Havana is such a nice place with a cosy atmosphere:) the rustic vintage interior gives it a very cool vibe. I've ordered the veggie benny for breakfast every time and it is amazing! If you are a chai tea person you should also try their chai tea latte that comes in a cup that more of a bowl size than cup size:) read more

Havana - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Funky fresh Cuban Food... I'm from the U.S. and we don't have anything like Havana's. This place is a unique blend of food, art and social interaction The food seems fresh and the drinks are refreshing and pack a nice punch. I've been here twice now and I always try to make it here anytime I'm in B.C. I love the appetizers and mojito. Great place to chill and have good eats. The wait can be long, so get a reservation in or be prepared to wait an hour or more. read more

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I'm still on the fence about this place. The food was good but nothing to brag about. The place is quite old.you can smell the bathroom before you even get to the bathrooms door. The cute girl w the curly hair n red lipstick at the front that seated us was super friendly. Waiter was pretty nice but wasn't too interested in providing the best customer service . She did the bare minimum which is fine cause we wanted a quiet dinner. I ordered the kale and chicken salad , it had corn fresh parmesan and an avacodo. I also added a shrimp skewer w it. Tasted average , shrimps were cold. No special flavours dancing in my mouth. It was about 16 99 plus 6$ for the shrimp. My partner ordered a chicken burger w veggie chili and a side of truffle fries and jerk mayo dip(3$ upgrade) came w much less tgan expected. He loved it, chowed it down. But same thing, it was basically a greasy sloppy joe type burger for 3xthe price. We had a great timece great drinks but don't think we will be back or even recommend thus place...except if your walking down commercial and hungry creeps and you and your buddies want a few drinks. They even hve sangria pitchers which a lot of other tables had. P.s nothing about this place is Cuban read more

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This is such a cute little spot. We weren't even that hungry, but my mom and I popped in to enjoy the tail end of happy hour and a little Cuban coffee with the sweets we purchased down the street. The wait staff was 100% cool with that and they were very sweet. read more

Very salty food! Poor service, waiter took her time getting to us and also messed up order, which was not taken of bill. Will go again for food but will definitely ask for less salt. read more

Havana is one of the secret gems on the Drive. It's fun and friendly with really amazing Cuban food that my hubby and I love. The truffle fries alone are worth going back for. The service is always good but can get slow when the crowds come in during rush hours. We've never really had problems finding parking on the street, so no complaints there. The only thing that made me give this restaurant a 4/5 is the fact they removed my favourite dish from their menu.... The chicken and mash potatoes. It was hands down the best and most delicious dish at Havanas. Now I'm waffling if I'm going to be a frequent flyer again... I'm so disappointed they removed the fried chicken and mash. I know that restaurants need to stay current and updated, but I will surely miss that dish. I will return again if/ when the owners bring it back. read more

Havana - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Ok. You know on diners drive-ins & dives when Guy Fieri refers to Flavortown? Havana is the province that governs it. This is a town where the ham burglar is doing twenty-five to life and Mayor McCheese has been impeached. Nothing on that menu will let you down. From food to drinks, it's all high end. Even the bathroom is humorous. I chose this spot to celebrate my birthday and they were grand hosts. They even serenaded in song to my birthday. I toasted them with the wine bottle, subsequently eating three pieces of chocolate cake and rolled out like Guy Fieri in a '67 drop top. read more

Havana - Food art, f-art - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Unfortunately the food and service doesn't match the great vibe. Our drinks arrived 20 minutes or so after we ordered them, 10 minutes after our food, a little bit backwards, but it was busy so I understand. Anyways, the mussels were tasty, but the cheesy dip starter and fish tacos were bland. The bowl of fries that accompanied the tacos was full of 1/2 inch midget fries, it seemed they were from the bottom of the barrel, a disappointing way to end the meal and night out. Very overrated in my opinion, good for drinks, if you have tine, skip the food. read more

The different kinda of mojitos and sangria are enticing, but I recommend stick with the regular sangria. The rest are just distractions. Ambiance is really the thing here. Go for the patio (worth the wait) and the sangria. As far as foods, appies are great to share. Other than that, I'm not sold on their mains. Also, I'm usually a fan of plantain chips, but for some reason the tostones just make me feel kinda gross. read more

Havana - There truffle fries are amazing! Big fan if you like potatoes and salt (and a great spicy mayo dip) - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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One of my goto places for drinks. Food is not wow, but not bad either. I love the fact that they have a very nice patio. So on a Sunny afternoon, I usually bus down from my hood to the Drive, order a glass of sangria(or a pitcher) and chill. They make fabulous sangrias and service is super friendly. read more

Havana - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Came in the early evening for dinner with a friend. The staff wear masks and there is plexiglass on the patio, which I appreciate. Unfortunately there were several dead flies trapped behind the poster on the window that we had to look at the whole time. Makes you question how much of a deep cleaning is done. Service was very slow to start. We sat for nearly ten minutes before being greeted. We had the lime margaritas that were fantastic! We shared the fish tacos and avocado tacos, the fries were really good if you like the small bits. The tacos left more to be desired, they were sparsely filled and lacked flavour. Overall, it left much to be desired. read more

Hands down great fucking restaurant! Great food, great drinks and as a cuban the food has the same authentic taste. While the menu isnt actual authentic cuban 100% (maybe around 60%); the favour of all the foods themselves is what taste just like cuban food . read more

Came here with a friend. Had the tuna fish tacos. Meh. Nothing special in my opinion. Servers were trying to rush us out. Didn't even ask us if we wanted another drink before slapping the bill down on the table. Just cuz he was finished his shift. It shouldn't matter you should let customer decide when they want to pay it's not up to the server. Won't be coming back. Cheers. read more

I want to start off by saying I usually do not enjoy Latin and Mexican foods (Yes, I know this is Cuban). Growing up in the US, I've seen/tried too many greasy and very heavy foods, which has unfortunately left me with a negative opinion of these foods. With that said, I loved my experience here. My coworkers and I came here Friday night, and it was obviously how popular this place is. There was a long wait for a table, and the place was packed. We had a bigger party, so the hostess asked if we were okay with sitting in their room in the back, which we were okay with. The waiter then apologized for the lack of decor (stark white walls, few paintings hung around the room), but I saw no reason for them to apologize-- sure, it didn't look as warm as their front area, but it's not affecting the service or the food, which is what I look for! We shared some corn bread, garlic chili prawns, and smoked poblano w/three cheese dip. I don't even like corn bread, but all three appies were delicious. The chili butter was quite new to me, but it was a nice complement to the corn bread; the prawns were mm-hmm good, and the poblano. oh. my geez. love, love, love. My mouth is watering thinking about it. It's basically chips and dip, but something about that dip was so good I thought I was sinning. I got the Latin burger for entree without bacon with a side of fries, and be warned-- the burger is humongous. Didn't help that my lips lately have been super chapped and the corners of my lips are split. But gosh darn it, I'm willing to be in pain and sacrifice my labial beauty for a delicious burger. Worth it. In the end, I only finished about 2/3 - 3/4 of the burger and fries, but sooo good. In terms of service, even though our waiter was busy serving several tables, he made a point to check in and sneak peeks in our direction when he was passing by to see if we needed anything or if we were in the middle of a conversation and needed a couple extra minutes. He was quirky and even made corny puns (Ohh, here is your berry good [berry] sangria). He was so great that he proudly let us all know when it was time to pay that we didn't need to tip because the tip was already included for a big party; I've not encountered too many waiters who make sure every person in a big party is aware of that. So casual, so honest, so friendly. Much appreciated! I'll be back. And fyi-- my chapped and split lips have been magically healed over the weekend. I'd like to credit that to the burger. Or my chap stick, either way, I'll be back. read more

2 stars for the servers, which are either oblivious or maybe even overly pretentious, I haven't figured it out yet, but the food prevails over the lack of service. 4 stars for everything else. There's a secret theatre in the back too, sadly your drink can't accompany you. read more

Havana - This shouldn't happen! I'm thirsty! - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We were there with our four kids Great happy hour with great beer selection and tacos were great The restaurant was good for kids - the kids menu is okay and reasonably priced My main was enchiladas which was very average - next time I might've just only stuck with happy hour read more

They have a new Menu for Brunch with not many choices, and were sold out of or did not have the Gravlox item when my bf ordered it. I had the new French Toast cake like item which was soooo sweet! I felt gross after. My bf ordered the fried egg on a bean burger and said it was delicious. Staff was awesome as always, but I smiled at an employee working inside and he gave me the strangest look lol I'm in no hurry to go back again read more

New menu reno's inside and out fabulous all over. Dillon was our server. He should teach serving in Vancouver! Some places could learn a lot from him for sure. I ordered the Little Havana Brunch Bowl. It was absolutely delicious! The crispy yuca hash was a great touch for this dish. I had the chorizo added at the servers recommendation. It was good but made the dish a heavy on the protein for me.... but I ate it all! Te he My friends both ordered tacos which they very much enjoyed! Did I mention the Caesar? Fantastic! Will be back for sure! read more

Brunch at Havana is delicious! Four of us were seated on the patio for our meal; nicely shaded from the sun in the morning. We arrived at about 10:20 on Sunday and got a table without waiting (always a bonus for brunch places in this city). I ordered the chorizo hash - comes with two poached eggs and toast. It was really good - lots of sautéed vegetables and spicy (but not too spicy) chorizo over some tasty hash brown potatoes. I asked for my hollandaise on the side and then I can be on sauce control. It was a big portion - really filing - but tasty so I had to finish every bite. My friends ordered chicken & waffles, omelette and huevos rancheros - thumbs up all around. I will definitely return but arrive early to avoid the wait. A line up had formed just before 11 am. read more

Havana - Delicious chorizo hash - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I so confused. Why, oh why, did my shrimp tacos have ginger in them? A pal and I headed to Havana before seeing a play at the Cultch, and we were instantly seated by a great waitress - she was the best part of the night - by the freezing cold window. Sigh. I shivered my way through reading the menu, and as I wanted something small and fresh I ordered their shrimp tacos, which came with avocado, bean puree and fruit salsa. My brain screamed "Yum! We love these things!" Along with this I chose an Argentinian Pinot Noir. The wine came, and was a HUGE pour for 9 dollars - about this I ain't complainin'. However, the tacos were pretty effing strange. Rather than little pinche tortillas they were served on a full sized flour tortilla that had been folded over 4 times into a triangle with the topping kind of placed on top like a hors d'oeurves. The server actually presented me with a steak knife because "so people like to eat them that way." No, more like some people HAVE to eat them that way. Awkward and off-putting. The shrimp were the pre-cooked tiny boiled guys you find at Safeway, and they were plunked COLD down on top of the beans and salsa. This was not mentioned on the menu, and I definitely would not have ordered a cold Summery dish had I known, seeing as I was seated next to the frozen window of death. The fruit salsa was nice - except for the fact that it was jampacked fulla ginger - the least likely flavour to be enjoyed in a freakin' taco! Blarg! Ack! Ptooey! Gag! So - the cold, fishy little shrimps, ginger-y salsa and strange thick awkward tortillas left me kind of unsatisfied (y'think?) so I ordered some dessert - white chocolate cheesecake. This was similarly meh, with a dry thick crust that tasted stale. Havana, your servers are great and your wine servings are hefty, but the food was garbage and the space an icebox. Close, but no (Cuban) cigar, mi amigos. read more

I haven't reviewed in a while as I have been living overseas, but this place was bad enough for me to write a review. Expected to be going to an authentic Cuban restaurant but instead this is a grossly overpriced, trendy, fusion restaurant. You won't find any rice and beans with pork chop or bistec empanizado here. It's all fru fru shit made for white people. Worst ceviche I've ever been served. It had been left in the citrus way too long so it was tough and dry. It also didn't taste very fresh at all so maybe they intentionally "overcooked" it. Ordered the ropa vieja based on server recommendation. What an epic fail. The beef was nasty, very gamey. And they serve a giant portion of this nasty shredded beef on top of a little tiny scoop of rice and beans. So because the meat has so much water in it, it totally destroys the rice and beans. It just becomes one gamey, sloppy, mushy mess. Also ordered the paella on suggestion from the server. Only problem was that it was not real paella. It was their interpretation of paella which means some seafood stew ladeled on top of the same rice and beans that they use in all their dishes. This is NOT PAELLA. It was not good. The service was so/so. Our server was pretty good, but we didnt even see him until 20 minutes after we sat down. The hostess or manager or whoever she was that sat us was rude, curt, and unhelpful. Average entrees are $18. Total bill with tax and tip for 2 people was $90 for Lunch. Save yourself, don't go here. read more

I've been going to Havana for years and it's been consistantly fabulous each and every time we go. The service is warm and welcoming - Mitch is the best! :) They serve some of the best sangria I've ever tasted, their Ceasars are on point and their lattes are terrific. The food is generous and good, love the Huevos Rancheros and West Coast Mussels to share. Helpful hint for all you other late risers, breakfast ends at 2PM - 7 days a week so don't sleep on it. Havana is also one of the only spots I've found my favourite hot sauce Jung & Walkers Mango Fire. Overall YUM. read more

Havana has a vibrant warm atmosphere great for a lively crew looking for a unique cultural experience or a place to soak in the fun vibes. The music is awesome and the staff is really attentive, timely and friendly. The food is diverse and super tasty and the drinks are stellar. My guests and I had a great time here and would definitely go back! read more

I had to leave. I had to shuffle my belongings and abandon the menu and the water, sparkling with ice cubes. I had to, because the staff was so rude, so unbearably rude during one of the hottest days of the year, that I felt I had no choice but to abandon my table and go elsewhere. My server approached, and asked me about what I would like to drink, blurting out a slew of specials, including some caveat on "original mojito". When I asked for a clarification, she turned to me with disdainful look, grimaced, and pointed to the menu only to continue explaining to me that I am an idiot. You see, my question, menu unseen, my daring response, prompted a lesson in reading. You see, her finger trailed across the mojito menu, because I dared ask questions. Her rage was overwhelming. My sorrow swelling in my chest, I had to get up and get out of there. No, I will not come back. No, I will never try your delicious mojitos, original or otherwise. No, I will not enjoy any of your fantastic meals, because your staff is horrible, patronizing, insulting. NO! I will not resort to scorn, because I have only one life to live. But please, for goodness sake, please talk to your servers so that us, the groveling wallets that you take pity on by sharing your plenty with, can actually sit down, and ask an occasional question. read more

I've been going here for years and it never ceases to be one of my favorite places in Vancouver . . . this past time I wandered in off the street on a cold, rainy Vancouver day and ordered up the Mussels with Chorizo. OMFG. So Good. What can I say? Great brunch, great coffee, great lunch/dinner, great atmosphere. Love it. read more

Is it possible for food to be spicy yet bland at the same time? If so, this place manages it. I want to like Havana but I really can't quite do it. Two things bring the restaurant down for me: the food seems to be missing something (perhaps tasty fat?) and it's way too expensive for what you get. Now, I love spicy food and this place can deliver on this front so they get points for that. But it feels like I'm eating vegetarian food even though I'm not. Still, it's popular and always packed on a sunny weekend afternoon. I'll be going back once in a while and searching for the flavour, maybe I didn't look hard enough. read more

Horrible!!!! i do not understand why the called Habana, just one plate is a little simmilar to " Ropa Vieja " and the price ridiculous $ 20 dollars for nothing. I do not recommend this restaurant is very awful read more

For the price, I have always found Havana's food really underwhelming. Even the sangria that everyone raves about seems meh to me. The ceviche is particularly poor. The tacos aren't anywhere as good as other places in the city. Service varies madly, really depends on who you get. If you do find yourself at Havana, give the charred brussel sprouts a try... they were the item I enjoyed the most.... read more

Holy crap. Decided to give it another chance last night. By far the worst grilled cheese sandwich of my life. Tasted absolutely disgusting & completely over-priced for what you get. It actually gave me indigestion. The sangria was tasty but weak - would not recommend. I hope to never come back. read more

Havana is a diner style restaurant that pretends it is not. It is certainly not Cuban if anything. The food is about the same quality as a typical diner with some small twists. read more

Shared a seafood cioppino, yam croquette taco and the 7 layer dip. The taco could use some sort of sauce or chipotle mayo, it was quite dry. It did have a lot of avocado in it so that was nice. The seafood cioppino was quite disappointing. It literally only had 3 muscles, 3 tiny shrimp and bits of cod. Mind you this was an entree size meal - for $19.99 - the sauce was quite watery and did not have enough spice. The bread made us more full than what was in the dish. The 7 layer dip was fun to eat. Chips were crunchy. I would recommend getting this dish. I also ordered the strawberry ginger mojito which tasted good. The ginger beer made it quite appealing. read more

Havana - Seafood cioppino - Latin American Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Sunny and warm enough day easily translates into an afternoon spent on the patio at Havana sipping on some mojitos. My friend and I ordered up a pitcher of Tropical Mojito which was very tasty, and probably the booziest pitcher I have had - it took us about two hours to work our way through it. I jumped into a tube of yam fries as I was allergic to most of the menu, but they were lovely and I was told their clams are to die for (I am allergic to those too). But really, I was there for the mojitos. read more

Came here 3 times over 2 weeks, as some friends were visiting Vancouver, and Havana was just around the corner from them. The atmosphere is nice and fun, and pretty busy! The sangria and mojitos are around 8.50/glass, or around 25/pitcher, but they are pretty tasty! The sangria is served in a tall glass, so you do get quite a bit compared to other places. I think I liked having brunch here the best - I had the huevos rancheros, which came with 3 eggs... it was tasty, though would liked to have had some guac on the side. Our final dinner there was alright. The company was great though! But I tried the tuna tacos, 2 6" soft tacos for $13. I gotta say, they really packed the tacos full of fish, and I know this probably sounds a bit picky, but I felt it was too much fish for the bite - and this is coming from a person who eats sushi 3-4 times a week! Flavorwise, it was a bit lacking. the cubes of fish were pretty big (and I admit, generously portioned). But taking a bite felt like puting 2 slabs of sashimi in your mouth, and while I do enjoy raw fish, i felt this was a bit too much for me. I think the dish needed a bit more flavor, or a bit more acid to it. All in all, its a fun location, but the service is a bit inconsistent! read more

One of the best patios on the Drive, and certainly some of the tastiest food, too. They offer an extensive signature cocktail list, but your best bet is sharing a pitcher of sangria. The fish tacos are probably in the top 3 in the city,(trust me, I've been looking). Service is always friendly, and genuine. That's right, like most restaurants in the Drive neighbourhood, you get to have real conversation with your servers! They've always got craft beer on tap, at fair market prices. You should not pass on this restaurant; there's a reason they are always busy! If you read the very odd poor review, it's the same douchey customers that gripe and moan everywhere they go. The servers were sassin' you because you deserve it ya whiney f$&ks! read more

As my boyfriend and I got off from work, we were hungry and thought we would go to Milestones for dinner. However, we then decided to try something different. As we approached Commercial Drive, we thought we'd eat at one of the pubs/restaurants. Our choices were Stella's Tap & Tapas Bar, Fets and Havana's. We saw that Stella's didn't have a lot of people compared to the latter so we narrowed it down to the two. The bf flipped a coin (heads = Havana's and tails = Fets) and the result was heads. So Havana's it was. The bf ordered a Cuban burger with the yam fries. The burger contained roast beef which was a little too salty. The yam fries - YUM! I ordered a Latin Burger which contained chirozo, avocado, bacon, lettuce, etc. The burger was delicious, very flavorful. The chirozo sausage was perfectly done. The sides were regular fries (very thin and flimsy - soggy so to speak) and a green salad. One thing I would warn you readers or for those you want to try this burger is that the burger is really messy. My hands were greasy and the table had lots of sauce from the burger :S Very attractive on a date...hehe :) In terms of the atmosphere, it was really bustling busy. The patio and indoor dining were filled with laughter and giggles. Great place to wind down after a long day. read more

Last Vancouver snack of the day. As a previous Drive resident. This place was a staple for mojito's, guac and wine. Plantain chips cannot be duplicated though I've tried many times. I love the decor, the staff and the vibe. There isn't really anything bad to say about this place. Everyone I've ever taken there just plain loves it. Casual atmosphere, good food, good tunes and great bar. If you love art, you'll love the gallery selection as well as the theatre that goes on from time to time. read more

Been here many times, they can make the most common dishes taste fantastic! I love their strawberry mojitos and truffle fries! read more

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Havana! You are one part art gallery, one part community theatre, one part sexy servers, and two parts kitschy semi-upscale 'Drive restaurant. My Cuban friend has told me that the food cannot really be called Cuban, despite the restaurant's name, but that won't stop me from ordering pitchers of delicious mojitos or those fantastic vegetarian tacos. The menu at Havana is fairly big, but options for vegans are slim. Still, their veg tacos are vegan by default - you don't even have to ask. There's no vegan brunch option. Food quality is great, though, and it's creative and unlike other things you will find in the neighbourhood. I would give Havana another star if I had to deal with the burden of choosing a meal when I visited. I do like it there quite a bit. I've seen a play there; I've gone to an art opening; I've gotten drunk; I've had lunch. I've sat and read the walls that have been scratched into by hundreds, maybe thousands, of Havana patrons over the years. I've sat slackjawed watching the gorgeous servers do their jobs while completely dropping the ball in my conversation. I've sat on the patio on one of the first days of summer draining a pitcher of beer with a friend and hollering compliments at folks walking past. What other charms might Havana hold for me, and for YOU, in the future? read more

Vancouver just doesn't have the patio culture Toronto has so it has been tough finding a place I can call my go-to for drinks and people watching. But I've now found it in Havana. I love their Sangrias. I love their Mojitos. Sure a seat on the patrio may be hard to come by, but it is worth the wait, especially if you can put your name on the list, then sit inside and start ordering, yet carefully eyeing a table to open up that you can pounce on. They are cool with that. Love the truffle fries. Order them everytime. I keep seeing people order the Nachos, so I will have to try it next time. I've never actually eaten a full meal here, so I can't really comment on that, but if you are just looking for a great patio space in an awesome neighborhood, I can't think of any place better. Note: they do not take Amex. read more

Myself and some friends were in dire need of dinner on Commercial Drive last night. We decided to try Havana and it was the first time eating here for 2 of us. I've walked past the place countless times,noticed that the patio is usually packed with long wait times and dismissed it. It wasn't too busy last night and as a result we were seated immediately. Our table ordered the Fried Chicken Salad, Chicken & Chorizo Penne, Grilled Salmon Salad and Tuna Ceviche. The table drank pitchers of Tropical Mojito. The food was decent but is overpriced. My friends portion of Ceviche was $12 and the portion was approximately a third of a cup. I know it's listed as a starter but the portion was tiny. My fried chicken salad was tasty but nothing spectacular. The pitchers of Mojito had a LOT of ice and tasted watered down at $25 a pop. I have to give kudos to the staff, the waitress was relaxed, friendly and attentive and the staff member who we settled the bill with was cracking jokes. I've encountered some wait staff in other establishments on The Drive who could learn a thing or two from the staff of Havana.Overall i was happy with the experience as it has a great atmosphere and friendly staff. Would i eat here again? Yes but only if someone else is covering the bill. read more