Food Event Details
Join the staf for their everyday's task
Learn about the details making a paladar work
Try a little bit of our cuisine
Discover a little bit of Cuba
Join your friends for lunch
Learn about paladars over drinks and lunch
Havana · Navigate the Island burgueoning culinary scene
2.5 total hours
Access backstage in a Restaurant, lunch
Available in: English, Español
Monday, Wednesday, From Friday to Sunday 11:00 - 13:30 hrs
Contact our team if you have special needs
ContactFor almost a decade I have explored Havana's culinary scene as a founder of Alamesa - Cuba's leading restaurant search and discovery service - I have witnessed its evolution and learn its secrets. All I know about how this business roll in Cuba, the techniques, the tricks, the places, and the people, I learned it by doing, in the most entrepreneurial way possible. I'd love to share with you my experiences and findings while interacting with restaurants and bars in Cuba. I also co-created Ruta de Tapas Habana (Havana's Tapas Route), the first and biggest tapas and drinks competition in Cuba. Its goal is to highlight the burgeoning restaurant scene of the city in all its creativity and presents it to locals. I'll introduce you to it.
Anyone can take you to a paladar - private restaurant- in Havana, but I can take you beyond it. I'll help you understand what it takes to run a paladar business in this city while visiting the inner workings of one. How do they get the ingredients for delicious Ropa Vieja? How´s bread kept crispy for Cuban sandwiches? What are the challenges? You´ll tour the areas, attend a mise-en-place meeting, make your own Mojitos, try the house specialties right from the pan and exchange with the crew in the kitchen. You'll literally follow every step of your meal ending in a table in which we will share the most candid conversations about Cuban reality sided with generous lunch and drinks. Over coffee, I´ll give you tips and recs on how and where to find good meals in my city.
We'll meet outside La Catedral restaurant.
Calle 8 entre Calzada y 5ta, en el Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución
I will take you through the internal processes of the restaurant and we will share elements of your daily life with the staff members.
Calle 8 e/ Calzada y 5ta, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución
Please let me know if you have any dietary restriction. Write to me if you don't find availability for the dates you want. there is always room for another chair at lunch's table.
T
S
Ariel was a fascinating guy to meet and spend a few hours with. We talked about Cuban society in general and the paladar business in particular, especially the challenges faced because of the Cuban govt. control of the food supply. It got a bit "into the weeds" at times with details of the restaurant business, but overall it was a great experience with great mojitos and a good lunch.
M
We had a great and fun experience learning how to make Cuban special drinks. Ariel was so wonderful and helpful with giving us insight in to the lifestyle of the area. I would highly recommend you book this experience with Ariel.
A
This was a great chance to pick the brain of a Cuban who has wholly embraced the changes happening in Cuba. Ariel was very friendly and informative, and welcomed any questions we had - not only about the operation of a paladar but about Cuba in general. Overall a great experience providing plenty of insight and a great lunch (and cocktails)! Thanks Ariel!
J
Ariel was a great host. He is a fun guy with a lot to share. During our experience, we learned how to make mojitos; we went behind the scenes of a restaurant, and we ate tasty food. I highly recommend this experience. You won’t be disappointed.
T
Ariel was the perfect host and his experience was exceptional. He gave us an amazing insight into dining in Cuba which made the rest of our trip a breeze. He was funny and went above and beyond to make sure we had a fantastic time.
S
We loved our experience with Ariel. It was great chatting to him about his business, Cuban food and restaurants and just Cuba in general. It was lots of fun and it made our stay much easier once we knew where to go and what Cuban specialties we couldn’t miss!! Thanks for a great day Ariel!
G
This is an excellent experience! Arial is a great speaker, and we learned so much (like I now know how to make a mojito and run a restaurant!???) Apart from the great insight into private enterprise in Cuba, - and the great food - Arial recommended several restaurants from his app (AlaMesa) - we visited these and they were all outstanding! Highly recommended!
G
This was a very enjoyable experience. We had a lot of fun, learned some things and enjoys some great food and drinks. Be sure to ask Ariel for Havana restaurant recommendations. He gave us some great ones.
R
Ariel was super knowledgable and very warm. The experience is even better than my daughter and I expected. The popular restaurant is such a beautiful establishment with a great story. We were so fortunate to have a family of 3 from Colorado that did the experience as well and they were great. We learned a lot about the restaurant business, the culture of the restaurant and ate amazing food there too. Oh and had super tasty drinks as well. It was great to see another part of Cuba( about 20-30minutes from Havana)..more residential but full of life and culture. Worth every penny and I highly recommend. I plan on dining at the restaurant when I return. Thanks Ariel!
Ariel is an incredible human being. This is an absolute MUST DO when visiting Cuba. He taught us so much about the city of Havana and the food industry. He is incredibly kind and knowledgable. The food was top notch, the drinks were delicious and our conversation with him was priceless!