Step inside the West End restaurant Havana Central and be whisked back in time to early 1900’s Cuba…complete with wooden fans and tables, palm trees, fiery music, and above all else, food bursting with flavor and character.

Havana Central, on the cusp of the Columbia University campus, boasts a delightful menu sure to tickle the senses. This writer visited there for a birthday brunch and was immediately seated at the bar and plied with a passion fruit mojito (¡muy bueno!). You gotta love a place that knows what you need before you have to say it…

The sampler of various Cuban appetizers was a nice surprise and a great way to start the meal. Though this writer was not as keen on Havana Central’s version of sweet roast corn with queso fresco and seasoned mayo, the tostones with chorizo & chimichurri sauce (a cilantro & garlic sauce) was delightful, as were the maduros and the shrimp empanaditas.

Havana Central hosts brunch, lunch, & dinner menus, and Prix Fixe menus for special occasions, such as Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day. For brunch, try their pan de Majorca con dulce de leche, a decadent French toast served with caramelized bananas, or the Huevos con Churrasco, three eggs any style with savory skirt steak, served with seasoned potato wedges and the cilantro & garlic based chimichurri sauce. For the vegetarian in you, try the Garden Fresh Havana Omelet or the Huevos Fritos Cubanos, two fried eggs over a white rice & sautéed onion mix and served with warm pressed Cuban bread. Sounds strange? It’s delicious.

Not in the mood for breakfast food? Try a Cubano classico, a traditional Cuban sandwich with roast pork, swiss cheese & pickles, or arroz con camarones, a garlic shrimp with savory saffron rice. This writer particularly fell in love with the “ropa vieja”, aptly named for the beef’s stringy yet tender texture from being slow cooked in a rich and flavorful broth. Served with peppers, onions, & yellow rice with your choice of red or black beans, it is sure to delight. Havana Central also boasts a wide variety of salads and lighter fare for those concerned about their calorie intake.

Accompany your meal with your choice of tropical themed drinks – the passion fruit mojito this writer was plied with in the beginning made way for many more. The restaurant has a variety of different types of mojitos, including the classic one. Other wonderful drinks include the tropical bellini, the bottomless glass of champagne, or their countless other beers, wines, & spirits. For dessert, this writer was disappointed that the chocolate empanadas listed on the menu were unavailable…but the churros con chocolate y dulce de leche certainly made up for it. Now to figure out another excuse to go back and enjoy another passion fruit mojito…oops, said that aloud…tee hee…

Havana Central has three locations in Manhattan: 


The West End – 2911 Broadway bet. 113th and 114th Streets

Times Square – 151 West 146th Street bet. 6th and 7th Avenues

Union Square – 22 East 17th Street bet. Broadway and 5th Avenue

Tags: bueno, Cuban, cubano, dinner, food, havana central, mojitos, queso, tostones

Trackback URI | Comments RSS