Cuban Food at Cubana

I’m eating around the world without leaving London and this week I had Cuban food at Cubana. Now I have been to Cuba and one thing that I didn’t think was all that memorable about my visit, was the food. I remember rice and beans and maybe some meat and fried plantains and that's it. Cubana’s food is a little bit more exciting than that.

I went on a Thursday night and the place was heaving. Lucky enough I managed to get a table for two with only a 40 minute wait, which we filled with drinking Cuban beers on the terrace outside. They also do amazing cocktails, but I never really think they go well with food.

When we sat down we still had enough time for the pre-theatre dinner special which consists of three courses for only £12.00.

I went for a portion of croquetas filled with chorizo and sweet potato, accompanied by a slightly spicy salsa dip. My friend opted for the frijoles, which was a soupy version of those omnipresent Cuban beans, but she loved it, she said.

For my main I went with camarones criollos, which were succulent grilled prawns in a light tomato sauce with coriander, peppers and chillies and some fried rice.

My friend decided upon the Ropa Vieja which literally means old clothes, but in real life it is shredded beef with plantains and some rice, a Cuban classic. I had a little nibble and I loved the combination of spices and whatever the beef had been marinated in.

We still had room for dessert, but only a little one, and why shouldn’t we for £12.00. We decided to share the lime meringue cheesecake, which was a very tarty delight.

When we finished our food, we decided to go elsewhere though. Because with popularity comes loudness apparently and we couldn’t hear our own voices. Food wise it was good, but maybe better for a Monday.