Cuba Restaurant and Rum Bar

Service and ambience was great!! Food was very good. I highly recommend ropa vieja and yuca w MOJO de ajo. Drinks a Lil pricy but very good. Happy hour till 6 would be better till 7. I love it there.

This was an AMAZING experience. The best Cuban restaurant I've ever been to.

Maybe the best mojito too. That title is hard to reward because I had one of the best mojitos I've had in THIS VERY SAME WEEK--at a place reviewed separately--shout out to Ripe Kitchen & Bar. I think Cuba edges Ripe out barely, but honestly, they are different mojitos. The island/Jamaican life v. Cuba.

Anyway . . . you really are transported to Cuba when you come here. Important to note that at some point, and maybe currently, this restaurant boasts the only chef in NYC who is Cuban born and Cuban trained. Service is immaculate. Handsome, soft-spoken brown men who are very attentive and give great recommendations.

I started with the chorizo al Jerez. Wonderful sausage. So savory and delectable.

I had the churrasco for my entree, medium. So moist, tender, perfectly cooked, delightfully seasoned. The mashed potatoes were a little bland, but that may be on purpose--the steak is supposed to be the star of this sexy show.

For dessert I had the bombon Cuban, a brownie-like molten lava cake with ice cream. Tasty.

The cocktails were awesome. The Hemingway daiquiri, one of my favorite drinks, was on point. The ultimate mojito, again, was beautiful. The old Cuban was simple and wonderful. The rum old fashioned was a smoky sipper.

Everything here was quality, fresh, amazing to eat and drink . . . the vibe was immaculate. People here really care about what they are doing.

There are so many wonderful things to try here . . . ropa vieja, lots of pork that I am sure is delicious, and more cocktails! They also serve lunch and brunch.

Thank you to the staff of Cuba (my server is listed as Juan I) for making my night magical. Will be back! Again and again!

This was the absolute most perfect place to celebrate my one year anniversary with my boyfriend. I made a reservation a week in advance and put it in the notes that it was for an anniversary.

We found parking a block away which was great and were seated right away when we arrived.
The menu has a decent amount of selections but I decided to go by some of the recommendations from my fellow yelpers.

We ordered two mojitos, grilled octopus as our appetizer, ropa vieja and lechon asado as our entrees.
Our mojitos had the perfect amount of bitterness and sweetness. The grilled octopus was grilled to perfection and came with potatoes that looked like home fries but were spectacular.

My ropa vieja was so good and so filling; the shredded beef was seasoned so well and paired beautifully with the rice and black beans. My favorite part of my dish was the mashed plantain under the shredded beef: the sweetness of the plantain meshed so well with the saltiness of the beef. I tried the lechon and it was very good; not too salty and very tasty.

As our dessert, we decided to try the mango tres leches. When it arrived, it had "happy anniversary" written on the border of the plate which instantly made us smile. The attention to detail in all of our dishes was not missed; everything was served and presented so beautifully. The dessert was creamy, sweet and the perfect way to end the meal.

During our entire meal, we enjoyed live music in the background which was magical. Although it was a very busy night, our server, Saul was extremely attentive and made sure we had everything we needed at all times. This restaurant went over and beyond our expectations and will be getting recommendations from me.

Location: Great location next to Washington square park. Go there first and people watch. Tip the bird guy and the piano guy . Then walk a few minutes to Cuba. If you like pullpo then you have to come here and try theirs. It's cooked well and over a bed of potatoes that is equally as good as the octopus. I liked this dish way better than the paella. The paella was ok... not the best I ever had. I just like the rice a little crispy on the bottom which this one did not have. Overall flavors were decent. Shrimp wa overcooked rice was wet and soggy.

Service: Not chatty or over bearing. They give you your food and let you eat. Wouldn't call it warm and fuzzy, but they were attentive and well paced.

Ambiance: The ambiance is separated into a front and back area. The front is right where the door is and has the bar. The back area has draping on the walls and feels a bit more Romantic.

Prices are not terrible for NY and portions were good sizes.
$28- octopus 10/10
$30 - seafood paella 6/10

I would definitely go back for the octopus/pullpo.

11/03/23: When you get that food text..and glad you answered

Great service, food and drinks.

Our server was amazing. Attentive, funny, knowledgeable and 100% engaging.

Group enjoyed every bite, every guzzle. Definitely a place to return to try additional and make our way down the menu.

We also enjoyed live performances. Although on the smaller side there numerous section if small party is needed.

Check them out would love your thoughts if you enjoyed as much as we did.

Only popped in for drinks as we were trekking across the city. The cocktails are on point and on a trip to the loo I discovered the separate bar and private dinning rooms downstairs. This place looks amazing. Will definitely come back for food and would love to book a private dinner here.
The staff are charming and helpful and they make a mean rum punch.

Hadn't been here in years but was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of availability after work on a Tuesday evening. Our party of 3 enjoyed sangrias, mojitos, empanadas, yucca fries, camarón al ajillo, sausage appetizer and churrasco.

On a side note-we notices the bread was stale for the appetizers. We didn't eat the bread but would have been disappointed had we planned to feast on it.

We enjoyed sitting outside and were able to chat for hours! Highly recommend.

A little Cuban History por favor; I've dined at many of the Cuban Restaurants that is owned by Julian Medina.
The first was Yerba Buena Perry which was an all time favorite and the place I took my mom to celebrate her birthday and numerous special events. Their watermelon fries were unbelievably delicious. Then I took mom to Toloache which became the place to dine post theater. Then, Cuba on Thompson Street.
Thus, you can call it a trifecta of great Cuban restaurants. If my mom loves it, then, it's settled she gives it her Cuban stamp of approval. ( Mom is from Cuba)
Tonight, I revisited Cuba, and was mystified that I never reviewed it. Well tonight's the night. I needed to purchase tickets at Blue Note for upcoming show and it's a ten minute walk from work. I was starving and craved a Cubano. Cuba is close to my Blue Note.
I stepped inside and explained to Maitre ' D whom I swear served us our first visit, that I just want a light bite: Cubano and a beer. He explained sandwiches were only for lunch. I stated "no problem, I'm sure I can find something else to eat."
I was seated outside, place was packed!
The waiter came and told me that they would make the Cuban sandwich! I was thrilled!
I ordered a Cuban lager as I waited. The sandwich arrived and all I can say is " Wow"! The pressed bread was hot and toasted to perfection, the pork was absolutely scrumptious with papa frites and that delicious green sauce and the lager hit the spot!
I also recommend the Pollo Manigua, chicken with avocados and my mom has eaten her favorite, Ropa Vieja. The cocktails, especially the Sangria, are on point.
Cuba is a perfect date night, girls night, post work night.. Any night!!
Gracias Cuba por acomodar mi perdido. El sandwich Cubano estaba delicioso!
Siguiente Coppelia!

My preference for a certain cuisine is further swayed by the straightforwardly named Cuba Restaurant and Rum Bar. Though I have no insights into the rum bar aspect, the restaurant presents a large and exciting menu with no shortcuts taken to Americanize anything. One visit was all it took for this place to ascend toward the top of my list of big-eater friendly restaurants in the Village.

Food delicious just the way my mom made it.
Yesterday I ordered the Ropa Vieja. Shredded skirt steak, braised in salsa criollo sauce with onions, peppers & tomatos. A side of white rice ( flaky) I hate when it's mushed & delicious black beans.

Tonight I ordered the salmon with white coconut rice & shrimps.

I can't wait to stop by, so far I've ordered on Grub.