(212) 420-7878

224 Thompson St (3rd Street and Bleecker Street)
New York, NY 10012 40.729149 -73.999056

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Neighborhoods: Greenwich Village, Downtown

CUBANYC.COM

Hours:

Mon-Thu 12pm-11pm

Fri-Sat 12pm-12am

Sun 12pm-11pm

Price:

$$$

Last updated 11.15.09

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, Debit Card

Restaurant Special Features:

Family-Friendly Dining, Outdoor Dining, Lunch Spot, Business Dining, Date Spot, Group Dining, Bar Scene

Cuisine:

Caribbean, Cuban

What People Are Saying About Cuba

Featured Review

Justin Hartung

Contributor

In Short – The West Village's revolutionary heyday may be long gone, but a different kind of party politics lives on at this Cuban restaurant. On the roster for debate: Should you dance first and work up an appetite for dishes like papas rellenas and ropa vieja, or salsa afterward to fight off the soporific effects of tres leches cake? Tropical plants, creamy white banquettes and brightly colored paintings of the motherland ensure the view will be splendid even during dance breaks.

Editor's Tips

When to Go:
Cuban music is performed by live bands on Thursday through Saturday nights. Other Latin sounds like salsa can be heard Monday and Wednesday nights. All shows start at 8pm.
Private Rooms:
Two private rooms can accomodate birthdays and other special events.
The Extras:
Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, a cigar-roller provides a free, take-home gift.
ambiance
98.50000381469727% positive
  1. The restaurand is cozy and romantic, love the live Cuban music.
  2. Great food, Amazing atmosphere
  3. went to "Cuba"the last weekend and I have the mos wonderfull time in NY, the ambiance was great, the food was really good , It was the best cuban food that I ever tried in NYC.
  4. The ambiance is cool and the service is good, but the food is mediocre at best.
  5. The ambience and the people who serve are really great.
  6. The staff was fun and polite.
  7. It's great if your looking for a romantic data spot, or you're out with another couple or two.
  8. Well Cuba has the real thing, great food, really great drinks too, nice atmosphere, and good service.
  9. Cuba has it all -- ambience, great food, great service, great location!
  10. The downstairs room is cozy and romantic.
  11. We picked it because it seemed like a fun atmosphere, the food looked great, we love sangria and mojitos, the cigar roller, etc.
  12. Very cool atmosphere with excellent food.
  13. Although a bit small, the live music, food and the bartender added to the great ambience of the restaurant.
  14. The upstairs area is small but cozy, its a very nice atmosphere for romantic dinner or with friends.
  15. This place has a really nice warm ambiance and the night I went with some friends the place was full of beautiful people.
  16. Everything from the ambience to the service to the food was amazing.
  17. 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.
  18. Overall, food was pretty good, our server was fun, and it was affordable.
  19. the reason i love this place the most though is the atmosphere: the music, the dimly lit dining, and the service you get.
  20. The atmosphere was lively and fun, the staff (Tony & Eduardo) were perfectly attentive and professional and the food was delicious and served beautifully.
  21. 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.
  22. very nice atmosphere.
  23. Nevertheless, the location is appetizing enough if you overlook the faults.
  24. It's a small place and dimly lit with a nice romantic ambience.
  25. Great music & great atmosphere!
  26. The place was romantic and had a great vibe.
  27. The food was delicious and our waiter was great - very friendly and fun.
  28. food yummy, great drinks and kool atmosphere!
  29. Excellent food and a great atmosphere
  30. was there last Friday and saw that the place had a great upbeat atmosphere.
  31. Totally awesome decor and atmosphere.
  32. was in "Cuba" for a romantic dinner and everything was perfect.
  33. the ambience is fantastic; we were seated in the back room which was really cozy and well decorated.
  34. 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.
  35. The live music great very romantic.
  36. The music and the ambience made us feel like we were in Cuba - was a great experience overall.
  37. Great ambience, live music on a Monday night!
  38. The music in the restaurant was fun and lively.
  39. They have two floors, if you want to have a nice romantic dinner I suggest the lower seating, upstairs you have the live music but it?
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. At the end of dinner, our waiter surprised my mother (and father and I for that matter) with a delicious tres leches cake with a volcanic sparkler candle atop.
  2. When it came time for dessert, they gave him a huge sparkler on his cake, and some of the waitresses even danced with him.
  3. especially if you try the desserts - the flan was delicious as was the chocolate souffle.
  4. had a tres leche cake made especially for the party as the managers suggested and it was a amazing My husbands co workers all raved about this place and want to come back on their own.
  5. The food is outstanding from the appetizers to the desserts, we were all stuffed and happy with the savory Cuban flavors.
  6. Everything from apps to desserts is great.
  7. The tres leche cake has a nice pineapple twist, so does the tuna salad sharing itself with
  8. The bombon cubano deliciously sinful(warm chocolate cake mmmmmm)We will be back again:)I would recommend this place
  9. we couldnt even order dessert or sing happy birthday.
drinks
95.2400016784668% positive
  1. The bartender can't make a drink- the mojito was absolutely nasty.
  2. the mojito was the best i've ever had, and they have a good selection of Chilean and Argentinean wines too.
  3. and for drinks, for me its either a glass of sauvblanc or one of their fabulous mango mojitos.
  4. drinks was great and the price was right.
  5. Also, the drinks were awesome.
  6. Overall as funny as it sounds the bar downstairs was actually great for us.
  7. Once we sat down we placed drink orders immediately, red sangria and mojitos, which were excellent.
  8. The food is amazing as so are the drinks.
  9. The food and drinks are very good.
  10. There was a live band playing Cuban music and the drinks were great, if you can get the bartender's attention.
  11. really like the apps and the drinks are great.
  12. (I am a big fan of BIG portions) Everything was great, had the downstairs room next to the bar.
  13. The waiter became visibly irritated when we didn't want to order any drinks at the start of the evening.
  14. We waited at the bar for our table and really felt that we were in a warm festive enviroment.
  15. don't drink but my fiance said the mojitos were perfect.
  16. The mojitos were a little strong but the bartender made up some fruity drinks that were so good!
  17. Wonderful experience: The food, drinks, music and attention were simply excellent!
  18. Well Cuba has the real thing, great food, really great drinks too, nice atmosphere, and good service.
  19. Great drinks, btw!
  20. Also great drinks, especially Mondays where they offer a great price.
  21. food yummy, great drinks and kool atmosphere!
food quality
90.90999603271484% positive
  1. All in all: Good food, Great price, less than stellar service.
  2. The food is outstanding from the appetizers to the desserts, we were all stuffed and happy with the savory Cuban flavors.
  3. The food was delicious and our waiter was great - very friendly and fun.
  4. would definitely go back the food was wonderful and very reasonable.
  5. Excellent place for real cuban food
  6. The food was stupendous and the service was excellent.
  7. The food and drinks are very good.
  8. am so glad I found Cuba because their food, service, music, and Mojito's are AMAZING!
  9. My boyfriend and I are always on the look out for great Cuban food.
  10. The Paella was delicious but it needed a dash of salt and pepper.
  11. The food and service were amazing.
  12. Maybe at different time, another day this place is great, but the food was still WEAK!
  13. Great food - long wait
  14. The service was good, although the waiter didn't write down my order and forgot my plantains when the meal came out but it was brought out within 2 minutes.
  15. We picked it because it seemed like a fun atmosphere, the food looked great, we love sangria and mojitos, the cigar roller, etc.
  16. Everything is delicious
  17. Great Cuban food!
  18. Excellent food and service
  19. The atmosphere was lively and fun, the staff (Tony & Eduardo) were perfectly attentive and professional and the food was delicious and served beautifully.
  20. my friend loved her steak, and even though shes not a vegetable lover, they were the first thing off her plate!
  21. The flan was tasty.
  22. Very good cuban food!
  23. The food was delicious, but the service was possibly the worst I've ever experienced in a restaurant that charges as much as it does.
  24. Great food, I really thought that this restaurant was special.
  25. Excellent Service, delicious food
  26. Most of the Cuban restaurants are the same, Cuba's food was very unique, out of this world!
  27. would absolutely recomment Cuba to anyone who loves good food and music.
  28. Normally, I am one to stay away from flavored mojitos (as mojitos in their original form are delicious enough) but my mom's raspberry mojito--fresh muddled raspberries along with a stick of sugarcane--was one of the best libations I have tasted.
  29. Their pork dish MASITAS DE PUERCO "EL COCHINITO" was basically tasteless boiled meat and nothing like Cuban pork.
  30. The tres leche cake has a nice pineapple twist, so does the tuna salad sharing itself with
  31. The venue was ideal, the mojitos divinely deadly, the food delicious and the staff were dedicated to our cause.
  32. All the food was great and the portions were very nice.
  33. At the end of dinner, our waiter surprised my mother (and father and I for that matter) with a delicious tres leches cake with a volcanic sparkler candle atop.
  34. The live music was enjoyable and the hand rolled cigars made the experience authentic.
  35. never order salads at restaurants because I think it's a waste but it just sounded delicious so I tried it and loved it.
  36. Their seafood/meat paella is so good!
  37. The food is amazing as so are the drinks.
  38. Although a bit small, the live music, food and the bartender added to the great ambience of the restaurant.
  39. The food was exelent, the "Empanadas" with tomatillo sauce were great.
  40. recommend the restaurant to anyone who wants to have good Latin/Cuban cuisine and a great coconut mojito!
  41. For entrees got the FILETILLO SALTEADO and she got the VACA FRITA and both were delicious and the serving portion was just right.
  42. Well it was my girlfriends bday friday so I decided that cuba would be a nice place because she loves spanish food.
  43. The food was great - and what a value!
  44. Went here last Friday, the food was amazing.
  45. Luckily the food was so good we weren't talking too much anyway.
  46. The food tastes amazing ropa vieja with some pinchos and emapanadas for starters.
  47. Great food service on thing too look out for
  48. The food is soo delicious loved the lechon asado and the white sangria.
  49. 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.
  50. they are not joking when they brag about "the best" and the food was amazing.
  51. The food was absolutley wonderful and portions were just enough.
  52. Amazing food!
  53. 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.
  54. On the plus side, the food was good (not very expensive, too) and our waiter was great.
  55. The food was excellent, as was the service.
  56. The mojitos were addictive and the food was very tasty, right on the money!
  57. Wonderful experience: The food, drinks, music and attention were simply excellent!
  58. Great cuban food
  59. Great food, Amazing atmosphere
  60. Great food, great service
  61. especially if you try the desserts - the flan was delicious as was the chocolate souffle.
  62. It was well worth the wait, the best Cuban food and Mojitos that I had in a very long time.
  63. The food was great.
  64. The snippy and rude waiter would not even take our order, About, 20 minutes later the Gerneral Manager sent over free appetizers of french fries, empanadas and croquettas.
  65. went to "Cuba"the last weekend and I have the mos wonderfull time in NY, the ambiance was great, the food was really good , It was the best cuban food that I ever tried in NYC.
  66. went here for my birthday and the food was amazing!
  67. Excellent food and a great atmosphere
  68. am Cuban-American and I know how hard it can be to find great authentic Cuban food in NYC.
  69. Great food, awful service
  70. this has been the best cuban food,the live music,the best mojitos in town,the sangria rocks,,service is great,they make you feel part of family,go to cuba you wiil love it.
  71. If you like fine authentic Cuban food and enjoy a smooth Cigar after a long day at work I would highly recommend Cuba.
  72. great food great service goood job guys.
  73. On top of all of this, the food and music were incredible.
  74. The empandas were delicious and the mago mojito was amazing.
  75. Cuba has it all -- ambience, great food, great service, great location!
  76. Really innovative delicious food where the chef is not afraid to risk combining
  77. Every last bite was delicious.
  78. 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.
  79. had the "El cochinito" which was some very well marinated pork served with dirty rice, and she had the "Camarones Enchilados.
  80. food yummy, great drinks and kool atmosphere!
  81. The terrible service more than erased any positive impression I might have gotten from the food which was ok at best.
  82. Overall, food was pretty good, our server was fun, and it was affordable.
  83. The first time was a few months ago for a client dinner and I was super impressed, everything was delicious.
  84. would recommend the maji-maji, DEFINITELY the fried calamari, maduros, skirt steak, and empanadas, to name a few.
  85. Not only was the food fabulous, but the place is so cool.
  86. Great food at good prices.
  87. Good Entertainment, bad food.
  88. had the hemingway salad for dinner and it was the best salad I have had in a long time.
  89. Once seated in my very cramped area, I managed to enjoy an "ok" meal until I accidentally burnt my wrist.
  90. The food was excellent and friendly waitress.
  91. we had a wonderful meal and a wonderful experience all thanks to our waiter tony.
  92. The ambiance is cool and the service is good, but the food is mediocre at best.
  93. It's hard to find good quality, authentic Cuban food, and this place sure has it.
  94. Everything from the ambience to the service to the food was amazing.
  95. My boyfriend never had cuban food so this was a great opportunity.
  96. Very cool atmosphere with excellent food.
  97. ALWAYS order the same dishes when I'm here.
  98. The appetizers were delicious.
  99. They ruin a red snapper by frying it, the salmon tasted fishy and the calamari was cold.
  100. Well Cuba has the real thing, great food, really great drinks too, nice atmosphere, and good service.
  101. The food is good, but not worth the bad service.
  102. the appetizer we shared [pototo "balls" stuffed w/ cheese] was delicious, albeit small.
  103. he loved the cigars the mojitos and his favorite dish his mother used to make
  104. Great food
  105. love their fried cassava that comes with this very tasty sauce.
  106. Everyone loved the food!
  107. Fabulous food, great service.
  108. However, I thought the dishes were pretty pricey, but I think it's worth every penny.
  109. Went here with a friend for the first time and it was surprisingly crowded, yet lively, and food was awesomely good!
  110. The food was simply AMAZING!
menu variety
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. the menu is pricey though.
  2. The waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu.
  3. The waiter was very nice and helpful with the menu.
  4. the mojito was the best i've ever had, and they have a good selection of Chilean and Argentinean wines too.
  5. She helped us out with the menu and gave great suggestions.
  6. Our table was then ready we enjoyed the Live music and this really good selection of specials that our
  7. This restaurant has great menu selection and extremely reasonable prices.
overall
98.80999565124512% positive
  1. This place has a really nice warm ambiance and the night I went with some friends the place was full of beautiful people.
  2. had recently moved to NY from Miami and was looking for a great place to throw my husbands BIG 40th
  3. read some reviews and looked at the pictures on the website,and it seemed to be a really nice place.
  4. just got a new job in the city 2 weeks ago and wanted to take my girlfriend out on a date to a nice restaurant to celebrate my new position.
  5. Well it was my girlfriends bday friday so I decided that cuba would be a nice place because she loves spanish food.
  6. Overall it was a good place but not somewhere I'd go for a special occasion.
  7. Although a bit small, the live music, food and the bartender added to the great ambience of the restaurant.
  8. It's hard to find good quality, authentic Cuban food, and this place sure has it.
  9. For me, it's the best Cuban restaurant in town, go and see it for yourself!
  10. it's a good date place, has a good vibe, and the sangria was primo.
  11. What a great place, just like Zagat 2006 mentioned it.
  12. So we wanted to spend what little time we had at a great restaurant.
  13. If Cuba changed its wait staff's attitude, this place could be a really great restaurant.
  14. very nice place
  15. Overall good service, great restaurant, great experience - Definitely will be coming back to Cuba!
  16. Overall good service, great restaurant, great experience - defintely coming back here again!
  17. However, "Cuba" proved to be a great restaurant and I scored some points.
  18. My friend and I were roaming around for a good place to eat, and we walked by this restaurant.
  19. what a great place!
  20. Cuba is a great place for a night out with friends.
  21. It's my new favorite restaurant!
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. Time and time again I return to Cuba and have recommended freinds and family.
  2. had a tres leche cake made especially for the party as the managers suggested and it was a amazing My husbands co workers all raved about this place and want to come back on their own.
  3. would definitely go back the food was wonderful and very reasonable.
  4. The bombon cubano deliciously sinful(warm chocolate cake mmmmmm)We will be back again:)I would recommend this place
service
76.95000171661377% positive
  1. The hostess was rude and the manager was no help at all.
  2. The service was excellent from the get go.
  3. 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
  4. Our server was a rude older gentlement who didnt even think we deserved a simple HELLO.
  5. the staff were fantastic and kept the mojitos coming (very highly recommended).
  6. The staff was fun and polite.
  7. There was a live band playing Cuban music and the drinks were great, if you can get the bartender's attention.
  8. At the end of dinner, our waiter surprised my mother (and father and I for that matter) with a delicious tres leches cake with a volcanic sparkler candle atop.
  9. Our waiter was very attentive.
  10. Cuba has it all -- ambience, great food, great service, great location!
  11. great food great service goood job guys.
  12. This place has a really nice warm ambiance and the night I went with some friends the place was full of beautiful people.
  13. Every table was taken but the greeting and service we received was outstanding.
  14. The mojitos were a little strong but the bartender made up some fruity drinks that were so good!
  15. The food is good, but not worth the bad service.
  16. The ambience and the people who serve are really great.
  17. Some of the worst service ever experienced in NYC
  18. The service was horrible and painfully slow.
  19. The staff was so attentive, especially Angel, the manager.
  20. The staff was really great, everybody smile, and you can feel how happy everybody was.
  21. When it came time for dessert, they gave him a huge sparkler on his cake, and some of the waitresses even danced with him.
  22. Well Cuba has the real thing, great food, really great drinks too, nice atmosphere, and good service.
  23. Overall good service, great restaurant, great experience - defintely coming back here again!
  24. Excellent food and service
  25. The waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu.
  26. Service was a little slow, but they were attentive and friendly.
  27. The hostess seated us downstairs, which was great 'cause the main floor was chaotic.
  28. Overall, food was pretty good, our server was fun, and it was affordable.
  29. The host was very accomodating and our waiter was so friendly.
  30. The terrible service more than erased any positive impression I might have gotten from the food which was ok at best.
  31. On the plus side, the food was good (not very expensive, too) and our waiter was great.
  32. The bartender can't make a drink- the mojito was absolutely nasty.
  33. The snippy and rude waiter would not even take our order, About, 20 minutes later the Gerneral Manager sent over free appetizers of french fries, empanadas and croquettas.
  34. this has been the best cuban food,the live music,the best mojitos in town,the sangria rocks,,service is great,they make you feel part of family,go to cuba you wiil love it.
  35. The food was excellent and friendly waitress.
  36. Had my birthday dinner here, this place is awesome great service.
  37. Our waiter Tony was the best, fast, courteous and made sure our pitchers of Mojito and Sangria were always filled.
  38. Great food service on thing too look out for
  39. The food was delicious and our waiter was great - very friendly and fun.
  40. If Cuba changed its wait staff's attitude, this place could be a really great restaurant.
  41. The service was good, although the waiter didn't write down my order and forgot my plantains when the meal came out but it was brought out within 2 minutes.
  42. Angel, the manager was very helpful in planning the party and made sure that things ran smoothly.
  43. The staff was rude.
  44. the staff was extremely accomodating and made it a great experience.
  45. All in all: Good food, Great price, less than stellar service.
  46. we had a wonderful meal and a wonderful experience all thanks to our waiter tony.
  47. Our waiter was nice and competent.
  48. If you dont mind bad service this is your place, if not there are great other latin restaurants in NYC with great service!
  49. Our server was polite and the service was fast, a rare combination in NYC.
  50. The venue was ideal, the mojitos divinely deadly, the food delicious and the staff were dedicated to our cause.
  51. Who would want to dine at place with such a rude staff?
  52. However, the host was rude and snobby.
  53. The food was delicious, but the service was possibly the worst I've ever experienced in a restaurant that charges as much as it does.
  54. The waiter became visibly irritated when we didn't want to order any drinks at the start of the evening.
  55. Great food, great service
  56. am so glad I found Cuba because their food, service, music, and Mojito's are AMAZING!
  57. The waiter failed to mention that the plate was piping hot & didn't have anything for me to put on my burn.
  58. The waiter was very nice and helpful with the menu.
  59. The ambiance is cool and the service is good, but the food is mediocre at best.
  60. Fabulous food, great service.
  61. waitress recommended.
  62. Although a bit small, the live music, food and the bartender added to the great ambience of the restaurant.
  63. Great place, rude host
  64. the reason i love this place the most though is the atmosphere: the music, the dimly lit dining, and the service you get.
  65. 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.
  66. After asking to speak to the manager (hostess was extremely rude) he continued to be rude and suggest that we were late so therefore they gave our tabke away.
  67. The food and service were amazing.
  68. The food was excellent, as was the service.
  69. The food was stupendous and the service was excellent.
  70. Our female server was RUDE, had ATTITUDE, and SARCASTIC!
  71. Service is decent but sometimes hard to get the waiter's attention.
  72. The atmosphere was lively and fun, the staff (Tony & Eduardo) were perfectly attentive and professional and the food was delicious and served beautifully.
  73. The service was excellent.
  74. Overall good service, great restaurant, great experience - Definitely will be coming back to Cuba!
  75. Everything from the ambience to the service to the food was amazing.
  76. The bartenders and servers are all great and super friendly.
  77. Great food, awful service
value
80.55999755859375% positive
  1. The food was great - and what a value!
  2. Great food at good prices.
  3. Overall, food was pretty good, our server was fun, and it was affordable.
  4. Also great drinks, especially Mondays where they offer a great price.
  5. It was well worth the wait, the best Cuban food and Mojitos that I had in a very long time.
  6. The mojitos were addictive and the food was very tasty, right on the money!
  7. All in all: Good food, Great price, less than stellar service.
  8. The food is good, but not worth the bad service.
  9. All the food was great and the portions were very nice.
  10. The red snapper with veggies was good but not worth $20 - esp.
  11. drinks was great and the price was right.
  12. However, I thought the dishes were pretty pricey, but I think it's worth every penny.
  13. The appetizers were overpriced and not of good quality.
  14. It was not worth the money, and my friend had a horrible 25th birthday experience.
  15. The prices were reasonable and the portions were, well, you'll leave full.
  16. This is NYC and there are so many good restaurants to spend your hard-earned money at; this is not one of them.
  17. The portions are just perfect - you'll finish your plate AND you'll be satisfied.
  18. When it came time for dessert, they gave him a huge sparkler on his cake, and some of the waitresses even danced with him.
  19. This restaurant has great menu selection and extremely reasonable prices.
  20. This place was awesome definitely check it out--- worth a try.
  21. On the plus side, the food was good (not very expensive, too) and our waiter was great.
  22. The food was absolutley wonderful and portions were just enough.
  23. (I am a big fan of BIG portions) Everything was great, had the downstairs room next to the bar.
  24. the menu is pricey though.
wait time
68.75% positive
  1. It was well worth the wait, the best Cuban food and Mojitos that I had in a very long time.
  2. The service was horrible and painfully slow.
  3. The snippy and rude waiter would not even take our order, About, 20 minutes later the Gerneral Manager sent over free appetizers of french fries, empanadas and croquettas.
  4. Great food - long wait
  5. If you like fine authentic Cuban food and enjoy a smooth Cigar after a long day at work I would highly recommend Cuba.
  6. had the hemingway salad for dinner and it was the best salad I have had in a long time.
  7. The service was good, although the waiter didn't write down my order and forgot my plantains when the meal came out but it was brought out within 2 minutes.
  8. Service was a little slow, but they were attentive and friendly.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/15/11

very romantic, great food!!!

by omor87 at Citysearch

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday on a weeknight. we were seated right away between the cigar roller and the live band. we had amazing mojito23 cocktails its like a mojito with champagne. i had 2 and well i guess im a lightweight because it got me kind of drunk lol!!!

We had amazing apetizers (although very small) and as soon as we were done with that we got our entree all within 20 minutes of us being there, the staff were really friendly and efficient. it was definately romantic and intimate. ive been downstaires before and definately not as intimate as the top floor. i made a reservation a week ahead and the room was pretty empty mabe 3 other tables were full so it was nice.

we were out of there within an hour very satisfied. we tipped thhe cigar roller and he gave us 4 cigars! he was really nice. overall a great experience, a little pricey but well worth it. ill definately go back.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/15/11

GREAT Cuban Food Experience...!

by PhillipLisa at Citysearch

Ok, let’s start with the atmosphere/vibe of all Luis Skibar owned restaurants: clean/neat , festive/lively, chatty - a good thing (dislike quiet places – don’t get me wrong, you can have a perfect romantic evening here and hear each other’s conversation!), warm/inviting and romantic all rolled into one! The food is outstanding, Chef – Mario Garcia has kept the high standards every day – consistently. Very generous portions! The staff do their duties to the upmost, but also have fun and can mingle. Happy employees make for a happy restaurant and impeccable service. Now, Eduardo is one of the best bartender’s, excuse me – mixologist in NYC. He is passionate and dedicated to everything he is creating from scratch using the freshest of ingredients. Come a little early before having dinner or after or come in just to experience some of the great tropical drinks that are offered year round, at his bar. The sangria and mojitos are some of the best in all of NYC, if not THE. Viviana and the other hostess(es) on the weekend and during the week (sorry, two lovely people but do not know their names – yet) are friendly, pleasant and accommodating. Jose Martinez the cigar maker, gives you a complimentary fresh/hand rolled cigar to top off your meal. The wait staff are all great BUT one in particular – Tony is a gentleman and a pleasure to have gotten to know. He is very attentive and makes great recommendations if you are not sure about something on the menu. My wife and I try a different dish each time we come there. We used to go to their sister restaurant – Havana Alma De Cuba on a regular basis when Giovanny Campos (now partner at Yerba Buena) was the manager, so we have switched up and have agreed to divide our time 99% at Cuba and 1% at Havana. It’s like “la familia” (family ) again – all over. To owner and staff, keep up the great work!

PS – The live musicians are an added plus!

Phillip & Lisa

1 Star Rating: Poor

02/26/11

Bad food, rude waitstaff

by jeffrotul at Citysearch

Took a cab ride here especially to try the cuban but my wife and I found the food to be pretty bad and the staff's attitude to be even worse. Don't waste your time here.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/29/10

Good Cuban food on this continent

by berger_jane at Citysearch

It is not pricey for the area and well worth it for the quality of food that you do get. The staff is extremely kind and can answers all your questions about the food and what the different dishes taste like.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/28/10

Decent food, great drinks, great music

by evody at Citysearch

You can't beat the location of this place. Lots of bars and restaurants in the village. Getting in was easy, but the layout of the restaurant was strange. Upstairs is where the live music and environment is at. If it's full, you go downstairs to a dark room that feels very segregated from the rest of the restaurant. We ended up down there with two groups of people, one of which was beyond obnoxiously loud. I'm a New Yorker AND latino and I thought they were loud. This has nothing to do with them, other than we were squeezed into a tight space. If you can stay upstairs, do it.

Let me start with presentation being the best thing they do. Food looks amazing on the plate and make you want to eat until you explode. I have mixed emotions about the food though. I ordered the Ceviche and immediately was overwhelmed with the taste of cilantro. Whomever prepared it went overboard. It was prepared perfectly and had an amazing taste aside from that. We also had the shrimp stuffed platanos (first bite should be over a plate) which were ok. I had their chicken soup with yet again more cilantro. Completely not necessary for chicken soup.

Our main courses were mozzarella and shrimp stuffed chicken with mashed potatoes, ropa vieja with rice and the paella valencia. The mashed potatoes were amazing. Great flavor and consistancy. The chicken however was just ok. Usage of the cheese was a nice change but seemed a bit out of place. The ropa vieja was presented in a very cool cup made of plantain chips. Unfortunately it was bland. This is one of my favorite meals and is comfort food to me. I was looking forward to it, but found it to be just mediocre. Rice was ok as well as the beans. The paella looked beautiful. I was very anxious to eat this meal. The taste, unfortunately, was yet again bland. The mussels were gritty, the rice was grainy and chicken was dry.

Our mixed drinks were amazing. Do yourself a favor and be sure to have a few. The caipirinha I had was so on point. The other two ordered pina coladas which were both great.

Overall I would go back again but try to stay upstairs with the live music. If you're not latino, you'll find that their food is flavored just right. Being latino, I know how each of those plates should taste, having made them for years.

  • Pros: live music, hand rolled cigars, great drinks and appetizers
  • Cons: small space, inconsistant food

The Details on Cuba

Place Categories:

  • great fine authentic cuban food
  • great date place
  • great food service
  • best mojitos
  • great cuban restaurant
  • great dinner experience
  • very attentive waiter
  • great fruity drinks
  • rude staff
  • nice peoples
  • worst service
  • great kool atmosphere
  • great everything
  • loved white sangria
  • great romantic ambience
  • loved vibe
  • romantic night dinner
  • highly recommend cuba
  • rude hostess
  • delicious appetizers
  • amazing ropa vieja
  • favorite date spot
  • great live music
  • great prices
  • enjoy smooth cigar