If you are looking for a fun-filled night with live music, colorful murals, and great-tasting food, Guantanamera in Midtown, Manhattan is the place to go.
It’s a warm, cozy, vibrant restaurant that features authentic Cuban cuisine. It captures the essence of Old Havana with its rattan-covered ceiling fans, hand-painted murals, and waiters in linen shirts.
Overall Ambience and Appearance
The restaurant does not look like much from the outside. Inside, you are greeted with a bar and a couple of booth tables. Further back in the restaurant, there are tables set up side by side. The stage is at the back with the kitchen and service area.
There is some lighting but for the most part, it is candle lit. The tables are very close so be prepared to be up close and personal with the people next to you. The furniture seems somewhat old but it may be a part of the vibe and ambiance the restaurant is trying to create. The walls are hand-painted with vibrant portraits of Cuban culture.
Service
The restaurant has a high vibe and fast-paced energy that is felt from the moment you walk in and are seated.
The service team was dressed in outfits of linen shirts, black pants and some in colorful floral dresses.
The service overall was great but there were a couple of issues worth mentioning. Multiple servers were serving one table so it got confusing who to ask for something or if your request was being worked on. There was some overlap in the work as well.
For example, one server came and got the order for desserts then a different server came to ask for the order a few minutes afterward. Another example is one server collected the check and then another came to offer another bill.
Other than that the service was stellar. The servers were friendly and engaging, they were knowledgeable about the menu and the different selections. Their recommendations were delish. They made jokes and lightened the mood and everyone overall had a good vibe about them.
Menu
The menu offers various selections for everyone from meat dishes to vegetarian dishes. What is interesting is the menu items are in Spanish with a short English description listed beneath.
There is a full bar in the restaurant as well as a drink menu with typical alcoholic beverages like mojitos, margaritas, beers, and wine. They also have an “exotic” drink menu that offers more curated specialty mixed drinks that are unique.
The dessert menu is not extensive but offers a few selected Cuban delights such as tres leches, bread pudding, and flan.
The restaurant also offers a catering menu, which is always nice if you have a large gathering and want Cuban food.
Food Appearance and Taste
Drinks
For our drinks we ordered mojitos and piña coladas.
The drinks were very strong and well made. They had the perfect ratio of liquid to ice and alcohol to the mixer. You felt like you were drinking an adult beverage. The presentation was also spot on, they served the piña colada in long curved glass and the mojitos were served in the standard glass with the mint lining the glass.
The group felt the drinks were delicious and well made.
Meal
For our meal we ordered several dishes: the pollo guantanamera, paella vegetariana, salmon bayamo, and the chuletas de puerco.
Translation: We ordered half-boneless chicken marinated in garlic-infused Cuban sauce with rice & beans, Spanish rice with assorted mixed vegetables, salmon in white wine, onions, peppers, capers, olives, in a tomato sauce and pork chops in a mustard cream sauce served with congri.
The meat was styled on each plate and the presentation was well done. It felt very special and added that additional touch that made it that much better. The rice and beans were served family style.
Each dish had its own unique taste that was packed with flavor and seasoning. The food has just the right amount of sauce to accompany the dishes. The portions were not too big but not too small, it was just right.
The food was comforting and hearty and you could tell it was served as soon as it was cooked. Each dish had layers of flavors that were reminiscent of a home-cooked meal.
Dessert
For dessert we ordered the crepas de guayaba and torrejas.
Which is crepes stuffed with guava and vanilla ice cream and the Cuban version of french toast. The crepes were filled with the right amount of guava and melted in your mouth. The french toast was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They were not too sweet but had a nostalgic taste and feeling to them. The desserts were also plated in a stylized manner.
Price
The price point for many dishes ranged from twenty to thirty-five dollars depending on what you ordered. The chicken dishes are on the lower end and the fish and meat are on the higher end. The drinks were ten dollars and up. The desserts range from nine to eleven dollars.
Overall, we spent a little over two hundred dollars on our meals, drinks, and desserts. For four people in New York City combined with the serving size, service, and taste that was a bargain.
Check out Guantanamera’s menu!
Overall Experience
The crowd is a mix of older and young people, it’s the perfect date night spot or a night out with friends.
We gave Guantanamera, The Lillian Post stamp of approval with 4 out of 5 stars. We felt the food was amazing and the candor of the service made up for some of the issues. The drinks were strong and the experience overall was awesome.
If you are looking for a good time bursting with positive vibes, Guantanamera is the place to go. They know how to serve delicious food at reasonable prices with a welcoming atmosphere.
If you go there you are bound to leave smiling.
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