Ah, La Guarida! Just saying the name makes me think of swift jazz music and caviar. La Guarida is one of, if not the, nicest restaurant in all of Havana.

I knew when I booked my trip to Havana, that I just had to experience this staple of Cuban culture. After all, the Cuban film “Strawberry and Chocolate” was filmed at this iconic restaurant, and it’s been bustling with business ever since.

Getting there

The actual location of the restaurant is likely quite aways from where you are staying, so be sure to leave early. It’ isn’t located in any part of Havana where tourists would be booking a hotel or Airbnb.

My friend and I decided to walk about 20 minutes from our Airbnb and then took a cab home afterward. If you do decide to take a cab, make sure to negotiate a price BEFORE getting into the cab. I believe we paid around $10 CUP for our short taxi ride, however, we certainly played our poker face to negotiate that price.

Reservations are a MUST.

It is essential that you make reservations to dine at La Guarida weeks in advance. When you make your reservations online in advance, be sure to include in the notes that you’d like a table outdoors if they are able to accommodate it!

Now the best part.. the food!

Now let’s get to the most important part of any dining experience… the food! At first, I was disappointed because they were out of all chicken, but it was not the restaurant’s fault. Unfortunately, at the time, Cuba was experiencing a severe food shortage.

This shortage obviously affected many restaurants, and of course the Cuban people. However, this forced me to go out of my comfort zone to try a pork dish the server recommended, and it was incredible!

We started off the dining experience with Piña colada’s, bread, and pesto ravioli. The pesto ravioli (Ravioli de Queso) was actually my favorite dish if the evening as it was light and full of flavor. Definitely the perfect appetizer to begin your meal with.

For our entrees, I ordered a Pork dish (Solomillo de cerdo) with mango salsa and added on a side of rice. It was absolutely delicious! My friend ordered lobster, and while she said it was very good, it was just a tad below her lobster expectations.

We ended the meal with Chocolate Tres Leches cake and Sopa de Coco (coconut “soup”) dessert, which were both very tasty!

The price $

Our ticket came in the most charming little box. Our bill ended up totaling to around $50 each. However, we really went all out ordering mixed drinks, bread, appetizers, extra sides, and dessert. You could definitely eat here if you were on a tighter budget. We knew this would be our most special meal, so we really took advantage of all the delicious options presented to us.

We left La Guarida totally full and satisfied. Dining here was an enchanting experience that I recommend everyone takes the time to have during their time in Havana. Be sure to stop by the restrooms on your way out, which just as impressive as the the restaurant!