Cute little restaurant with decent food and great cocktails. We got the tostones rellenos de camarones, the diablo camarones and some steak with yuca fries. They all tastes pretty good but the portions were very small. The place is very cute and nicely decorated on the inside. It's very small and doesn't have many places. Our waitress was nice and friendly and the food came quickly. read more

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I kept seeing this place on my way to Koa Lua and thinking to myself: Oh yeah, I wanted to try this. And I finally did! I got the Yucca poutine and the chicken tacos. It's really unique. I've never had food like this. The flavours, the presentation, the textures, it all caught me by surprise. I mean sure it's tacos, cuban poutine, and the likes but there's such a unique twist to them that I was enchanted. The portions were a bit small so perfect for a 5a7 or for tapas with friends. It's not really a sit down and have a long dinner kinda place. I didn't have a reservation so I sat at the bar with my boyfriend and it was ok but not the best seat in the house. It gets more hectic at the bar. I didn't order a drink but my boyfriend got a light blonde beer and he said it was good. I highly recommend this place. Such a cool and funky vibe with some great food to share. read more

La Habanera - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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The food at La Habanera was delicious! It's small plates, so sort of like Cuban tapas. It's a bit pricey since the portions are really small. The server recommended 2 plates per person, which is what we did, but honestly I think I could have eaten 6-8 plates, but my wallet wouldn't have liked that very much, LOL. I started off with the Guava Pina Colada ($11). Despite it not being a blended drink like I thought it would be (aka was not like a slushie), I still enjoyed it a lot. It had rum, guava juice, hazelnut syrup, pineapple juice, RumChata, and peach bitters, and it was topped off with some roasted coffee beans. It was part fruity, part spicy (like cinnamon/nutmeg spicy, not hot peppers spicy) and all creamy. My husband had some sort of beer. We ordered the Tacos de ropa vieja de pollo (2 chicken tacos) ($8), a side of Moros (rice and black beans) ($4), a pizza empanada ($7), Tostones rellenos de camarones (2 plantain cups filled with coconut and dulce de leche shrimps) ($10) and Pinchos de carne (2 beef skewers) ($8). This was enough for a light meal (we actually ended up going for Chinese food later that night, lol). The tacos were fairly small, but they were full of flavour. They had pulled chicken, red bell peppers, cheese (queso fresco), some sort of slaw, toasted corn (like "Corn Nuts"), salsa, and topped with fresh cilantro leaves. Super tasty! The side of rice and black beans on the other hand was a big disappointment. So bland and tasteless :( However, the rice was fluffy and the beans were a good consistency. I loved the Tostones. The base was plantains and they were formed into cups (as if they were baked in a muffin tin) and filled with 2 large shrimp in a coconut and garlic creamy dulce de leche sauce. It was sweet yet savoury and tasted very "tropical." I could easily have eaten 3 orders of these by myself; they were that good. The beef skewers were another winner. They were marinated with tamarind and annatto. The beef was so tender and the flavouring was excellent. If price were no issue, I would have eaten 10 skewers! My husband loved the pizza empanada, but I was like "meh." It was tiny and there was only 1. In my opinion it was just a glorified pizza pocket. It was too oily/greasy for my liking. Service was very friendly and attentive. Decor is cool, with lots of Cuban paraphernalia. I also loved the neon flamingo, lol. I've never been to Cuba, but it's what I imagine a small local restaurant in Cuba would look like. Bottom line: delicious but pricey (but maybe it's because I have a huge appetite. People who eat like birds might find it just right). read more

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This gem is located in the downtown Montreal core. Since this was my first time trying Cuban food, I appreciated our waiter's patience and tailored recommendations. A friend and I shared the Croquettes, Papaya Salad, Shrimp Plantain Cups and Safran rice. Everything was good, but my absolute favourites were the rice + croquettes; they were fantastic! Though I enjoyed the salad + plantain cups, I wouldn't order them again; instead, I'd try the Yucca poutine and the Bao Buns. I've found that this place is ideal for small groups + sharing plates. Unfortunately however, the restaurant is very small and now that the weather has changed and the patio is no longer set up outside, I imagine that their capacity to accommodate is even less than before. read more

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Came here with a friend after work, the food was sooo good and the service was quick. The atmosphere is so cute and hipster with all the neon signs and the fun wall decorations, i was almost reminiscing about my Havana vacation last fall! The food is so delicious, really authentic cuban food with a twist. Super flavorful, i really recommend all the items i took a pic of. We shared 4 plates and we were full, the portions were great! My favourite was definitely the Yucca poutine (guilty!) Cocktails are great too, they are generous with the rhum... Overall nothing bad to say, loved that place! Would def come back read more

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We had a great time at the Habanera last night! We ordered wine and mojitos and lots of different dishes to share. The Papaya salad, aguacate and the bao were the highlights! Great spot downtown to have a drink and a bite! read more

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What a disappointing experience. Terrible service and terrible food. I went for lunch with a co-worker and tried to order the fish tacos. The waiter insisted that we order two dishes even though we only had the appetite for one. So I reluctantly ordered a salad (I think it was called the aguacate?), which was generous in avocado and papaya, but the dressing simply just didn't taste good. Then, 40 minutes later, my fish tacos, which were what I actually wanted (and not just that which I was forced to order), still hadn't arrived. At this point, I asked them to cancel my order and to just give us the bill because we were almost late for our meeting, but in doing so, got some 'tude. Also, our water wasn't refilled a single time while we were seated. My friend also didn't enjoy her food. The pâté chinois was sickeningly sweet, and I'm all for experimenting with different flavors and textures, but it was just a weird combination. Overall, so disappointing. I was super excited to try this place out given the Yelp reviews, but honestly, not impressed at all. read more

La Habanera - Aguacate salad - not recommended - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Was actually having drinks at the Irish Pub around the corner and by chance happened to check my trusty Yelp app to see if I had any nearby places bookmarked and lo and behold, La Habanera! Been meaning to try this spot for a minute. So once my boo arrived, we headed over. Lucky for us, the place had a table available for us. It's a small, intimate space, so I imagine there are people waiting during busier hours. Upon first glance, one can't help but think "date spot." But not a tinder date spot. We're talking the kind of place you take that special someone. Nice soft lighting, charming and thoughtful decor. My boo and I happened to stumble into here but the romance juices were flowing a bit I must admit. She had one of the mojitos (I believe it had blackberry in it) and it was super tasty and sweet. We also had the pulled chicken tacos, the fish tacos, and the Bao with fried chicken. Everything was amazing. I probably would've enjoyed slightly larger portions for that price, but I think the ambience and experience made up for it. We're definitely coming back. Probably on a rainy weekday evening when it isn't crowded again :) read more

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The pluses: the decor is unique. The food is tasty and somewhat original (ie Cuban inspiration rather than authentic Cuban). The minuses: the place is crammed, you literally rub shoulders with the other patrons. The tables are small. The portions are kid size (in our group of 5, only the 12 year old said it was sufficient food) but adult prices. OK if you already had dinner and only going for a snack (or on a diet). The drinks were watered down and frankly uninspiring (we tried half the ones on the menu). Probably OK for a quick lunch, not so much for dinner (which is what we had and would not go again). read more

This cute little place on Avenue Union has been on my go to list for a long time. I must say it didn't live up to the hype I expected from the reviews. It's very small, the food is almost small portions. You'd think it's not expensive but order two of dishes and a drink- you would have spent money and still be hungry. I wasn't too fond of their fish tacos as it has a sweet twist to it. The chicken tacos were delicious, pizza empanada was too dry. Service was quick, the place was a bit too cramped up. I ordered the guava pina colada and to my surprise I couldn't taste much guava but it had a strong coffee flavor. The mange mojito was a better option. I would not go to this place again, especially after you have been to Escondite next door. Dreams of the perfect Cuban sandwich has been shattered and swept all over La Habanera for now read more

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I chose this restaurant as my birthday dinner spot with my parents. I enjoy discovering new spots and wanted to try Cuban food with my foodie parents. The restaurant is very small and since it was st-valentine's day we were unable to get a table so we sat at the bar. Unfortunately, even though we were sitting close to each other, we were unable to hear each other over the blasting music. This made dinner a little difficult. I also found the food prices to be expensive for the quality and the food portions. Their set-up was tapas style. The price though does come with the downtown location. The restaurants redeeming factors were the servers hospitality (very warm and welcoming) and the places Miami vice decor. Lots of pastels (I.e pink). read more

I was brought back for a business lunch and have identified 2 solid items on the menu that I really, really like, and I even returned once on my own after having a really disappointing meal elsewhere, so I feel the need to do an update. The avocado salad is DELICIOUS, and just about the prettiest salad I have ever eaten. They do such a great job of pairing all kinds of unexpected textures and flavours together! It's quite sweet and it's creamy and filling. The papaya plus the nougat and the nuts are just genius. I highly recommend this. Their fish tacos are also very nice. They are on the sweeter side because they contain fruit and I actually like it better than the fish tacos next door (though, of course, the golden standard is Seven Lives in Toronto). I stand by what I said before, but these two items have given me a reason to up the star rating at this place. read more

This restaurant in the heart of downtown Montreal is one of a few opened by the same owners and offers a Cuban themed menu and decor. The venue is bright and nicely decorated with pictures, plants, and neons lights; the colours and decor make you feel like you're in a small venue in Havana. Small space with minimal tables and chairs but they also have comfortable teal coloured couches for groups as well, that really add that pop of color. Having visited many times, I can attest that the menu is inexpensive and yummy. Besides maybe one or two dishes, like the plantain tostadas that are not my fave, they're is not a single other item that I don't like. The Cubans sandwich and fried chicken bao buns are so good but the avocado salad is probably the one thing on the menu I can't get enough of! The service is always friendly and attentive; the food always comes out super fast too. If you are looking for a casual spot with good inexpensive food and amazing cocktails in the heart of the city, go to Habanera! read more

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Cute but very small restaurant. We made a reservation for 5:30pm and by 6:30pm there were no more seats left. Read reviews about people raving about the avocado salad so we decided to give it a try. It wasnt particularly good or bad. There were big slices of avocado, some kind of nuts and carrots. The sauce they added tasted really sweet. We ordered smoked ham fried cheese balls and they were crispy on the outside and creamy inside. They tasted good but we weren't amazed. We also had their "fried rice" - the rice wasnt actually fried and in terms of flavour, we thought it lacked spices. Our favorite dish was the yuca poutine. It was the highlight of our dinner. we loved everything about it, from the sweetness of the yuca to the pulled pork's tenderness. Would definitely recommend ordering the poutine! read more

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A nice bistro of Cuban style!! I've been there twice. Food and cocktail were tasty! Ambiance was nice! Also, this place is very popular. Better make a reservation before going. read more

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I like the decor, the service , the background music , the food and the cocktails Habanera is definitely a must to every foodie ... Shared tapas style menu ....not expensive at all read more

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I really had a great time here. They make an amazing assortment of delicious rum cocktails and Cuban tapas. The fish tacos were excellent, nice and crispy. And the service was quite friendly. Worth a visit. read more

La Habanera - Assortment of Cuban tapas - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

First time going to La Habanera was for Poutine week 2017. The resto is small and cosy with a hipster ambiance. Seats 6 at the bar. Kudos to bartender for using really fresh looking fruit for cocktails. The Poutine de Vaca Frita had Frites de Yuca, Sauce, Fromage en grain, Mojo Verde Vaca Frita (boeuf), Salade de Coriande. And I devoured it like I was starving. Yucca fries for Poutine? Who'd of thought!?! It was awesome!! They were just a touch under but yucca fries have this meaty flavor to them but are light and satisfying. I frickin love coriander on Poutine and they have opened my eyes to a new way of eating Poutine. The meat was a little sparse but the bowel was small anyway. Gravy was tasty and just enough to cover the fries. I left wanting more. #poutinewin read more

La Habanera - Yucca fries with beef and coriander #poutineweekwin - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

We had a truly lovely time at La Habanera tonight. Upon driving into Montreal, we walked halfway across town to a place that quoted an hour and a half wait, walked all the way back, were starving and on the verge of tears as we stuck our heads in the door at 7:30. The servers said it would be a 45min wait for a table or we could sit at the bar, so of course we plonked ourselves on a pair of stools. Portions were small but we adored the food. Fish tacos were crunchy and filled with awesome sauce, mango ceviche, and grilled corn. The plantain cups filled with shrimp were KILLER and I could have eaten about nine of them. They were out of the dumpling dough for the Bao Cubano, but were still serving the fried chicken filling in a larger portion as an entree, so we tried that and were pleasantly surprised. I rounded out the night with a serving of flan. The cocktails were heavenly. Over the course of the night we tried the Pinoy Mojito, La Habanera Mojita, The Maracuba, El Piñado, and the Hemingway Daiquiri. The fruity, rum-laced offerings were just what we needed on a chilly April evening and the bartender even tweaked his mixes a little to suit our feedback. We expressed interest in the kalamansi and grapefruit touches to our first drinks, and he made a couple of appropriate edits to our follow-up orders. The bartender, by the way - Izar (?) - such an angel. He made us feel so welcome (even squeezed into a corner of the bar!), talked us through the menu, and really turned our grumpy night around with his delicious cocktails and swapping stories. Between the upbeat music, slammin' food, and the bartender's superb elixirs, we left an hour and a half later feeling like the world had been made right again. read more

Overall: Excellent cocktails and food. Decent service and nice cozy hispter decor. Drinks: I had a guava pina colada and it was succulent. Taste of guava was subtle, but mixed well with the drink. Food: Fish tacos is just simply delicious. Made of deep fried cod and garnished with mangos and ginger pineapple sauce add freshness to the overall plate. Braised chicken with creole sauce is drumsticks braided in a sauce quite a bit spicy for those with a more sensitive tongue. I really enjoyed the meal though. Beef skewers can be skipped in my opinion. The meat was a bit dry and there isn't really anything special to it. Plantain cups with shrimps is another plate that I enjoyed. The coconut dulce de leche was made on point without covering the freshness of the shrimps. The plaintain cup was alright and has a texture like potatoes which i'm not big fan of. read more

La Habanera - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

We watched "Chef" with John Favreau on Netflix and I was dying to try a Cuban sandwich. I quickly found in my bookmarks La Habanera that I have been wanting to try and my next meeting nearby I stopped in. I obviously ate the Cuban sandwich and it hit the spot. Now it didn't blow my mind but overall met my expectations. The location was great, small and cosy. Fun, bar deco is perfect for an afterwork 5@7. I didn't have anything to drink, so I'll have to come back. My guess is that it is a four star place for afterwork drinks and food. Enjoy! read more

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Amazing gem of a restaurant. We arrived to town with our 19 year old daughter (who was nursing a broken ankle/foot) for the weekend and she spotted La Habanera so we ducked inside and were lucky to grab a booth. Great vibe/decor. The service was excellent and the food/drinks superb. Tapas style menu for sharing which allowed everyone to try an array of flavors. Each dish was a well-crafted twist on traditional Cuban recipes. The Cuban sandwich was out of this world - Amazing. The drinks were equally good. Highly recommend if you're in the area. read more

La Habanera - La Habanera Mojito, traditional mojito and the Hemingway daiquiri. Delicious! - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Really cute Cuban place in downtown Montreal. I went with two friends and got the tasting menu for the table ($25pp) which was a never ending parade of absolutely amazing dishes. The avocado and papaya salad was a highlight, as were the fish tacos. 5/5 stars for decor and food, especially for the value. 3/5 stars because our waiter disappeared for like 30 minutes when our meal was done so we were trapped at the table. Also because the mojito wasn't great. All of that said, would still come back if were in the neighborhood again. read more

Popped into this lovely little bite of delight last night and was immediately happy. The bartender was friendly and kind and attentive though hustling, the bites we ordered were savoury and complex and great and though they're weren't a lot of veggie options we ordered them all and it was ok. I made an exception for a fish taco. I wish there was a veggie taco, I know it's not traditional maybe but help me out here! The beer selection could be better with one nice local ipa, and less Sleemans. Really what I loved was the decor and the size and the feeling of being in a dream world far from snow and ice. read more

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This place is great. It is always packed but the feeling is nice a cozy all the same. The serving sizes are small window expect to taste test many dishes to get your fill, but that's a positive in my book. The bill for 2 can get close to 100$ with drinks and a full stomach. Totally acceptable for the quality and attention to detail in the dishes. Every flavours has its place and all work together to make great overall good. One of my go to spots in Montreal! Check it out. read more

Small charming Cuban restaurant. Small sharable dishes. Delicious food! Definitely want to visit again. read more

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I am blown away. The food we had here was amazing. La Habanaera might literally be a hole in a wall but this place has some of the most flavourful and interesting dishes I've ever seen at a Cuban restaurant. The melon salad is tangy and incredibly fresh with a brilliant melange of citrus and spice. The bao bun with fried chicken has the similar citrus zing but with a meaty, crunchy interior. The yuca ball with smoked meat in it was good except for the yuca which was a bit dry. Nonetheless, the service, the energy, and the SPECTACULAR food really make this a hole in the wall to seek out. read more

Ahhh having been wanting to come here for months but never finding a seat (and never planning ahead enough to reserve), I really really REALLY wanted to love La Habanera. I finally came here for dinner a couple nights ago, and quickly decided on many exciting looking items to share only to be told once we came to order that at least half the menu had run out (we're talking Friday night dinner here...) so we had to settle for some other items we were not so keen on. 1. Avocado salad: delicious!!!! 2. Shrimp/coconut/rum cups: meh. These were not bad but not great. Wouldn't order again 3. Beef skewers: very yummy but also kinda pricy for what you get ($8 for two very small skewers) 4. Braised chicken: super meh. Nothing special at all 5. Pulled chicken tacos: pretty tasteless 6. Side of rice with beans: it's rice and beans..... no innovation here and actually a little on the dry side Because La Habanera is a tapas style restaurant, we initially ordered 4 plates to share at the recommendation of the hostess but it was definitely not enough as the potions are really small so we ordered two more and ended up still somewhat hungry but not impressed by anything enough to order more of it. At the end of the meal, we were presented with a lovely $100 bill for six plates and 4 drinks. Not impressed to be honest - way too much for what you get and the stuff we tried wasn't that great (granted, about $40 was for the drinks, but still). That being said, we were really keen on several dishes that were not available (chicken bao, ribs, poutine) so maybe this review would've been different if we were able to try them but nonetheless, the price is really not well correlated to the food you get. Overall, a solid 3 stars. Great service, cute ambiance and some great dishes. I'll be back to try the items I missed out on and will update my review if they change my rating! read more

A cool Cuban spot to go for lunch but usually fills up quickly. It's mostly consisting of tapas with delicious tacos but don't expect a full meal option you have to order a few things on the menu. It's more of a bar menu then a restaurant I would say. read more

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Very cute place, good service and good food but way too overpriced. Good cocktail bar and snack food but not for dinner or lunch

Super cool, small and cosy cuban style restaurant. Very original cuban dishes with a twist. Little brother of Biiru (japanese) and Escondite next door which I love too (mexican food). Also, they opened a Poke place next door, Koa Lua, which is very good!!! Overall, we enjoyed our experience here. We went for the first time in december 2017. Level of noise is loud so be prepared! Price are a bit high but you pay for the " in " jetset cool/popular factor. 80$ pour 5 small dishes and one alcoholic drink! $$$ read more

Well decorated restaurant. Went for lunch and was very please with treatment and feel of the place. Food was good and authentic considering it is in Montreal. The host made sure we had everything we needed. Tostones were thin and crispy!! Definitely be back if in Montreal for a quick lunch stop. I would say 4.5/5 but yelp doesn't give me the option. 5 for service, 4 for food/flavor. Btw, try the habanera draft beer! Nice blond beer. Tres leches dessert 5 stars. read more

This is top notch for Cuban cuisine, especially with the better access of ingredients&spices compared to Havana. Portions are decent: 2plates/person+rice. However, compare to Escondite which uses even privately imported mezcal, I find drinks here a bit overpriced for its quality. And although the decor is beautiful just like their partners: Escondite & biiru, I find the seating way too tight and have to reserve really early. Over $40/head for food+1 cocktail, I found that the value is not 100% there. read more

La Habanera - Avocado salad, ceviche and their specialty cocktails - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Great cocktails, great food, great staff! What a nice place! As I've seen in other reviews, yes! The fish tacos are definitely a must try! I also really liked the shrimp/coconut milk/plantain-I-don't-remember-the-name. The shrimps were perfectly cooked it was amazing!!! I like the fact that they let you choose the rum you want to put in your cocktails and that they actually give you great advice in regards to what would go best in the cocktail. I really liked their habanera mojito. They also had a pineapple/mango mojito that day which was to die for! Honestly, that place is my little "food/cocktail place crush" of 2017 for now read more

I had expected a lot more from this place. The drinks were weak and watered down. The food, although colorful lacked flavor. The best part of the restaurant was the decor. It's a very cute spot with lots of bright colors. read more

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What an amazing experience I had tonight! I got there not knowing what to expect, I've never really had the chance to visit Cuba nor eat any of their local dish, but I thought to myself "hey let's be adventurous"... As I pushed the door, I've noticed that the place was very well decorated, it was like changing city within less than five seconds and oh bummer it also appeared that the place was realllllllly tiny. The waitress asked whether I had made a reservation, of course I completely forgot about that part..She then mentioned that it would be challenging but she would have a seat at the bar if I could eat in 50 minutes, to which I answered sure (yeahhh!!) I have to mention that many people couldn't get in throughout the evening because of the lack of seats so read between the lines (and make a reservation to secure one). As La Habanera is more of a Cafe Bar, there aren't specific services, you can choose between plenty of different little dishes. I had the Aguacate (thumbs up for this dish which was my ultimate fave) where the idea came from to mix nougat with red papaya, avocado and mojito dressing? Because this is genius! I also had fish tacos which are made of cod tempura, mango ceviche, ginger and pineapple crema, the seasoning was on point! As dessert, I ordered the 3 leches (oh my this was tasty)...Oh and I almost forgot! I also ordered a white rum drink, the Pinoy mojito, which was succulent as well. The atmosphere was so relaxed, the decoration so not typical and the staff so nice and helpful that it made my overall experience sooo worth it....I strongly recommend this place! read more

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La Habenera is an adorable small plates Cuban fusion restaurant. The interior and exterior decor is impeccable. It's a dimly lit Friday night hang out kind of place. The staff is super friendly and the service was great. They have a fantastic drinks selection. I feel like you can't order wrong drinks wise. Obviously their mojitos take the cake but there are plenty of other drinks that are also great. I had a pina colada that came in a small pineapple shaped container. The small plates are interesting but they are quite small. You would have to order 3-4 per person for a full meal so it can get quite pricey. My favourite small dish item would be the buns. They have a fantastic texture to the bun and the meat is well seasoned with a strong sauce. I was not as huge a fan of the cevice but the ribs were also well glazed. Pros: Atmosphere, service, drinks Cons: Food is interesting but not spectacular, can be pricey if you order a lot. Tips: This place is busy. They have 2 services for dinner which you can make reservations for. Do the reservation. As we were eating we saw two groups get turned away. read more

let me start by saying that i grew up eating cuban food my mother being from cuba and me growing up in venezuela blah blah blah this is definitely not cuban food believe me say the word jicama to a cuban and he will look at you as if you had 12 heads say the word papaya in polite company and get ready to be slapped as a bonus i will educate you by letting you know in cuba it is called fruta bomba what it is something even better let us call it fusion for lack of a better term we ordered the croquetas ensalada de papaya picadillo and ribs then we could not help ourselves a day had the fish tacos as well all was really really really good more than the sum of its parts amazing service was spot on the place is tiny and adorable celia cruz blasted on the speakers the whole time which made me happy and homesick make sure to make reservations and have a mojito a mi salud read more

La Habanera - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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This place gets points for the ambiance, impeccable service and delicious drinks but the food is nothing special. The croquetas were bland, the cubano sandwich very ordinary and the pollo a la criola boring. It has so much potential but they really do need to make some changes to their menu...that or lower the prices to match the poor quality of the food. read more

La Habanera - Cuban Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

A trendy and fun adventure that Hemingway would be proud of. Where did this place come from? Doesn't matter, it's awesome. Simply put, the restaurant is small and upbeat and the food is a tapas-style party. Make sure to order the Cubano sandwich, you'll thank me later. Like mojitos? They got you covered with a wide array of types. Every bite was another "Wow!" moment. By the way, it's super affordable. Want a new adventure? La Habanera. PS, make sure to reserve in advance, especially for more than two people. read more