The set of Strawberry And Chocolate proved such a hit with visitors to Havana, the owner turned it into a restaurant. It now serves the best food in town

Gavin McOwan
Saturday October 8, 2005
The Guardian

The three greatest successes of the Revolution, so the old Cuban saying goes, are health, education and sport; the three greatest failures are breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unfortunately there's more than a grain of truth in this - in fact there's a whole truckload. Like many state-run institutions (schools, prisons, the whole of the former eastern bloc) fine cuisine is a low priority in Cuba, and while many go hungry the best food is either exported or - lucky for tourists - available only to those with hard currency. Even then, and in the finest hotels in Havana, it is usually bland and unimaginative.

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With procuring even a half-decent meal a daily struggle, Cubans often fantasise about food. This yearning is one of the premises of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío's 1994 film Strawberry And Chocolate. The title refers to ice cream flavours - the pink strawberry is a metaphor for homosexuality and creativity, the brown chocolate the drudgery of life controlled by the state. At the start of the film, Diego, the gay lead, attempts to seduce David, the straight (in both senses) chocolate-eating young communist at Coppelia, Havana's most famous ice cream parlour. Tasting a spoonful of ice cream as if it were a sexual experience, Diego remarks that it "is the only good thing left in this country. Soon they'll export it, and for us ... water and sugar."

Havana is such a unique and wondrous place that it throws up sensual experiences and atmospheric locations at every turn, but for me none bettered visiting La Guarida for the first time. Simply finding the place and getting in was an adventure. Passing through a huge wooden door off a dimly lit back street, you enter into the hallway of what must once have been the grandest of colonial courtyard mansions - all ornate carvings on lofted ceilings, tall stone pillars and a cracked marble staircase. One wall is covered with a paean to Fidel who, some say, once lived at this address.

After climbing three flights of stairs in semi-darkness, passing several apartments full of noisy Cuban families and passing over a beautiful terrace strewn with the building's collective laundry, I reached another tall door and rang the bell. Then, from one surreal environment, I stepped into another. As the door opened, I was bowled over by the smells of the open kitchen, the music, candlelight and sheer glamour of La Guarida. It was a Mr Benn moment.

Genau so isses!

Yet even more impressive than the kitsch-cool decor and jet-set visitors' book is the menu. The self-taught Enrique and his young chefs conjure up sublime nouvellish Cuban cuisine that would do a top London restaurant proud. Favourites include gazpacho, rack of lamb and some of the best seafood in Havana: tuna tartar, coconut-glazed tuna in sugar cane, seared grouper and red snapper in orange sauce are cooked to perfection. And, amazingly for a country where importing anything is almost illegal, the list of European wines is diverse (some vintage), well thought out and compliments the food perfectly. For desert there is delicious home-made ice cream. The most popular flavours, it goes without saying, are strawberry and chocolate.

Three of the best Havana paladars

A Cocina de Lilliam (Calle 48 #1311, Miramar, +7 209 6514) is in a beautiful tropical garden with fountains, ponds and caged birds. Modern Cuban cuisine - La Guarida's big rival. Booking is essential.

At the Casa de Adela (Calle F #503, Vedado, +7 832 3776) you get a guided tour of the arty, labyrinthine house before sitting down to experimental cuisine (a rarity in Cuba - lots of banana and mango with the meat and fish dishes) on a roof-top garden amid tropical plants and decorative artwork.

The popular Le Chansonnier (Calle J #257, Vedado, +7 832 1576) is set in a colonial house with a magnificent, slightly crumbling, facade. The antique decor contrasts with modern jazz playing in the background. The menu, printed on oversized music sheets, has a French influence - chicken in cream of mushroom sauce, lamb stew - and the mango tart is superb. Book ahead.

Way to go

Getting there Virgin Holidays (0871 222 0304, virgin.com/holidays) run seven-night breaks to Havana, staying at the Hotel Nacional De Cuba from £659, or the Melia Cohiba from £639; price includes direct flights from Gatwick, transfers and room-only accommodation.

Where to eat La Guarida (Calle Concordia #418, +7 264 4940, Centro, laguarida.com); three courses with wine around $40pp; booking is essential. Coppelia ice cream parlour (Calle 23 and L, Vedado).