trek to the west village.
My only gripe is that the venue is small.
An above average place for a romantic dinner in the West Village. I made a Valentine's Day reservation and learned that it would be a special pre fixe dinner menu. No worries. Four courses, plus a choice of a pitcher of mojitos or a bottle of cava. We chose mojitos, which were tasty but too sweet.
The atmosphere was great, Cuban themed, and romantic. Service started slowly but got better. Food had highs and lows. The ceviche first course was terrific and citrusy, with pomegranate seeds added for taste. The chupo (stew) was tasty, although with limited seafood. The entrees were just okay, with mar y tierra – a grilled half lobster and small steak – and costillas de cordero – lamb ribs with coconut rice. The lamb was a bit undercooked and the lobster overcooked. Desert brought wonderful fresh strawberries covered with white chocolate. The backyard garden looks like it would be perfect on a warm summer night.
This place is always a good idea.
Everything I have ordered has been delicious, including the drinks! I'm not Cuban, but I've been told by my Cuban foo-bougist boyfriend that the food is authentic too.
It's good to come for drinks and snacks with friends, a group of friends, date night, and brunch. The best part of brunch is the $14 1.5 hour bottomless drinks. The drinks are awesome and they do not rush you to finish!