best restaurant in shockhoe bottom! I've been to Havana 59 many times (mojitos are my fav) and have always had a great experience- tonight was no different! Only this time, my server, Simi, was so exceptional that she inspired me to finally write a review. I was impressed with her ability to balance tables while giving each guest her individual attention. I always order the delicious Cuban nachos (rlly good vegetarian option if you specify no meat!) and of course a couple mojitos. And sit by the open window if it's a nice day! read more

Havana 59 - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Perfect location in Shockoe Bottom. For the most part the food was fine. Black beans from a can and instant rice was pretty obviously part of the "Habana Experience". It really is OK to season these things as well. It was particularly jarring as the rest of the food was fine. Anastasia was attentive and fun on a busy, beautiful Saturday evening in March. We were there for over three hours before a concert and we never felt driven off. A good thing, that. Just do a little something more with the beans and rice. Your abuela would want you to. read more

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Black bean soup is incredible. However, ordered a bowl of soup but received a small cup instead for the price of the bowl. read more

Havana 59 - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Low rating due to exceptionally poor service. We were a party of 2. Had to go to the hostess stand to request service after being seated and waited over 25 minutes. No apology or any kind of compensation offered. Soup and entrees arrived together. Had to go again to the hostess stand for silverware and napkins. Food was amazing but service was substandard. Unfortunately, I won't return due to the poor service and lack of attention to our experience. Probably one of the worst service experience I've had. I work in the service industry and have empathy for the team members but this was an abysmal dinning experience. Been waiting over 10 minutes just to have the server grab my credit card. read more

Great spot for dinner and drinks. Have been here twice now a year apart and the experience was great both times. Highly recommend. read more

Havana 59 - Key Lime Pie - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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This was my second visit to Havana 59 in the space of a few days. I had been there in past on 2 separate occasions to celebrate my birthday, however, my most recent visits were just me going out to enjoy a delicious meal with family. Needless to say I enjoyed this space very much on my first return visit[which was a weekday evening] & wanted to bring with husband with me to try out their Cigar Smoking Section[we dined on a Sunday afternoon]. I have to say we more than enjoyed our experience. It was inviting & relaxing concurrently. The food was delicious. The service was courteous, attentive & professional. The atmosphere made me feel like I was really lounging in restaurant/lounge in Cuba & the cigar selection was expansive & sensually embracing. The scent of the cigar options we chose were absolutely wonderful. The smoking experience,although new to me, was definitely an opportunity I would return for again! I don't think I had felt that relaxed in quite some time. I would definitely recommend Havana 59 if you enjoy Cuban food & you enjoy the option of being able to engage in cigar smoking. They also have a non-smoking part of the restaurant, which is where I dined originally, if cigars & smoke are not your thing. Whichever option is your thing, I cannot recommend this restaurant enough for an enjoyable meal & an engaging dining experience. read more

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One of my favorite spots. Love the atmosphere and especially the bar. A special shout out to Ellen and Hannah

Havana is quickly becoming a favorite for me. First off, their atmosphere feels authentic to the spirit of the music they play and the food they serve. Their staff, specifically we had Zahra - was super attentive and friendly. I felt welcomed and will definitely be requesting her as our server next time we're in. We had calamari, steak tacos and their original mojitos on happy hour - let me tell you. Best drink I've had in a long time. So refreshing and not too strong but just right. The food was so flavorful and the sauces completely perfected the meal. We went to their salsa night after and had a blast - their instructor was engaging, funny, and made everyone feel comfortable getting out of their comfort zones. read more

Havana 59 - Calamari and Steak Tacos for Happy Hour - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The prices was very high for a small portion of food. And the service sucks because it took 1 hrs. To receive our food. The food did not taste as good as other Cuban restaurants. Will never go there again read more

Grab a little taste of Cuban flair at this place. The restaurant sits at the corner of 17th street marketplace. There is no direct street parking so my best advice is when coming off I-95 to park by the train station. I used an OpenTable reservation which was nice as this was the first time trying out this spot. The interior was very rustic that had a cocktail bar with bar seating and booths on one side and small 2 top and 4 top tables and booths on the other. There was a stairway leading to an upstairs eating event area, but did not get to check that out. The menu is one page apps and soup/salad choices on the left and entrees with classic Cuban and MP options due to the seafood faire. I opted for an original mojito and lechon asado. Skipped the dessert and app so not stance on that. The service was nice altho our server didn't check back in on us after we got food but would have been nice to get a drink refill or hot sauce if there were any choices. It did state on the menu due to a small staff team and kitchen the food will take a while. Which wasn't too bad of a wait. The drink was good and quite minty. The food was aplenty but would have like a wee bit more rice as there was more beans than rice. The maduros were good and tostones were crispy and delicious. I've had lechon before but didn't know it had a green spice mix. It was good and the darker pieces of meat were more flavorful. The bathroom reminded me of one that you would find at a seedy dive bar. The graffiti on the walls threw me off, but I did like the Spanish newspaper ads. They did have a Valentine's menu but right seem that put together for a couples meal. It was $55 that came with an appetizer, entré, and dessert choice I suppose. It wasn't too clear what it was so I skipped on it. All in all a fair shot, but not the most exciting in my array of Cuban food. At least go for the music and grab a drink with friends. read more

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We had reservations for Valentine's Day. The host was very solemn and it took him a while to find our reservation. We sat down, our server greeted us and then 30 minutes later came back for our order. We didn't see the server again until we finished eating. I ordered the Ropa Vieja. (Now this is my typical dish and I'm used to ordering this at my usual family owned Cuban restaurants in Florida.) It was okay. The black beans and tostones were great though! The bathroom...yikes. Go to the bathroom before you arrive. read more

Havana 59 - Ropa vieja - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The food was authentic Cuban, and very good. Our server, Jess, was fantastic! Very attentive anticipating our needs. Adding some authentic Cuban music for background music would really enhance the experience! read more

Great food and service. The paella was excellent. I ordered it twice in one week. The pork morsels and nachos are amazing. I would recommend the oysters as well. If you like mojitos - this is the place to have it paired with a cigar. read more

Havana 59 - '59 Paella Mariscos* - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Some friends and I went here for the salsa and bachata lesson and dancing afterwards. There were two instructors and both were GREAT. You will learn enough to do some basic movements on the dance floor. It was a lot of fun. Everybody dances with everybody. It doesn't feel like a pick up joint at all, just people hanging out and having fun. I'd definitely do that again. It's a small place that is reached by a lot of stairs. It's in the open air and overlooks the 17th Street courtyard, so it can get hot. There are fans, but if you love the night air and night sky, you will enjoy it. read more

Lackluster experience dining. The paella was underwhelming and not authentic. I was anticipating rice, but I believe they use orzo. Interesting and unanticipated twist. The ropa vieja was a little too sweet for my palate. The dough on the empanadas were also a little too thick. Overall, the price of the meal did not match the quality. We enjoyed our server, Izzy, who was super friendly. Be mindful that it is also a cigar bar so the area set aside for dining only still smells like a smoking area. I'd return for drinks and to frequent the cigar bar. Unfortunately, I don't think I would eat again at this establishment. read more

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So my boyfriend and I came to Havana 59 on a Friday night since it was one of the few places open, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good all the experience was. The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty awesome. I love the interior. Also important to note - you can purchase and smoke cigars inside of the smoking section of the restaurant. They also leave the windows open to help with the air flow. So if you have sensitive lungs or are bothered by smoke, just sit in the nonsmoking section. There were plenty of drink options and food choices. So it was hard to narrow it down, but I ultimately decided on a mojito and the Cuban nachos but without protein as I am vegetarian. There weren't a ton of vegetarian options but I'm happy I opted for this plate as it was very good. Everything was excellent and tasted great. My drink was refreshing and my nachos were heavenly. I loved the use of fried plantains as the chips and overall I was very satisfied with my meal! read more

Havana 59 - Original Mojito - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Only went here to smoke a cigar, as i do every time i come to town. Has a real neighborhood feel with the cigar customers. I bring my own cigars, but they have a decent small selection of their own. That block has really cleaned up over the years. read more

We held our 70 person October 2025 wedding at Havana 59 and had a great experience! We were looking for a place that was in the downtown area and could provide a more intimate feel than the typical wedding venue. The staff was absolutely amazing and they helped us pull off the best day. Our family and friends raved about the unique venue, food, and overall experience. Daniel and the staff helped bring our vision to life from the ceremony on the 17th St. Market through cocktail and reception on the open-air rooftop. Would highly recommend considering Havana 59 when looking for wedding venues or just a fantastic place to eat. read more

Very slow service. This place has seen better days. Food was not tasty and the restaurant looks dated.

Pretty cool spot with plenty of seating inside and out. I thought it was cool that they had a smoking and non smoking section. We started off with the Fried Oysters and fur drinks we ordered the Pear Mojito and the Mango Jalapeño Mojito. Both were very good in flavor. The oysters were great as well, the batter was delicious but didn't stay on too well. I ordered the Gambas Escalfada. The prawns were good and I liked the forbidden rice but there was a lot of the gastrique so the rice was swimming in it. My boyfriend ordered the 59 Paella for one which was amazing. Plenty of seafood and delicious. I ordered the Strawberry Lemon Mojito afterwards and that was also well made. We finished off the evening with a cigar. We ordered the Java Maduro. It was a well kept cigar. They helped us cut and provided matches and an ashtray. Definitely recommend this place! read more

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Trash ass service, food, & managers half asking their job. They need to actually train their staff

The service was phenomenal. My waitress was extremely cute. The drinks were perfectly mixed. The cigars were amazing and don't get me started about the jerk wings. Those jerk style wings were phenomenal. They had me in my two buddies in awe with how amazing they were 10 out of 10 would recommend to literally anybody read more

This place is terrible. It is honestly the worst dining experience I've had in a very long time. The empanada tasted like they had been frozen for a very long time and the paella was so over-salted I couldn't taste any other flavors. The sauce on the side of the empanadas was the highlight of the meal. The service was also slow, very slow, but I would have looked passed that if the food was edible. I don't recommend this place to anyone. McDonalds would be a better choice. read more

It's fantastic, the food, ambiance, music , everything! Enjoy an authentic experience with great Cuban food . read more

Bartenders are amazing!!! They will cater to your needs, the service is immaculate :) Food is always amazing. Dan the owner is so sweet, Diana the bartender/server is the sweetest and always down for a good conversation. If you need a good neighborhood place this is it. read more

COVID review: out door dining available, waiters all wearing masks. Got the ropa vieja - plantains were done well, meat was very savory, black beans added to the side. Filling meal, nice set up - meat was about 21. read more

Havana 59 - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is my second time trying Havana. Food wasn't impressive the first time so decided to come back just for drinks. The drinks weren't even drinkable. I ordered the jalapeño basil margarita and my bf ordered the mango jalapeño mojito. My margarita was entirely too spicy, and I LOVE spicy, to the point I feel like it was burning my stomach. My bf's drink just tasted like mango syrup. Only thing that made the experience enjoyable was our server Hannah who was very attentive and friendly. If you do find yourself here ask for her. read more

Service is either amazing or the worst. From reading other reviews I wonder if it's the same person? Maybe something they could look into with turn times. Late to Allianz for the show tonight because our server just straight up did not take care of the table. 75 minutes to get food. Mojito's are probably the best in town though.. read more

I went out with a girlfriend and it was the only place available on a Friday. For food, I got the skirt steak. It wasn't anything to write home about, but also wasn't bad. Lacked salt but again wasn't terrible. The service was great. My server was Anastacia, and if i don't go back for the food, I would go back for her! She served every bit of her tip. She would come up and check constantly if we needed anything and made sure our food was great! I sat outside, so I can't really speak on the ambiance indoor. Also the highlight was the check coming out in a post card! If you write in them, they'll ship it out for you!! My only critique is that they write the prices for the meals. everything was "MP" which was all lil annoying. Price: $$$ read more

Food and service was pretty solid, but even the 'non-smoking' area was unbearable. Quick tweaks to the hvac should help but in the meantime won't return due to excessive smoke read more

A couple friends and I went this past Sunday for brunch, and this was truly one of the worst brunch experiences of my life. The kitchen was short staffed, which is understandable that they'd take a bit longer, but it took an hour for our food to come out and there were not even many people at the restaurant. To make matters worse, the waitress told us multiple times that the food was coming out soon and that just made us even hungrier while we continued to wait and wait and wait. And the icing on the cake was that one of my friends and I ordered the Cuban omelette, but what we got after our hour of waiting was some flavorless, undercooked eggs with some potatoes in it and a couple of slices of avocado and pieces of super oily bread on the side. The only saving grace and reason I'm not giving a 1 star instead is because the waitress was kind enough to realize how screwed our situation was and gave us our meal on the house... ok the maduros were also pretty fire, but still we were expecting soooo much more for a spot in downtown Richmond. read more

As a cigar smoker and lover of Cuban food i really like this place my only complaint is it opens too late and is closed on Sunday. I would go there 3 times a week if it opened like at 2 or so. The food is great considering it's in va. I mean if i can get great cuban in Richmond I'm not complaining. I ordered the pork morsels and a cuban bread cut like a sandwich and made a pork sandwich. Yuuuummm. Mojito is strong also, With good flavor. There is nothing like cuban bread; it's light, soft and moist. I can't believe more sandwiche places have not cought on to cuban bread. Who wants that hard crap like they serve at some places with butter as an appetizer in that lil basket. read more

We had a great time.the drinks were great, and they had a great selection to choose from. They also provided a very nice cigar menu. I was able to find one I could enjoy even though I am a novice. The bartender was great, and the service was excellent. The atmosphere was on point. We will definitely come back read more

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I tried the Camarones al Curry, while my date had the Ceviche del Dia and Shrimp and Chorizo Empanadas. I was impressed with my dish -- everything tasted fresh and well seasoned, plus it was a decent sized portion for one person. The shrimp was large and tender, however the tail was left on. This is a pet peeve of mine, as I personally think it takes away from being able to fully enjoy an entree. My date enjoyed his ceviche and empanadas. We sat at the bar and had a hard time catching the bartender's attention, so service was a little slow. She was friendly and helpful though. Their drink menu is impressive; I recommend trying their mojito. read more

Havana 59 - Camarones al Curry - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The building is well thought out and has lots of options for seating. Amazing food and even better service! Loved their mojitos! read more

My daughter and I came to Havana 59 in hopes of it being the perfect venue for a small quinceñera, despite the name which is a turn off to most Cuban-Americans. Totally missed the mark. 2.5 stars is more appropriate but since that's not an option, I went with three. The menu had typos that would've been easily avoided with a simple Google search. The service was decent but somewhat slow. The bathroom stall doors didn't close or lock. The entire place smelled like smoke, even the non-smoking part, but that's to be expected since they have a cigar bar. The music was really good even for an early dinner. Most importantly, in my opinion, the food was slightly below average in terms of taste and it certainly was NOT real Cuban. It was more Cubanesque. I am Cuban-American, married to a Mexican-American, and primarily cook Cuban and Mexican food at home. I admit I can be picky when it comes to both cuisines but I enjoy fusion and don't demand strict authenticity. I just like good food. With that said, our entire meal was blah by any standard. The taste of tomato sauce in the ropa vieja was overwhelming. There was also a weird herb or spice I couldn't quite identify. The sour cream on the black beans was out of place. My daughter's chicken had a heavy glaze of tomato paste on it and very little seasoning. Plus, it was advertised as a half chicken but instead of getting either the left or right side of the chicken, as one would expect, they brought two legs and two thighs. She only got the bottom half of the chicken! The congrí ("arroz negra" as the menu calls it) was undercooked and still hard. I know Havana 59 has been around for a long time but after eating there, I suspect it's more so because of its nightlife. I am really excited about the diversity developing on Richmond's food scene. I hope to see more Cuban restaurants in the future because this cannot continue to be one of only two options for Cuban food in the area. read more

Havana 59 - "Arroz Negra" and Pollo - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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$13 for a carafe of mimosas is a good deal but $14 for half of a sandwich is ridiculous. We ordered our food and it got delivered to another table which is fine if they fix it but the food they brought us was also incorrect. Also if the menu states 2 eggs then why would you make 1 egg? We then asked for our check because we wanted to leave and they tried charging us twice for the eggs we had to order twice...then I had to prove to the waitress that their menus says egg(2) for $2. Like an egg costs you nothing basically and we've already had a bad experience and you want to argue with me over you're own mistake. $20 after tip and that covered a pitcher of mimosas and three eggs...do better. Not very thrilled about going to brunch and leaving hungry especially since we've had such good experiences here. Brunch is a no but paella for dinner is a yes. read more

Havana 59 - Breakfast Frita Cubano - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Great service! With that said food quality was ok. Ordered paella for two in addition to other meals for 5 in party. The paella was too greasy tasteless and no hint of saffron. Disappointed The cake was good. read more

Awesome service from servers and bartender. Horrible service from manager. Rolled his eyes and was rude towards us. Very odd a manager would be disrespectful and roll his eyes in front of us. Maybe he is just a host, but was enough rudeness for me to even take the time to comment. read more

Havana 59 - Manager - Cuban Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Good was very yummy and the waiter was so nice!! However the food selection is very limited, the drink menu is great!