La Casona Del Arte Cuban Food
La Casona Del Arte is a great local restaurant in Varadero, Cuba. It was my first time in Cuba and a couple introduced me to this little gem in the city. It’s not that easy to find and had the couple not invited me to join them for dinner (who had been to Cuba several times) I probably would never have found this little slice of Cuban food heaven.
It’s on the second floor of the house on a side street of Varadero and it is a simple but very welcoming restaurant with a bright blue coloured balcony where there are a few small tables on the outside. The indoor area of the restaurant has more space for a handful more tables and a clean bathroom (don’t be shocked that it has a bathtub and shower curtains in it). The staff that day only spoke Spanish which made the experience even more authentic.
The main reason I wanted to go there was because I was told they had great lobster and seafood. I was not disappointed by their dishes, they were delicious.
I ordered a side dish called tostones which is fried green plantain that was flattened. Crispy and tasty they reminded me of Caribbean food staples.
The main dish and piece de resistance was definitely the lobster. It came with some salad, mashed pumpkin and of course Cuban style black beans and rice. The menu didn’t actually have the lobster listed but, you can ask them if they have it available in Spanish (la longasta) and order it as small, medium or large lobster tails (medium lobster tail is shown in picture and cost $12 CUC at that time).
The lobster tail was grilled and was cooked to perfection. The lobster was so fresh and flavourful that there is no need for butter to be added or needed for dipping the lobster meat in (which is not offered like it is in North America, but don’t worry you won’t miss it). I really enjoyed this dish and was happy that the couple had introduced me to this great little local restaurant.
If I get a chance to visit Varadero again. I’ll definitely check out this little gem for some good Cuban food.
Rating:
Restaurant: La Casona Del Arte
Location: Calle 47 No. 06 e/1ray Playa, Varadero, Cuba
Phone: (53)(45)61 2237
