Robaina's

Robaina's
Robaina's plantation

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Cafencuentro (breakfast) Miramar, Havana

                 There's always talk about how bad the food is in Cuba. To some degree, the people who are saying this are not entirely incorrect. Usually they stay at a resort and the norm is that the food isn't the greatest. However, food in many restaurants in Havana (and to a lesser degree in other places around the country but not at the resorts) can be spectacular at times & with a variety that one doesn't expect from this island country. But there is one meal that elludes the Cubans and that is the breakfast. The resorts aren't too bad with this meal if the customer goes early enough (before the bacon becomes burnt to a crisp) and orders a 'made to order' omelette but outside these properties, even in Havana, breakfast done correctly (or close to it) is a hard find.
                  My girlfriend (who's Cuban) knows that I appreciate a nice breakfast. Heck, I've cooked enough of them for her that she's learned to appreciate them as well. Whenever she discovers a new spot that makes breakfast she checks it out for me (and herself). This spot is one of those places. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't have an exact address. It's located on Calle 3a somewhere between 82-86 on the south side of the street. It's a house, they converted the front part into a Ranchon (large covered patio) with tables, chairs, tv and sound system. The counter and bar I believe would have been the front door to the house, the veranda. It's a family run operation, the service is pleasant but everything takes a fair bit of time. The fresh juices and frappuccino especially took what seemed like forever....but they were worth the wait. The food itself also took a long time but was also worth waiting for. The only complaint I have about the food is the 'toast bread'. It was baguette cut in rounds and over toasted...hard as a rock, not good for dipping into the yolk for my taste.
                   The tv played the current Cuban music videos at a low volume and there was very little or no noise from the street with this not being a main throughfare. There were no other customers while we were there. It was late morning and they had opened the restaurant only the week before. I will be back in a couple of weeks and I can't imagine not coming here at least once while I'm in Havana. Let's see how the place has done and if they've kept up their standards. It's inexpensive and the numbers are in Cuban $$ so it's 25peso to 1cuc. I almost forgot to mention the coffee comes with a little cookie on the side....a nice touch. And by the way, they do Tapas as well.
                   In conclusion, I liked the place. It's only about 200 meters from where I stay and that makes it really convenient for me. I know I have to wait so I'll go with a cigar in hand and the time on hand with a little reserve of patience on the side. After all, the hard part was finding someone that has what I want, waiting a few extra minutes for it is no sweat....especially if I'm smoking something wonderful to pass the time. I'll do a followup post when I return from my next trip. Enjoy the limited pictures and I took pictures of the entire menu as well.




























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