Havana 59

Fantastic food and service, plus if you're a cigar smoker they have a good selection of cigars you can buy and smoke with your meat! We will definitely be back!

Good place if you are up for something a little different. We all had mojitos which were very good. The food was good as well. Staff was very friendly. If you want to sit inside, you may need to make a reservation. We did not so we sat outside which was fine.

We held our 70 person October 2025 wedding at Havana 59 and had a great experience! We were looking for a place that was in the downtown area and could provide a more intimate feel than the typical wedding venue. The staff was absolutely amazing and they helped us pull off the best day. Our family and friends raved about the unique venue, food, and overall experience. Daniel and the staff helped bring our vision to life from the ceremony on the 17th St. Market through cocktail and reception on the open-air rooftop. Would highly recommend considering Havana 59 when looking for wedding venues or just a fantastic place to eat.

Let me tell you Hannah the Monday night bartender is VERY accommodating. If something comes out wrong she goes out of her way to fix it with a positive attitude and her cocktails are next level. She gives off a vibe that makes you wanna stay all night. It’s hard finding a comfortable place in Richmond where you feel welcome and the vibes are fantastic 🥰

We hosted our wedding celebration at Havana ’59, and it was absolutely perfect for us. The aesthetic, vibe, food, and cost were all exactly what we wanted. One of the biggest perks is that there’s no venue fee (just a food and drink minimum), which makes it an incredible value. We had about 75 guests, did cocktail hour in the downstairs bar, and held our reception upstairs. After dinner, the staff quickly flipped the space into a dance floor by clearing just a few tables (took maybe five minutes!) without interrupting the flow of the night. The food and drinks were fantastic, and Miles was amazing — super attentive and made sure we actually got to enjoy our cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and dinner amid all the excitement. We’re giving 4 instead of 5 stars only because this is definitely a space where you’ll want to have a day-of coordinator. Havana is a restaurant first and wedding venue second, so there were a few moments of confusion around details in the lead-up and during the event. Thankfully, our coordinator worked closely with the Havana team to smooth everything out quickly. Overall, we’d highly recommend Havana ’59 for couples looking for a lively, stylish, and affordable wedding venue with great food and atmosphere — just make sure to have a coordinator to help everything run perfectly!

It was just okay. I love Cuban food and eat it often in different cities. This wasn't bad, but it didn't impress me at all. The place looks decent, the decorations and layout are fine, the service was okay, although why would you seat someone by the door when it's freezing cold outside and your place is empty? The food was just okay. Not particularly flavorful. Plain white rice. Black beans seemed like they just opened a can and heated them up. No lime, cilantro, green olives anywhere. Things I've grown accustomed to seeing on and in my food at a Cuban spot. Nothing was bad or wrong, but also....meh.

Such a vibe!! Arrived by train in the evening and this was recommended by the information desk at the station. Was an easy walk from the train station on Main Street. Both smoking and non-smoking areas to sit, really nice patio and indoor/outdoor spaces. Reasonably priced cigars, food was excellent. I ordered the black bean soup and the empanadas. The picky eaters in my group loved the Cuban sandwich with fries. The Cabernet wine was great.

I rented out the top floor for my birthday and it was amazing. The staff was incredible. They were so hands on and were working the room and getting people drinks. I would highly recommend renting out the event space. The atmosphere is so cool and fun. 10/10. Will definitely be coming back!

The food was authentic Cuban, and very good. Our server, Jess, was fantastic! Very attentive anticipating our needs. Adding some authentic Cuban music for background music would really enhance the experience!

Havana is quickly becoming a favorite for me. First off, their atmosphere feels authentic to the spirit of the music they play and the food they serve. Their staff, specifically we had Zahra - was super attentive and friendly. I felt welcomed and will definitely be requesting her as our server next time we're in. We had calamari, steak tacos and their original mojitos on happy hour - let me tell you. Best drink I've had in a long time. So refreshing and not too strong but just right. The food was so flavorful and the sauces completely perfected the meal. We went to their salsa night after and had a blast - their instructor was engaging, funny, and made everyone feel comfortable getting out of their comfort zones.

We held our 70 person October 2025 wedding at Havana 59 and had a great experience! We were looking for a place that was in the downtown area and could provide a more intimate feel than the typical wedding venue. The staff was absolutely amazing and they helped us pull off the best day. Our family and friends raved about the unique venue, food, and overall experience. Daniel and the staff helped bring our vision to life from the ceremony on the 17th St. Market through cocktail and reception on the open-air rooftop. Would highly recommend considering Havana 59 when looking for wedding venues or just a fantastic place to eat.

A couple friends and I went this past Sunday for brunch, and this was truly one of the worst brunch experiences of my life. The kitchen was short staffed, which is understandable that they'd take a bit longer, but it took an hour for our food to come out and there were not even many people at the restaurant. To make matters worse, the waitress told us multiple times that the food was coming out soon and that just made us even hungrier while we continued to wait and wait and wait. And the icing on the cake was that one of my friends and I ordered the Cuban omelette, but what we got after our hour of waiting was some flavorless, undercooked eggs with some potatoes in it and a couple of slices of avocado and pieces of super oily bread on the side. The only saving grace and reason I'm not giving a 1 star instead is because the waitress was kind enough to realize how screwed our situation was and gave us our meal on the house... ok the maduros were also pretty fire, but still we were expecting soooo much more for a spot in downtown Richmond.

Grab a little taste of Cuban flair at this place. The restaurant sits at the corner of 17th street marketplace. There is no direct street parking so my best advice is when coming off I-95 to park by the train station. I used an OpenTable reservation which was nice as this was the first time trying out this spot. The interior was very rustic that had a cocktail bar with bar seating and booths on one side and small 2 top and 4 top tables and booths on the other. There was a stairway leading to an upstairs eating event area, but did not get to check that out. The menu is one page apps and soup/salad choices on the left and entrees with classic Cuban and MP options due to the seafood faire. I opted for an original mojito and lechon asado. Skipped the dessert and app so not stance on that. The service was nice altho our server didn't check back in on us after we got food but would have been nice to get a drink refill or hot sauce if there were any choices. It did state on the menu due to a small staff team and kitchen the food will take a while. Which wasn't too bad of a wait. The drink was good and quite minty. The food was aplenty but would have like a wee bit more rice as there was more beans than rice. The maduros were good and tostones were crispy and delicious. I've had lechon before but didn't know it had a green spice mix. It was good and the darker pieces of meat were more flavorful. The bathroom reminded me of one that you would find at a seedy dive bar. The graffiti on the walls threw me off, but I did like the Spanish newspaper ads. They did have a Valentine's menu but right seem that put together for a couples meal. It was $55 that came with an appetizer, entré, and dessert choice I suppose. It wasn't too clear what it was so I skipped on it. All in all a fair shot, but not the most exciting in my array of Cuban food. At least go for the music and grab a drink with friends.

Very slow service. This place has seen better days. Food was not tasty and the restaurant looks dated.

Only went here to smoke a cigar, as i do every time i come to town. Has a real neighborhood feel with the cigar customers. I bring my own cigars, but they have a decent small selection of their own. That block has really cleaned up over the years.

We had reservations for Valentine's Day. The host was very solemn and it took him a while to find our reservation. We sat down, our server greeted us and then 30 minutes later came back for our order. We didn't see the server again until we finished eating. I ordered the Ropa Vieja. (Now this is my typical dish and I'm used to ordering this at my usual family owned Cuban restaurants in Florida.) It was okay. The black beans and tostones were great though! The bathroom...yikes. Go to the bathroom before you arrive.

Trash ass service, food, & managers half asking their job. They need to actually train their staff

The service was phenomenal. My waitress was extremely cute. The drinks were perfectly mixed. The cigars were amazing and don't get me started about the jerk wings. Those jerk style wings were phenomenal. They had me in my two buddies in awe with how amazing they were 10 out of 10 would recommend to literally anybody

Lackluster experience dining. The paella was underwhelming and not authentic. I was anticipating rice, but I believe they use orzo. Interesting and unanticipated twist. The ropa vieja was a little too sweet for my palate. The dough on the empanadas were also a little too thick. Overall, the price of the meal did not match the quality. We enjoyed our server, Izzy, who was super friendly. Be mindful that it is also a cigar bar so the area set aside for dining only still smells like a smoking area. I'd return for drinks and to frequent the cigar bar. Unfortunately, I don't think I would eat again at this establishment.

Bartenders are amazing!!! They will cater to your needs, the service is immaculate :) Food is always amazing. Dan the owner is so sweet, Diana the bartender/server is the sweetest and always down for a good conversation. If you need a good neighborhood place this is it.

Some friends and I went here for the salsa and bachata lesson and dancing afterwards. There were two instructors and both were GREAT. You will learn enough to do some basic movements on the dance floor. It was a lot of fun. Everybody dances with everybody. It doesn't feel like a pick up joint at all, just people hanging out and having fun. I'd definitely do that again. It's a small place that is reached by a lot of stairs. It's in the open air and overlooks the 17th Street courtyard, so it can get hot. There are fans, but if you love the night air and night sky, you will enjoy it.

This is my second time trying Havana. Food wasn't impressive the first time so decided to come back just for drinks. The drinks weren't even drinkable. I ordered the jalapeño basil margarita and my bf ordered the mango jalapeño mojito. My margarita was entirely too spicy, and I LOVE spicy, to the point I feel like it was burning my stomach. My bf's drink just tasted like mango syrup. Only thing that made the experience enjoyable was our server Hannah who was very attentive and friendly. If you do find yourself here ask for her.

So my boyfriend and I came to Havana 59 on a Friday night since it was one of the few places open, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good all the experience was. The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty awesome. I love the interior. Also important to note - you can purchase and smoke cigars inside of the smoking section of the restaurant. They also leave the windows open to help with the air flow. So if you have sensitive lungs or are bothered by smoke, just sit in the nonsmoking section. There were plenty of drink options and food choices. So it was hard to narrow it down, but I ultimately decided on a mojito and the Cuban nachos but without protein as I am vegetarian. There weren't a ton of vegetarian options but I'm happy I opted for this plate as it was very good. Everything was excellent and tasted great. My drink was refreshing and my nachos were heavenly. I loved the use of fried plantains as the chips and overall I was very satisfied with my meal!

Service is either amazing or the worst. From reading other reviews I wonder if it's the same person? Maybe something they could look into with turn times. Late to Allianz for the show tonight because our server just straight up did not take care of the table. 75 minutes to get food. Mojito's are probably the best in town though..

This place is terrible. It is honestly the worst dining experience I've had in a very long time. The empanada tasted like they had been frozen for a very long time and the paella was so over-salted I couldn't taste any other flavors. The sauce on the side of the empanadas was the highlight of the meal. The service was also slow, very slow, but I would have looked passed that if the food was edible. I don't recommend this place to anyone. McDonalds would be a better choice.

Food and service was pretty solid, but even the 'non-smoking' area was unbearable. Quick tweaks to the hvac should help but in the meantime won't return due to excessive smoke

As a cigar smoker and lover of Cuban food i really like this place my only complaint is it opens too late and is closed on Sunday. I would go there 3 times a week if it opened like at 2 or so. The food is great considering it's in va. I mean if i can get great cuban in Richmond I'm not complaining. I ordered the pork morsels and a cuban bread cut like a sandwich and made a pork sandwich. Yuuuummm. Mojito is strong also, With good flavor. There is nothing like cuban bread; it's light, soft and moist. I can't believe more sandwiche places have not cought on to cuban bread. Who wants that hard crap like they serve at some places with butter as an appetizer in that lil basket.

It's fantastic, the food, ambiance, music , everything! Enjoy an authentic experience with great Cuban food .

The building is well thought out and has lots of options for seating. Amazing food and even better service! Loved their mojitos!

Conner our waiter was awesome, he recommended several dishes and they were all great. I have been here many times and the food is always delicious.

I went out with a girlfriend and it was the only place available on a Friday. For food, I got the skirt steak. It wasn't anything to write home about, but also wasn't bad. Lacked salt but again wasn't terrible. The service was great. My server was Anastacia, and if i don't go back for the food, I would go back for her! She served every bit of her tip. She would come up and check constantly if we needed anything and made sure our food was great! I sat outside, so I can't really speak on the ambiance indoor. Also the highlight was the check coming out in a post card! If you write in them, they'll ship it out for you!! My only critique is that they write the prices for the meals. everything was "MP" which was all lil annoying. Price: $$$

Great food and service. The paella was excellent. I ordered it twice in one week. The pork morsels and nachos are amazing. I would recommend the oysters as well. If you like mojitos - this is the place to have it paired with a cigar.

Good was very yummy and the waiter was so nice!! However the food selection is very limited, the drink menu is great!

I've always come here on Thursday nights to salsa dance but I've never eaten here until tonight! First we started with drinks and appetizers: fried oysters and they were great! I wish we had more than half a dozen but the oysters went really well with the pickled cabbage and sauce. The mojito was $5 which is a great deal that we got during happy hour. I had two! For our entree, we had the seafood paella and it was really well seasoned but a bit spicy! Especially for my boyfriend, he really couldn't enjoy it even though our thoughtful server gave us a cilantro sauce. It tamed down the spice a little but not enough for him to finish his portion. All in all, I did enjoy the food here but wish there was a chili symbol on the paella to let us know it was spicy.

Pretty cool spot with plenty of seating inside and out. I thought it was cool that they had a smoking and non smoking section. We started off with the Fried Oysters and fur drinks we ordered the Pear Mojito and the Mango Jalapeño Mojito. Both were very good in flavor. The oysters were great as well, the batter was delicious but didn't stay on too well. I ordered the Gambas Escalfada. The prawns were good and I liked the forbidden rice but there was a lot of the gastrique so the rice was swimming in it. My boyfriend ordered the 59 Paella for one which was amazing. Plenty of seafood and delicious. I ordered the Strawberry Lemon Mojito afterwards and that was also well made. We finished off the evening with a cigar. We ordered the Java Maduro. It was a well kept cigar. They helped us cut and provided matches and an ashtray. Definitely recommend this place!

Great mojitos! Menu is well-done and the appetizers are amazing. Nice -though overpriced - cigar selection.

COVID review: out door dining available, waiters all wearing masks. Got the ropa vieja - plantains were done well, meat was very savory, black beans added to the side. Filling meal, nice set up - meat was about 21.

We had a great time.the drinks were great, and they had a great selection to choose from. They also provided a very nice cigar menu. I was able to find one I could enjoy even though I am a novice. The bartender was great, and the service was excellent. The atmosphere was on point. We will definitely come back

I tried the Camarones al Curry, while my date had the Ceviche del Dia and Shrimp and Chorizo Empanadas. I was impressed with my dish -- everything tasted fresh and well seasoned, plus it was a decent sized portion for one person. The shrimp was large and tender, however the tail was left on. This is a pet peeve of mine, as I personally think it takes away from being able to fully enjoy an entree. My date enjoyed his ceviche and empanadas. We sat at the bar and had a hard time catching the bartender's attention, so service was a little slow. She was friendly and helpful though. Their drink menu is impressive; I recommend trying their mojito.

My daughter and I came to Havana 59 in hopes of it being the perfect venue for a small quinceñera, despite the name which is a turn off to most Cuban-Americans. Totally missed the mark. 2.5 stars is more appropriate but since that's not an option, I went with three. The menu had typos that would've been easily avoided with a simple Google search. The service was decent but somewhat slow. The bathroom stall doors didn't close or lock. The entire place smelled like smoke, even the non-smoking part, but that's to be expected since they have a cigar bar. The music was really good even for an early dinner. Most importantly, in my opinion, the food was slightly below average in terms of taste and it certainly was NOT real Cuban. It was more Cubanesque. I am Cuban-American, married to a Mexican-American, and primarily cook Cuban and Mexican food at home. I admit I can be picky when it comes to both cuisines but I enjoy fusion and don't demand strict authenticity. I just like good food. With that said, our entire meal was blah by any standard. The taste of tomato sauce in the ropa vieja was overwhelming. There was also a weird herb or spice I couldn't quite identify. The sour cream on the black beans was out of place. My daughter's chicken had a heavy glaze of tomato paste on it and very little seasoning. Plus, it was advertised as a half chicken but instead of getting either the left or right side of the chicken, as one would expect, they brought two legs and two thighs. She only got the bottom half of the chicken! The congrí ("arroz negra" as the menu calls it) was undercooked and still hard. I know Havana 59 has been around for a long time but after eating there, I suspect it's more so because of its nightlife. I am really excited about the diversity developing on Richmond's food scene. I hope to see more Cuban restaurants in the future because this cannot continue to be one of only two options for Cuban food in the area.

Awesome service from servers and bartender. Horrible service from manager. Rolled his eyes and was rude towards us. Very odd a manager would be disrespectful and roll his eyes in front of us. Maybe he is just a host, but was enough rudeness for me to even take the time to comment.

If you are in Richmond, I high recommend to visit this restaurant. Try the ropa vieja. Super good and testy!

They have the best food and the best drinks. I love the Mojito's really good place fully recommended.

$13 for a carafe of mimosas is a good deal but $14 for half of a sandwich is ridiculous. We ordered our food and it got delivered to another table which is fine if they fix it but the food they brought us was also incorrect. Also if the menu states 2 eggs then why would you make 1 egg? We then asked for our check because we wanted to leave and they tried charging us twice for the eggs we had to order twice...then I had to prove to the waitress that their menus says egg(2) for $2. Like an egg costs you nothing basically and we've already had a bad experience and you want to argue with me over you're own mistake. $20 after tip and that covered a pitcher of mimosas and three eggs...do better. Not very thrilled about going to brunch and leaving hungry especially since we've had such good experiences here. Brunch is a no but paella for dinner is a yes.

Great service! With that said food quality was ok. Ordered paella for two in addition to other meals for 5 in party. The paella was too greasy tasteless and no hint of saffron. Disappointed The cake was good.

This was a quick stop while down in Richmond. Decor was decent, drinks were on point but the food........That's where the problem began. Wife ordered the arroz con pollo. A Cuban staple, right, well this place messed it all up. Chicken had a very strange and terrible smell to it and my wife's chicken thigh was pink and undercooked. Bringing this to the manger's attention you would think he would have found a way to make this right, right, WRONG! He said the chicken smelled like that from a Brine (WTF). Then said the chicken being undercooked was fine because "dark meat is sometimes pink like that". Offered to take 50% of the item, not bill and didn't even offer to comp the meal since it wasn't even fully eaten. He really didn't give a (You know what). Overall, the worse cuban experience by far and I would never go back to if I was in Richmond again.

Had the nachos with plantain chips and mojito. Both were delicious! A must try. Great , fun atmosphere too!

Discovered this place the other weekend with some friends. It was a nice place to smoke cigars and have some drinks. Cocktails were great and I loved the ambiance. I've never been to Cuba but I imagine the restaurant got it right. It was nice to have a classier place to smoke cigars rather than some dive bar. Next time I'm in Richmond I'll have to try the food. The Paella I saw looked delicious. Service was a tad bit slow but it was a busy night. Other than that I'd go back again!

Unfortunately didn't get to sample their fare. As a Cuban tourist I was really looking forward to this -- we made reservations for ~12 several weeks in advance for Mother's Day -- most were arriving from out-of-state. They cancelled on us only 2 days before so we could not rebook anywhere!! Mothers Day!! If this was a Covid-related staff shortage they seriously were not managing well...

Love this place! Havana is a Richmond institution, serving traditional Cuban food and drinks. What stands out to me is the fact that they offer a smoking bar area, fully loaded with cigars for purchase. The service was excellent and the drinks were well made and generous. If you like immersive bars and a different atmosphere, this is the place for you. Highly recommend their ribs. Finger lickin good!

My GF, her mom, and I all went here for food when my GF mom came into town. The food did not disappoint at all and was out in a timely manner. Out server was super helpful to my partner and her mom with recommendations. Wish Richmond did not feel like the surface of the sun because it would have been perfect other wise.

Great food and great atmosphere! I will definitely return. I ordered both the Cuban nachos for my appetizer and Churrasco a la Habana. Both were really good. My steak was slightly over cooked, but it wasn't bad. The drinks were also very good! My favorite was the Bella Rose. So tasty!

Came here with my husband and 3 children. Wonderful ambiance, and there was live music outside the establishment ( the restaurant windows etc were open to the patio, so the music could be enjoyed by the patrons). The Plantains and Tostones weren't to my liking ( not sure if they were ripe enough)- but everyone makes them different. We loved the cubano, Ropa Viega and the rice. ( seriously, you can usually tell how good the food is by the rice). Kids and hubby loved their desserts and I was excited to get real Cuban coffee ( which I hadn't had in year's). Reserved via opentable and my table was ready when I arrived. Would def come back again.

Que Rico!!!!!! Two words that describe this place. The tres leche cake to die for!!!!! Food was very fresh and flavorful. Totally worth the time to visit. I carried out and the presentation was as if I had the meal at the table. Please try this place!!!! You will not regret it!!!!

The food was amazing, the service, however... We waited 30-45 minutes each time we ordered a drink, water glasses stayed empty, and while she was pleasant when she was around, our server was impossible to track down, followed through on NOTHING, and was gone for at least 30 minutes at a time between checking in on us. We wound up being there for THREE HOURS and waited for OVER AN HOUR for our check. (We easily could've left after an hour and a half. Y'know, if we'd ever been able to find our server.) I flagged our server down twice, they confirmed both times they were going to get the checks, then argued with bar staff and left to do something else each time. We also reached out to three other staff members trying to get our checks. (They told us they'd let our server know, no one else attempted to print them for us.) When they finally did start the process of getting our checks, (I requested separate checks instead of combining any tickets for simplicity's sake at this point, because fuck, man..), it was still 20 minutes before they came back from the kiosk to bring them to us and collect cards for payment. (The kiosk was maybe 15 feet away and in plain view of the entire table. The server knew we could see them each time they started to gather our tickets and then leave before bringing them over. So. Frustrating.) Service was so ridiculously slow that it soured the entire night and ruined the plans we'd made for after dinner. (We couldn't get where we were supposed to be in time.) We also asked for a to go container 3 times. I gave up and found one on the counter near the kitchen myself. While the food was amazing, the overall experience was so frustrating that I'll not be taking a group of people there again. It'll be bar seating or nothing for me in the future. It seemed like a breakdown in communication with management, I know they had our server running all over the place and that's not their fault. Beginning to do something multiple times and just walking away instead of following through, though... Repeatedly at that, was SO frustrating. We legitimately almost walked out without paying we'd waited so long.

For the two times I've came here, I've had great/positive experiences. The first time I came here was for a friend's wedding rehearsal dinner. Parking can be a pain in the butt at times, especially during business hours and cause it's downtown and parking is already hard to find. I'd say that you're better off purchasing parking (if you REALLY need to) across the street from Havana. The food was really good and the service from the staff has been super friendly and helpful. The rehearsal dinner was back in November 2018. I do remember the eggrolls and rice that they did have that night and it was pretty good. I was also pretty excited at the take home box that I was able to fill and take home for next day's breakfast/lunch. This review is for this past weekend that I went with a group of 8. We actually wanted to try HotChick but there was already an hour and a half wait when they opened at 11. Luckily, we were able to grab a table asap when we got Havana. We got their mimosa pitchers (about 3) to share among the 4 couples - we also had to bring our little one and managed to have him in the carseat and sharing on the comfy chairs with the big table. The mimosa was pretty good and great to share among a group! Looking over the menu, I decided on their Chicken & Biscuit (Fried chicken thigh, house made chorizo gravy, papas bravas) and my husband decided on their Breakfast Cubano (Roasted pork shoulder, smoked ham, over easy eggs, swiss cheese, house made pickle, mustard, papas bravas). They both were honestly delicious. The chicken was breaded and fried to a nice crispy tenderness, and the gravy was a great flavor to add with the biscuit and potatoes. My husband was nice enough to share a bite of his Cubano and it was really delicious. The breakfast egg was a great finishing touch to it. I really like their house made pickle and mustard in the sandwich, very delicious. I actually enjoyed their brunch menu and wouldn't mind coming back here again (if another brunch location has an over hour wait). Parking may be a major part of the future decision as well. Haha.

Food was good and the ambience during the summer is so nice. 3 stars because if you sit near the smoking deck it whafs in and you can smell it while eating.