please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I had a really good small-brewery Spanish beer here called Estrella Galicia for �3.10, which for a London bar is not expensive. They also had Super Bok at the same price. I asked for Cuban beers, but they said they had supply problems. Urquell was on draft - I forget the price, but it was reasonable. Most people were drinking good looking cocktails and the Estrella. I also had chorizo croquettes and a prawn tempura at the bar - fresh and tasty. Pretty good place.
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Went last weekend and had some very tasty cocktails. Not a huge selection of beers - Urquell on tap was good and a Spanish lager called Estrella Galicia in bottles was great and not expensive. No Cuban beers at the time due to supply problems, apparently. We had good food too - fresh tasting tuna cakes and marinated sirloin steaks were the highlights and late night Latin band made a great atmho - all in all, inexpensive night out.
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Visited the other day at lunch time. Quiet but ever helpful staff. Food was great and reasonable. Beers very nice and I settled for a nice Cuban one.
I was initially overcharged which I failed to notice. The bill should have been �22.20 but was charged �222.00 My wife pointed it out a few days later when she found my receipt! I rang my bank and the restuarant had realised the mistake and had corrected it. How honest is that! Well impressed.
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What is not to like about Cubana? They have great value mojitos - I tried a ginger one which tasted great.
I had one of the best value sirloin steaks Ive had in London in a long time, and because I'm a greedy chap had a great lime cream meringue pie great.
Drinks were good, food great and service was fine. Overall a good night out.
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Agree that the decor might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I had a great time last week. Shared tapas with a friend. Took a while to get served - but worth the wait.
Food was reasonably priced for central London, and the lunchtime menu also looks good value - but suspect I won't have a jug of mojito's if I visit then.
Will certainly go back. Never been to Cuba so was intruiged to find out what sort of food there would be. Well worth trying if you want something different to the usual places in London
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Disagree with previous feedback. Decor is really cool. Me and my mates loved in. Cocktails were superb and a bargain. Mojitos made with real Cuban rum just hit the spot.
Food was not Michelin star - but it isn't that kind of place. My chicken dish was really succulent and the sweat potato was out of this world. Well worth a visit, and convenient when you have to stagger back to your train at Waterloo.
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I agree with Surreygal - This place is rubbish.
I have been going on and off for years its been going steadily downhill which is a shame.
The cocktails are appalling, overpiced and the service terrible.
The Camel, Walrus and Horse pubs near by are better alternatives.
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RUBBISH!!! Used to love this bar but went there the other evening for tapas and got kicked off the table after 2 hours...despite spending 75 quid! Asked to move to the "lounge" - oversized toilet with not enough seat...or downstairs...tiny bar area with no seats! Will not be going back, dont bother...Lounge 34 or The Camel just down the road are much much better
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This is the best bar in the world. I have been there 4 times and got laid every time. Fantastic cocktails and great music.
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Was there the saturday before last, very disapointed! with the exception of one member of staff (the english 1) no one seemed to understand what any one wanted, the cocktails were average, music okish,
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Nah, this ain't right. Firstly, if you want to eat there's a McDonalds at Waterloo station. Secondly, if you want to sit outside don't go to a place near ghastly-old Waterloo station - or sit outside that public-school-toilet called The Fire Station. Finally, if you're stupid enough to leave your bag hanging around, well that's your problem. All property is theft commrade.
Great to see posters of Che looking after you like the real-deal-Christ, not that half-witted Nazareth charlatan, as you sip your fifth strawberry duccckkerry.
Cubana is almost compensation for the rape and pilage job they did at the Spanish Patriot down the road. And hey, guess what everyone? It's a great place to go, and not a real ale monkey in sight. I believe brother; I fecking believe.
anonymous - 10 Aug 2006 12:30 |
Glad to see I'm not the only person left with a bad taste in their mouth after a visit to Cubana...I had only taken 3 sips of my overpriced dacquiri when I noticed that my bag had been stolen from under my nose...
This seemed odd, since there were only 4 other customers in the entire bar, but I duly reported the theft to the barstaff, who were unbelievably unhelpful. Not even the manager could be bothered to pretend he was interested - "Oh yeah", he said, "That happens a lot in here". Needless to say the police were very interested in this statement...
Only go to Cubana if you don't mind not leaving with your vaulables. Still, on the plus side, there's a police station at the other end of the road so at least you can report your theft within 10 minutes...
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Not a bad place on a Weds or Thursday night for a few late night cocktails.
I felt very "Latino" by the time I left - drunk and swearing in Spanish.
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you might hope that a 'cuban bar' would be able to serve a decent mojito. However the 'mojito' that is served in this bar, consists of lot's of soda water and some ice cubes (!!??!), with a measure of rum. If you fancy a loosely cuban theme, but want to drink larger then this might be your bag. Basically a pastiche cuban bar with lot's of mock communist iconography selling flat larger. Che must be turning in his grave.
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prepare for a crush, eat early and enjoy. fabulous
patsy - 22 Mar 2006 12:39 |
We booked a table at Cubana for an employee farewell function on 27 Jan 05. Our experience at Cubana was so terrible that I've actually registered so I can warn others off going there.
Why warn people off - Firstly, the 5-7pm 'happy hour' wasn't very happy, with drinks being about 40% the alcohol content of the drinks we bought after 7pm.
Second, we were ejected from our table at 7pm, because Cubana had booked it for other people - but they'd been selling us drinks and meals up to 6.40pm. One meal arrived at 6.55 and the diner was passively hustled through her meal. The food was good, but the service and absolute gaul of the staff disgraceful.
Once evicted from our table, the bar staff continued selling members of our group drinks, whilst the manager (who was continually welcoming new people in the door) harassed our group and others for standing in spaces between tables - where else were we to stand in a venue that had been overbooked.
In the end, we all left Cubana feeling like herded catttle, far more stressed than we had been when we left the office that afternoon.
Avoid this place - they deserve neither your time or money.
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Our table was booked for 9pm but was not vacated until 9.30. During our wait (standing at a very crowded bar) the waitresses showed a total lack of concern for the delay and were positively surly. We were offered a free cocktail jug in compensation by a bar manager and accepted. However, we ordered the moment that we sat down but were still waiting for food at 10.00 - not even bread and salsa could be provided in the meantime! One waitress with a massive attitude problem told us to talk to the manageress, when we queried the delay, as she frankly did not give a damn....so we did. The manageress was defensive at first but when we pointed out where mistakes had been made she accepted them. All the same, we still had to collect our own starters from the kitchen (!) and when one of our group received his main course late, he asked the aforementioned waitress where it was. She screwed up her miserable face, pointed at the chef and said 'blame him'....The food (when it came) was good, the manageress deducting the cost of all 3 jugs of cocktail as compensation at least showed concern but the entire event is marred by unbelievably sloppy, ignorant and downright rude serving staff. Shame as the Mojitos are fabulous!
Ilona - 13 May 2005 10:32 |
What's this? Pictures of the 26th July movement, replica Kalashnikovs hanging from the walls and bar staff wearing fatigues- it must be a theme pub.
However, the cocktails are great (happy hour recommended 5-6.30pm) and once the live salsa acts begin the place kicks off. It gets busy inside fast, but then outside is good to sit and watch the world go by (and the salsa singer's ass shaking in the window). Ate here once and waited an eternity for food, and unfortunately the bar service is almost as unforthcoming due to the amount of mint the staff have to crush.
My biggest gripe is that after spending the evening here I realise just how bad I am at dancing, but heh, cue the Macarana!
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This is a great spot in the summer - lively, fresh cocktails and fantastic music. Some of the staff a bit sour, but most are sound as a bell and the service is grand. The Mojito's are something special - just what you need on payday after a hard weeks work!
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If you like standard beer, served in all the other Waterloo boozers, then either steer clear or drink cocktails!
Open later than other establishments in the area, and sells cigars. Over priced and not particularly good, but then if it's payday and you're drinking Long Island Iced teas by the barrell... what's a few quid on a cigar to round the evening off?
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Just staggered out of our Xmas dinner at Cubana and maybe it's just the cocktails, but I'm very happy! I seem to remember smiley staff, busy place, fresh, very different food - and the cocktails....then there was a Salsa band, then....
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Very excellent place - sure it gets crowded, that's because there aren't many places where you can get really good cocktails for under a fiver - and far less at Happy Hour, plus good, low-cost food - and it's open late and had live Salsa music. O work nearby and the secret, if you don't like crowds, is to come early in the week - but if you like a buzzy, busy, orginal place, look no further
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Seriously good place - I'm with Sanjita on this - maybe Roger came on a bad night, but I can't see how he can call the food expensive when I had three good courses with my girlfriend for under �25 each with (excellent)cocktails. I work nearby and I often go for lunch and get two decent courses for �5.95. Cubana is known for it's cocktails, but it's food is some of the best value in town. It does get busy though, especially later in the week when the late-night live Salsa is on. Generally I've found the staff really good and motivated - even when run off their feet. And Don't forget the beer - Budvar at under �3 a pint and some good bottled beers, inc Cuban Cristal and Super Bok from Portugal - recommended
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Good place because it's so different - yes, the outside seating is in a licenced section of a car park, but that's no worse than a pavement on a main road. The decor is not the usual neo-modern brushed aluminium - it's even a little grungy, or 'authentically' Cuban! But the cocktails are the thing - Cubana is the only place I know where they are all made with fresh fruits and juices. I recommend happy hour when you can get two excellent Mojitos or Fresh Strawberry Daiquiris for a fiver - as for the food, it's not Michelin Star stuff, but very good value - I went early week and got a 2-courses for �11 deal and the marinated sirloin steak was the best I've had anywhere, plus fab tapas. Open very late as well - this is the place!
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Awful place. Ignorant staff, over priced drinks and very poor layout. Outside drinking is a car park complete with overflowing trolley bins. Food whilst expensive is different though
Roger - 4 Nov 2004 14:10 |
A breath of fresh air. A spirited atmosphere in a quirky and original venue. The live music adds to the authenticity of the night - you feel like a million miles away from Waterloo!
JRW - 15 Jul 2004 17:23 |
Excellent place. Very Lively with a really relaxed atmoshphere. The cuban menu is good (not great)and very different, but better than that are the cocktails, they are brilliant. Fresh fruit and ample spirits help party the evening away, combined with the live salsa bands at the weekend and a late license this is one of london's best venues.
I used to live on the same street as Cubana and loved it from the first time I went.
Craig - 2 Apr 2004 16:51 |
� Is it a bar? Is it a restaurant? Unpretentious in a cool way, Cubana � I�ve been to both Waterloo and Paddington bars now � is fun from start to finish. The food and drink is authentic � the last time I was there I had Coconut stuffed chicken served with fried plantain and rice with black beans and a big jug of Mojito to share. I�ve used it to start a night � 7 till 9 dinner and cocktails � as well as finish a night � 11-1 more cocktails and trying to dance salsa. It�s good for all occasions.
MIlton Haynes - 24 Jan 2004 16:30 |
