MissCali Q.
Yelp
Where do I begin?...
First, the ambiance. The moment we walked in to the restaurant we felt a good, warm vibe. We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who led us tonour table. The music was perfect- rumba or salsa or some kind of fabulous mix like that, and playing at the perfect volume (in our opinion). There were lovely pieces of art on the walls, mirrors everywhere, and a beautiful, cozy bar. Aaaaaaand the place was decorated all Christmas-y too which just added to the good vibes.
Second, our server. We were lucky to have Madeline as our server. She was absolutely fantastic. She had wonderful, kind, sincere, positive energy that really set the tone for the evening. There were 8 of us coming from all over the bay area so we didn't all arrive at the same time unfortunately due to traffic, but Madeline never once made us feel rushed or feel bad about it. My boyfriend and I have been working in restaurants for over 20 years and we both found her to be one of the best servers we have had when dining out and both agreed that she is the type of person we would love to work alongside in a restaurant. Her timing was perfect for everything. She never made us feel rushed, she was honest with us about portions and didn't try to oversell which we especially appreciate. Her suggestions were great, she was attentive, and was always around when we needed her. Madeline is truly a star. The manager (we feel terrible because we didn't catch his name) was also incredibly warm and welcoming and went above and beyond to make me feel special on my birthday. We left all agreeing that we would be back, no doubt about it. Those two truly made our evening.
Lastly, the food. Wowzas! Literally everything was amazing. We ordered a bunch of things and ate family style. We started out with the Spiced Yucca chips and mango salsa and fried Plantain chips w guac. I could eat both of those all day everyday. Next, we had the ham & cheese croquettes, Ahi Tuna tartar, grilled shrimp w/ rice, mango & spinach salad, yucca fries, the cubano (best I've had thus far. We ordered a 2nd one). 3rd round we had the Cubano fried rice w/ shrimp & pork belly, the beef Ropa Vieja, the pollo Ropa Vieja, the chimichurri skirt steak con mashed boniato, y lamb chops. Wowwwwww. Not a speck of food left on any of the plates.
For dessert we ordered the sorbet duo (mango and raspberry this particular evening), coconut tres leches cake (I could have ate 3 pieces myself because it was THAT delicious) and the churros w/ chocolate sauce. Absolutely fantastic. Literally every dish was delicious. There was nothing that we didn't like. Everyone was so content, perfectly full, and truly enjoyed the entire experience.
I forgot to mention the mojitos!! I ordered an apricot/tarragon mojito and it was super tasty. Nicely balanced and refreshing. My boyfriend, his mom, and his 2 sisters each got virgin mojitos and they all loved theirs. Any of their regular mojitos (they have like 8-10 options for mojitos alone) can be made as virgin mojitos which I wish I could give Havana an extra star for. It is SO nice to know that they have thought about the non-alcohol drinkers out there and have fun, creative options for those who still want to partake in the festivities but can't drink alcohol for whatever reason.
All in all, I highly recommend this restaurant. Truly a wonderful dining experience and a beautiful birthday celebration with family. Havana has gained 8 new fans that will most certainly be back. Make a reservation. Do it. You won't regret it. Enjoy the food, service, and good vibes everyone! Cheers!