Havana Central Times Square

The food was good. It was authentic and flavorful. The theme was authentic to the culture. What wasn't so great? The tables were REALLY close to one another. The space was overcrowded. The service was ok. The waiters were very busy so we did not get much frequent attention. The food is good but reservations are a MUST. Portions are good too.

I’ve come here a few times and it never misses! The food is so tasty and the service is always good! The fried yuca is amazing and their chimicurri sauce is amazing! Can’t go wrong with their coconut mojitos!! Make sure to make a reso because there will be a wait !

I came with my boyfriend to havana central for their 3 course $30 restaurant week lunch menu. Our waiter Luz was very friendly and provided good service. The bartender Rubi was also very welcoming and kind to us 🩷 The food was delicious. Our first course was the empanada sampler with chicken, ropa vieja and cheese, and a salad. Our entree was a delicious cuban sandwich and pernil with rice and beans , and lastly we had some warm churros with flan all for $30!! Extremely worth the money. We highly recommend going to havana central for a lunch date and we’ll be coming back :)

We had a very positive experience at Havana Central even though the restaurant ended up being packed. The servers were friendly and accommodating. The food made us happy and full. We throughly enjoyed the tostones, empanadas and ropa vieja. The black beans and the arroz con pollo were devoured. The flan was good but the tres leches was outstanding, do not skip it. The restaurant is also a good value especially for the Times Square area.

We came to NYC 19 years ago to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, and ahead of seeing a Broadway play, came to Havana Central Times Square. 19 years later, we are back in NYC celebrating our 20th and you guessed it, are back at Havana Central ahead of seeing a play. Our server, Anthony was fantastic, and helped me find my glasses that I dropped between the seat and the hostess stand. German Ponce, the Manager, chatted with us and gave us dessert and a glass of champagne on the house. Thank you for welcoming us back! We will return again. Wonderful place!

As a Cuban and coming from Miami, I recommend this restaurant for its food and drinks, best mojito I’ve had! Also, I want to thank Luiza, our server, who made the experience so much enjoyable. They truly made our experience super special, including the special chicharrones the cook made for us and the happy birthday son at the end in Spanish for my daughter’s 12th year old birthday. Thanks! We are definitely coming back to NYC for your mojitos!!

The food was okay the rice needed a little bit more understanding. The broccoli was okay the ribs were okay. The carribean chicken wings were good. The food came out like warm . I didn’t care for that too much . The server was good it wasn’t his fault he’s not the cook. Lots of people inside. I don’t like Luke warm food and I was not sending nothing back neither .. the end. Just ask for your food to be hot and not just sitting there

Maybe as I am Cuban, I was expecting better. Place is lovely, beautifully decorated, very old Havana-ish, nice music and good service, fast and efficient. Mojitos were very nice, no need to be a cuban bartender to make them right so top points on that area. But regarding food mmm well, even the menu had some options that I am not familiar with, salmon is not a cuban dish but anyways, it doesn’t have to be that strict. My big issue was that black beans were not seasoned at all :( maybe it had only a pinch of salt? but zero green peppers nor cumin, anything to make them how they really taste back in the island, my pernil was good but no wow, also lack seasoning. My husband’s churrasco was good. Tostones were very very hard, like be careful with your molars :( probably fried and kept in a tray waiting to be plated, tostones in cuba go with an oily mix of salt and minced garlic, here you have them with chimichurri, which was very nice, but again thats not cuban. Yuca majada in Cuba is supposed to be soft yes, but not a purée, the purée style is more Dominican in my experience… and no mojito sauce at all (oil, garlic and salt) :( cuban yuca is all about the mojito sauce. I think menu is more a mixed of latin combinations under a cuban label. Flan and coffee were top and delicious :) As a cuban and a cuban cooker (and eater) I was really hoping to find that flavor that would take me back home, but it wasn’t there. It was an ok lunch, food is ok but it lacks the touch.

I just took 25 high school students to New York and one of the places our group chose to eat at was Havana Central. I cannot express how great every part of the exerience was! From working with the resturant to accomodate such a large group with a PreFixe menu, to getting us in and out exacty when we needed, every aspect of the service was amazing. The ambiance was great as they had live music, and the managment decided to seat us in the balcony which was the best of both worlds; allowing us to hear the Music, but still have plent of conversation. All that being said, the main draw was the food! EVERYTHING was delicous! It was even a huge hit with our group of teenagers that were pretty picky otherwise.

We initially had a reservation for later in the evening but as our previous attraction also let us in early, we decided to check and see if we can start our dinner early as well. To a surprise they had a table for four available. We were initially thinking it would be a to-go style place, but to our surprise it was a very hopping sit down restaurant. There was even live music playing as we were walking in. Everything was delicious and our little one said it was the best restaurant ever. One LO the crispy chicken tenders with fries, the other got mac and cheese with fries. I am not typically a french fry person, but I tried them and they were very addicting. I had to stop myself. Even though I wanted the ropa vieja, I felt like I should be eating a salad. So I got the salmon on top of a salad which had some mango style dressing. It was delicious! My beaux had the ropa vieja and I got to try it as well as his black beans- it was amazing. We ordered a couple of virgin cocktails.... One was a mojito and the other had passion fruit. We finished it off with a couple of Cuban coffees that were awesome. I didn't even put any sweetener in mine. I hope we get to come back. The person walking around taking pictures of the tables will then come back to your table with them printed out and looking all nice for you to buy for $15 a piece so if you want to get tempted for a keepsake photo or, let her take your picture. The staff was all very attentive and amazing. Definitely a new NYC fav!!

I had reservations for Jan 4th for dinner with my son who had turned 20 on December 25th. We drove from Pennsylvania to see the tree, times square and have dinner at the restaurant of his choice which was Havana. When we arrived for dinner we were seated right next to the reception booth and had another chair right next to us and the waiters folding table propped up. I was not thrilled with the table but i let it go. We ordered our food and the waiter asked if we would like our appetizer and soup before the main course which of course I said yes. We were served our appetizers which were fanomonal. After about five minutes the other waiter shows up with our main courses and plops them down on the table with the appetizers. We both kinda upset but figured ok just go and eat. While eating one of the girls proceeds to place an outgoing food bag on the extra chair sitting up against our table. I couldn't believe that this place was treating out table like this. I took a picture after someone picked up the outgoing food bag. The food in the restaurant was fabulous but I truly believe we would have been treated much better at the TGIF next door. Very disappointed and I don't recommend going.

Havana Central offers satisfactory Cuban cuisine, though it may not be the most authentic representation. The food quality is generally good. For starters, we ordered the empanada sampler and Masitas de Cerdo - fried pork with chimichurri sauce. Unfortunately, the pork was overcooked to the point of being burnt. The standout dish is the Vaca Frita. This entree features marinated steak accompanied by cilantro rice and a fried egg. The cilantro rice, in particular, is excellent.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This is a very nice restaurant and it's surprising since it's basically in Times Square. We came here with a large group in Nov of last year and we tried a variety of food including various empanadas, arroz con pollo, pernil asada, and flan, all of which were flavorful and very satisfying. The organizer of our group is of Cuban heritage and she vouched for the food being authentic and the flavors were true to form. Service was good as well and we really enjoyed our meal here.

The food was okay. The rice needed a little bit more understanding. The broccoli was good and the Caribbean chicken wings which were served lukewarm warm were also good .The ribs were also good but also served lukewarm warm. The passion fruit mojito was terrible I couldn't even force myself to drink it. That stayed right on the table undesired. The server Anthony was great. It wasn't his fault he's not the cook. Just low conversation being heard at conjoining tables. No music playing which was okay. When you do go there request for your food to be hot and not warm like mine was. This was my first time there coming from westchester county. Happy eating

They have a good happy hour until 7pm and food. We walked in as a big group on a Wednesday. Server was nice. The drinks and food were tasty. Decor was nice.

Our waiter was absolutely phenomenal. He was very attentive- he continuously brought refills of beverages over to our table. I couldn't believe the soda was free refills!!! For NYC that is amazing. The food was pretty good but very small portions. The chimichurri steak & pernil was a very small portion which was disappointing but the food was incredible. The only thing I didn't like was the calamari, it was too chewy & extremely crispy. All other dishes were incredible. Also, I was running a little late for my reservation so I called to let them know & they let me change my reservation for a later time to accommodate me. That was great business. Thank you Havana central!

Well, the original plan was not to spend almost an hour and a half getting into Manhattan on a Friday night, eating a great dinner and then going straight home, but, sometimes, man plans and G-d laughs. The plan was formed when a friend texted, indicating she could get honest-to-heck reasonably priced tickets to see a couple of legends strut their stuff on the boards. We don't see a lot of Broadway shows. While I truly enjoy a filmed live performance on television, the cost/benefit ratio for Broadway doesn't generally work out for me otherwise. That, and a lot of theater seats were built with 1950s narrow asses in mind, and mine does not qualify. I don't want to spend $200 and have armrests digging into my sides for two hours. But...a play vs. a musical...90 minutes vs 2+ hours and $55 vs. lordy knows what, and I was ready to chance it. Since my town doesn't have Metro-North and they hadn't yet implemented congestion pricing, I drove in. My wife, her mom, and her friend were already in the city, having visited Top of the Rock earlier in the day. We arrived at the SpotHero-approved parking garage within moments of each other. I was raring to go while the two octogenarians were getting their second wind after napping for half an hour in the RAV4 (is there anything that car can't do?!) while parked in front of the UPS facility on the west side. The restaurant, bless it, was almost directly across the street. After the first couple of choices were booked, we'd cast the cuisine net a little wider (they were pretty well done with Italian, anyway) and landed on Havana Central, a Cuban place on 46th. It was lovely. Lively, but we could speak without shouting. With five of us, we were at a round table, rather than a 4-top with an extra chair squoze in. I know nothing of authenticity (except about largely secular Jewish cooking of the 70's-80's), but dinner tasted great to me. OK. I started off with a flight of rum drinks. It is possible that they might have colored things for me. They may have enhanced either my enthusiasm OR, heck, maybe my sensitivity. In case you're curious, my personal ranking of the four drinks was (in descending order): Painkiller, Rum Punch, Blue Havana and the Cuba Libre. I ordered the Salmón Glaseado en Salsa de Mango: Grilled Atlantic Salmon Finished with Mango Glaze & Salsita. I'm pretty sure I heard my dietician whispering in my ear: "I want you to have fish meals at least twice a week" as I placed my order. My wife's mom's friend ordered something similar, on salad, my wife went with Vaca Frita: Marinated Steak Sautéed Until Crispy, her mom did Arroz con Pollo and our good friend, Anne...who was responsible for the evening...ordered the pre-Theater deal with the Mango Salmon. I didn't plan dessert, so I did ala carte. Almost everyone was thrilled with dinner. The salmon was just about the best I've ever had (maybe I should listen to the dietician) and my wife was making happy noises as she ate her steak. The app our friend got as part of her pre-Theater deal was Masitas De Cerdo: deep fried marinated pork...which triggered some long lost memory of Pu-Pu Platters from when I was a kid. SO good. Cheese and dairy are not as prevalent in Cuban food as it is in Mexican, so my MIL's Arroz con Pollo was not the creamy dish she was expecting. I've found Arroz con Pollo to be one of those recipes with a thousand variants and dozens of flavor profiles (like Chicken Scarp or Chicken Adobo). This is why I rarely order a dish that I enjoy from a restaurant NEAR home at a restaurant AWAY from home. My wife gave it a taste and thought it was delicious, though. Service was fine and we finished up well in time for the show. Or so we thought. We worked our way west, through the utter insanity of Times Square on a Friday night, to the Booth Theater. Their names were up in classic lights at the very top of the building. Our friend scooted ahead to grab the tickets up from Will Call. I huddled in the corner, the wind penetrating the peacoat I'd worn more for fashion than for warmth. Then came the news: One of the stars was ill, and the performance was cancelled. Ack. Our friend made a quick scan through her app, to see if there were tickets available for any other shows that evening, but we came up short. Probably Ok anyway...the naps had worn off and the ladies were a bit tired. They were bummed to miss out on a Broadway experience, but kinda glad to be heading to bed early. They still had a busy weekend ahead of them.

Always a great time here when we go to NYC. Food is excellent and priced great for NYC/Times Square area. Good portions. Friendly service. Empanadas are excellent as well. Fried chicken appetizer large portion and excellent flavor. Yellow rice and beans are delicious. I haven't had one bad experience yet... worth the trip!

The energy in this restaurant is unmatched. Everyone was happy to be there, the patrons and the employees! It's such a vibrant place with Latin artwork throughout. They can accommodate individuals and groups. They have seasonal specials. I asked for the cranberry sangria, though my server heard mojito. It was good despite not being what I ordered. The mango salmon was cooked perfectly. The rice and black beans were good. The fried plantains weren't as soft or sweet as I'd hoped. Overall, it was a good dining experience.

I had ordered to go. I stopped by and decided to stay and eat because I loved the atmosphere of Spanish music and people. I felt closer to home. I got the Cuban sandwich special combo with fries and a Materva which is a Cuban soda based on herbs. I also got a side of Caribbean wings to try out. Unfortunately those were a little stale or cold. I fare even say dry. I was pleased to be able to sit down at the bar and eat my to go food. I didn't want to sit at a table to not make much mess. I was treated perfectly fine and friendly. I wasn't too content with the fact that the only Cuban beer they had on menu wasn't available. I gave them a 4 do to this issue.

What just happened here? What is going on? Still sitting at the table after I got my check and am so sad about this experience! Was so hyped when I was walking here but they failed (in my opinion) in nearly all areas. Food - look at my photos. Cuban was horrrrible. Beans were decent. Rice was decent. Salad was boring. Bread on the Cuban was mahhhh soooo saddd. The ham was barely there. The Cuban sandwich was just 70% bread. Service was below average. Barely checked on us. Took forever to take our order. Drinks were also delayed. We weren't aware but the music is the type of loud where you are hearing ringing behind your eyes. Is this the Brooklyn Mirage or is it a 5:30pm dinner reservation? Place has me confused. A truly obnoxiously loud volume for a place to eat and have conversation. Rating 2 Stars because they did attend to us when we asked to switch our table so we weren't sitting directly underneath the music speakers. At the same time though, when I arrived they said I didn't have a reservation. I knew my friend booked it and she sent me a screenshot and the host said "oooooh yelpppp". As if a reservation made on Yelp wasn't a real reservation? Thoroughly confused on this whole experience.

Birthday Dinner in NYC and I was so pleased. My and my Shuga bear stumbled on this place just walking around with grumbling tummies. Saw some folks leaving and they swore we'd love the food. Went in and the hostess greeted us so warmly and I shared it was my birthday and she made sure we got a seat without reservations. Seated promptly but wasted no time being served up a couple of Havana Hurricanes. Next I ordered the oxtail stew and my husband had the Mia Y Tierra (surf n turf). As the live Cuban music played in the background we were dancing in our booth and having a great time. These plates filled with deliciousness appeared before us and all you saw were forks flying back n forth in one another's plates. The oxtail stew had a sauce that was poured table-side and it was filled with flavor. I couldn't eat it all but that didn't stop me from trying. I can't even explain the house party that was happening on my tastebuds. My husband's dish was equally delicious with the chimmichurri on a perfectly cooked steak and shrimp full of flavor. Let's not forget the yellow rice and black beans that stood out all by themselves. Finally the party came where I was sung to and adorned with my own Panama Fedora. I will definitely be back for it all if even in NYC again.

Great Cuban food near Times Square. I initially thought it might be a tourist trap due to its location, but we were pleasantly surprised. The place was packed when we arrived around 3 p.m. on a Saturday, yet we were seated right away. We ordered the arroz con pollo, asopao soup, and a Cuban sandwich with rice and beans -- everything was delicious. The classic mojito was also excellent. Overall, a great experience with reasonable prices.

Great place for Happy Hour on weekdays - $8 drinks and discounts on appetizers. We arrived shortly before Happy Hour started at 3, grabbed a table by the bar and ordered water. Perused the menu and decide what to order when the clock struck 3. We had great service, food and drinks were delicious, and the decor makes you feel like you ate in Havana. A great start to a weekend in NYC

Loud like the streets of Cuba. Great music perfect for groups. They have an upstairs that is quieter - at least before 7:00 on a week night. The waiter Jaime was friendly and everything was efficient. Flan was delicious. Drink was delicious. Husband was full. Mojito had a real price of sugar cane. Love that. Literally a three minute walk from Richard Rogers theater

This place is always packed so I tend to squeeze in at the bar and if it is happy hour then I'm even more in luck. Reservations are definitely recommended. Every bartender has been extremely nice and always so accommodating. The food is fantastic and so are the drinks. Great prices and portions and fantastic HH specials. Loud but fun vibe, dance the night away. A nice place to escape the hustle and bustle of crazy Times Square. Very convenient to everything in midtown.

Service is HORRIBLE .... We walked in and had a reservation but we couldn't sit because the whole party wasn't there . They told us to sit at the bar and after 10 minutes waiting for a bartender we had to actually ask for one . And this was at 3:00pm in the afternoon , not necessarily a crowded bar . .. Then I ordered a guava caipirinha ... and they served me a mango one .... The food is good , but hostess , bartender and service overall is TERRIBLE !!! It's sad because it is such a good location but I honestly don't think I'll be going back. There are better places in NYC where you feel welcomed . Definitely not here .

The food overall was decent. The empanadas (beef, cheese) were delicious. The ambience was loud and our table upstairs in particular was kind of dark and dingy feeling under a fluorescent lightbulb. Our server was nice and accommodating. I'm not sure if I would come back here though... there are so many other options around and unfortunately this place didn't really impress me.

Excellent food and service. Cocktails were over the top as well. The rum flight was tasty from start to finish. Wife's cousin who lives here recommended.

I have been here several times and today was a mixed experience. Friends were in town and close by so I encouraged the visit. The staff greeted us well and we had a great server-- always a plus. Empanada app and drinks were tasty! Salads and entrees were okay, but two chicken dishes simply lacked the wonderful Cuban flavor! The breasts and vaca frita were both bland. Rice was just okay which is troubling for a Cuban like myself. But the worst part was truly the dessert of bread pudding with coconut... served at room temp not warmed up. Bland and not truly what I had expected. Cafe con leche helped.

This was a disappointing experience. A local told us to try Havana Central for cinco de mayo (2024). She said the drinks were awesome, staff was amazing and there would be a live band. We stopped in on a Tuesday, again Cinco de Mayo, It was pretty dead. They closed earlier than what was advertised. When we got there (party of 4) we only had maybe 10 minutes to order before the kitchen closed. As soon as we shat down the server took our drink order. We went with the sangria margarita. From the picture it was a margarita on the bottom (yellow/orange color) and red sangria on tops, shown as 2 different colors. When we received them they looked like sangria in a mason jar, no distinction between the margarita and the sangria, most importantly it tasted like a watered down sangria. We were highly disappointed. By the time the server came back with our drinks we only had 5 minutes to order food (her words). We didn't finish our drinks because we didn't like them, paid anyway and left to try some place else. Never to return and wouldn't recommend.

Happy New Year and welcome to my first review in 2024 :) My friend wanted to have dinner here during restaurant week so I immediately made a reservation. This was my fourth time at this restaurant in Times Square. Upon arrival, I have noticed that the Havana Central sign was not lit how I know it to be. As we walked inside, the music band was playing, and it was extremely loud...too loud for my liking, and I personally don't like to shout having simple conversation over dinner. I have also noticed that it was extremely packed, which is always a good sign and it was also warm in the restaurant that night. We got seated in the back and asked the waiter. If we could be seated near the wall, he said no if you had a party of four no problem, so we sat in the center next to the wall where we wanted to be seated only to see that 10 or 15 minutes later a couple came and sat at the same table we wanted, and it was just them two alone, so how come my friend and I couldn't get the table we wanted but they did, and it was just THEM TWO ALONE. Anyways, we proceeded to place our order. I personally wanted to order from the restaurant week menu, so for my appetizer I ordered the Empanada sample chicken, beef and cheese that came with a side of chimichurri dipping sauce, which was fantastic. For my entrée, I got the Salmon and shrimp with tostones in a savory garlic sauce with a side of black beans and rice and for my dessert, the Churros with a side of caramel and chocolate sauce for dipping. The salmon was cooked nicely as well as the shrimp but I do think the salmon and shrimp needed to be seasoned a little more aggressively. We both got the same drink. I don't recall the name of it and can't find it on the sites menu but it was a piña colada and mango frozen drink and it was amazing. I will go back there just for that drink alone. As for my friend he also ordered the empanada sample and for his entrée he got from the regular menu there Chicken Fricassée which he said was overly seasoned. We both was feeling really full before finishing our meal, which is not like us lol but we still did a little damage. The best part of our dinner would definitely be the appetizer our drink, and most definitely the dessert. Overall, I do recommend this restaurant just be prepared to hear overly loud music. If that's not your thing this is not your place. Cheers

Came in on a Saturday around 5 and place was fairly empty, the hostess could've been more polite, between her and 2 more waiters, neither of them bothered to turn around and acknowledge the line of people that were waiting to be seated. Not even a hello or welcome from the hostess. I told my husband the food better make up for it. Food was tasty and hot, I had churrasco and my husband had vaca frita. One odd thing is they do not offer white rice and black beans which doesn't make sense for a Cuban restaurant. They have black beans and side salad or black beans and cilantro rice. All in all, food and cocktails were good and made up for the hostess not being welcoming. By the time we left, a little before 7, the place was packed.

Just right in the corner of Times Square, but in a bubble that you will forget you are in NY/ Times Square. Authentic Cuban cuisine with wonderful dishes to choose from. The decoration its an authentic cuban retro / tropical from the 50's. The staff, it's really friendly, and maybe you will hear them sing and or dance along the ambient cuban music or during the live music performed by a cuban band. The live performances are Fridays 7-10pm, and Sundays from 5-8pm. For those who know about cuban music, the live performances are like listening to the group Buena Vista Social Club. I had the churrasco/ skirt steak, and it was cooked at perfection. The appetizer was a sampler of Tostones rellenos. It a total of three, basically plantains in a small cup shaped one filled with pork, one filled with chicken and one with shrimp. Wonderful combination of flavors. Dessert was flan, and needless to say it was delicious. Last but not least, the prices are really reasonable. Overall I had a great meal and a wonderful experience.

Made reservations before a Broadway show and were promptly seated. The place was not busy at all at 5:30pm. Our server Antonio was very friendly and attentive. He took our order for some mojitos: classic, strawberry and Passion fruit. They were all very good! The place is decorated nicely with a very large bar and booth tables. We moved on to empanadas de picadillo which were okay. For the main entree we ordered the churrasco, camarones con arroz, asopao de pollo and the salmon glaceado con mango. All the entrees were very tasty and accompanied with rice and black beans. We finished it off with the churros which came with chocolate and dulce de leche to dip into. The churros were okay maybe could use a little more sugar on the outside. Everything was great at Havana Central we would come back here!!!

Havana oh na na never disappoints! Every time I'm in nyc, I have to come here. I love the vibes and the food is incredible. I also appreciated that we had reservations at 7, but arrived at 6:15 and still got seated immediately. We got a rum cocktail flight and the red punch one was the best because it tasted like juice. For an appetizer, we got a bucket of chicken because my boyfriend needed to get his protein up. It was little bone in pieces that had a lime garlic rub. It came with a hot sauce and a bbq like sauce. Both had good flavor. We then split the skirt steak with moro and mauduros (rice with black beans and fried plantains). The steak was so flavorful and cooked perfectly. Dipping it in the side of chimichurri sauce was also a nice touch. This meal was perfect and I'm upset I can't live near nyc solely to be able to eat here more often.

I had better Cuban food in Little Havana, Miami but I still rate this 5 stars because the ambiance was unique, I felt like I was in Havana, Cuba at the Tropicana! My eyes ate too! The 1st time I went there, I was so dazzled by what I saw on a Friday night, the place was packed. At 9:30pm a live band came, things went wild I love salsa music. The food presentation was amazing , I ordered the triple combo, bbq ribs, lechon n Pernil, it's called TRIO DE AMANTES DEL CERDO or in English Pork lovers trio w masitas, guava ribs n pernil. The tower was such a glorious sight! Only $29.99 a real steal, so much food. The mojitos were amazing. If you come to Times Square do come here for an enchanting time living la vida Loca! Cheers!

This was our second visit and the food was superb. Their black beans, steak and chicken were flavorful and the meat was so tender and juicy.

We came to Havana Central for Happy Hour before going to see The Wiz. The beef sliders are very small, and the french fries were very tasty, but the beef empanada I had was very oily. They had a cilantro sauce that was good. The drinks weren't very happy for happy hour. Orlando service was very good, entertaining, and very attentive to everyone at the bar. The atmosphere in Havana Central was a good afterwork happy hour. We will go back again

Great vibe and live music. Definitely a good place off of Times Square. Prices were reasonable. The service was great. I ordered the Cuban sandwich which I would expect to be great at a Cuban restaurant and sad to say that it was just ok. Also had the calamari and it was also average. Stick to the drink and the music and you will love this place.

While visiting New York my husband and I had dinner at Havana Central. I had checked on Yelp for a good Cuban restaurant walking distance to our hotel and found this restaurant. We ordered Tour of Havana and also some cocktails and beers. I would say the good is good, but not fantastic. When the food came I was so excited about how it's presented, but it needed more flavor. I did like the cocktails especially their mojito! It was strong but just strong enough. The service was good and fast. The restaurant is so fun! With live music and colorful decorations. I was disappointed with their food but the ambiance made up for it.

Went for a late dinner and the restaurant itself is spacious with colorful, tropical decor. Order the empanada sampler with cheese, ropa vieja, and picadillo with a side of white rice which was perfect. It was so delicious. Flavorful, juicy and decided to order the avocado salad as well. #balance. The service was top notch and very attentive.

The food and drink were four, service was a two. Anything we needed, including another round of mojitos, we had to flag her down. Highly recommend the blood orange mojito.

I liked this place so much that I went back! This time I tried the passion fruit Batido and the chicken empanada !!! Both were soooooo beyond delicious!!

Food was ok. Service was great and the music was good. Great place for a dinner with friends and family.

Maybe I'm just old or was having a bad day, this is definitely the place to go for a party or a "good time". Not the sit down type of place where you go to have a chill dinner. Difference in expectations. I found the music to be little overwhelming, but that's more a statement about personal preference than what the broader populous might think. Case in point, there were plenty of people at the bar dancing right next to the band so it's really down to the individual. Service was friendly and fast, not complaints there. Food was great. Got a burger with some fries and chorizo and loved it. Portion was great, price was very reasonable for the amount.

Best Cuban food in NYC!! The service was great and our server PAOLA sweet and suggested new drinks for us too try. Rice and seasoned beans with the skirt steak! For the win! 10/10 They a play love Cuban music!!

This is a fun spot - especially with the live music playing near the entrance. I had a Millionaire Mojito, and the ropa vieja. We shared a Cuban sampler. Food was well prepared and Nacho (who was our server) was great providing just the right level of attentive service. Reservations strongly recommended!

This is located very near Times Square, and the theater district. It is New York style busy and noisy, but not in a bad way. Somewhat of a tropical decor to invoke a feel of Cuba. Stacey was a great, but an extremely busy bartender. She did a great job, but don't be in a rush because only 3 bartenders probably had to handle a dozen customers each. The Mojitos are good, and there is also an extensive selection of tropical style drinks, along with beer, wine, and an affordable happy hour menu. I had the Calamari appetizer, and it's easily enough for 2 people. The garlic chicken has a light buttery sauce that adds flavor without being too heavy, and the yellow rice compliments the chicken well. Overall a good meal, and a very decent value considering everything in the Times Square area is fairly expensive. I will definitely come back on my next trip to Manhattan.

Havana Central, just a stone's throw from Times Square, is a hidden treasure for those craving authentic Cuban flavors. My dining experience was nothing short of sensational. I indulged in the succulent pernil asado, and it left my taste buds dancing with joy. Equally delightful was the vaca frita, a hit with my friend. But what truly elevates Havana Central is the live music. It's like a mini Cuban fiesta, adding a vibrant and energetic atmosphere to your meal. The combination of delectable food and live music creates a memorable dining experience. If you're headed to Broadway for a show, Havana Central is the perfect pre-show dinner spot. It sets the stage for a night filled with flavor and culture, making your visit to the theater even more special. Don't miss this gem in the heart of the city!

Great service yummy food Quick service, Must go if hungry while in Times Square. Drink was great

Went for lunch on a Saturday before a show. Initially we were concerned about the popularity of the restaurant and potentially having to rush our meal. We were concerned for nothing! We were seated immediately and served quicker than we actually expected. The food was delicious. The white rice was so flavorful. Ropa vieja was amazing. Everything including the service and ambiance was delightful. I definitely will be going back and I recommend it!

The waiter was really nice. The restaurant has a lot of space for large parties if you need it. BUT The music was so loud we couldn't talk without yelling. We could not hear one another across the table. We had to keep asking several times for refills. The guacamole was oxidized with zero cilantro or flavor. My steak was edible, but not hot, so I wouldnt recommend it. If you've had a long day of sightseeing and want a nice sit down dinner to talk about the day with your family this IS NOT the spot.

I came here with my husband and the food was delicious! Definitely authentic Caribbean food. I highly recommend. Our waiter was Onasis and he was very friendly and kind. I have a dairy allergy and called beforehand to make sure I could eat items there, they actually have a vegetarian and vegan menus which was very helpful. The atmosphere was vibrant, loud music that you can't help but dance to. I had the pernil, amazing! My husband had the vaca frita, it was so good and tangy! The maduros were cooked to perfection as well.

Everything is amazing! The food is delicious, the service incomparable, and the ambiance makes you feel at home. One of my favorite spots in NYC.

Almost done with my NY trip and finishing up my food tour as well. Cuban is another option I don't have back home, so why not. The restaurant had a nice vibe and the staff was very welcoming. We got seated quickly and service was spot on. I ordered the Vaca Frita which was steak strands cooked with lime, garlic and peppers. It was delicious. Served with chimicuhirri rice topped with a fried egg and choice of beans (I chose black). After my lunch I ordered a Cubano coffee which was also very good. Why not 5 stars? My mind & taste buds just wasn't blown away. But everything was still very good and I recommend stopping in.

Open relatively late, walking distance to The Edition and to The Tempo. The food was tasty and made me feel like I was back in Cuba. I wish the tostones had salt and the mojito was stronger. Most of the drinks were premade though like the pina colada and the sangria - I'm not really a fan of pre made drinks so that was a turn off. I also expected the empanadas to be fried but they were oven baked. The beef and chicken empanadas were very tasty!!!