5 Best Restaurants in Centro Habana, Havana

Still Havana's most famous paladar, La Guardia has reached almost legendary status. Enrique Nuñez and his wife, Odeysis, have transformed their early 20th-century town house into a fine paladar. It's so photogenic that scenes in Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate) were filmed here. The three-floor climb up the squalid but picturesque stairway generates an appetite-enhancing adrenaline. The daily special is never what Enrique and Odeysis need to get rid of but rather what they hope will make you happiest. Look for cherna compuesta a lo caimanero (with coconut and spices) or conejoal aceite de oliva con caponata (cooked in olive oil with a sauce of eggplant, peppers, and onion). On Sunday the restaurant is open only for brunch from noon to 4.

Also known as Casa de la Parra (House of the Grape Arbor), this simple, yet elegant restaurant only specializes in typical criollo and Cuban food, despite the name. Sit inside under old wooden beams or outside on the patio under shady grape vines while dining on the classic menu that includes such dishes as morros y cristianos (rice and beans), boniato cocido (boiled yam), various grilled meats, and fish and vegetable fried rice. Although the price is right, make sure to check your bill before paying as sometimes they overcharge.

While both its decor, neighborhood, and context may be Chinese, this restaurant has very little to do with the Orient. (Frankly, rare is the Asiatic face at any Havana Chinese eatery.) Very popular with locals, there's always a queue halfway out the door. The restaurant's menu includes a wide variety of food that is popular with Cubans. The grilled chicken criollo-style is grand and not dry at all, while the shrimp in a cream sauce is delicious. Prepare yourself for king-size portions. Daily offerings and the chef's selections are stapled to the menu daily.

Situated right across from the Capitolio, it might be easy to miss Los Nardos if it wasn't for the long queues. Popular among locals, hefty portions of red snapper, rabbit or chicken and lamb stew are served up daily. There's virtually no exterior signage, and the restaurant is decorated with locally crafted wooden lamps, tables, and chairs, giving the dining room an eclectic decor and a romantic ambience. Make sure that you are on the first floor—and not the upper floor, which is another less stellar eatery.

Its name means "heaven's temple" in Mandarin, and this temple to Chinese cuisine has enough worshippers that you'll be lucky to find a spot inside. No matter, though, as there are tables outside as well—all the better for watching passersby on Chinatown's wildest street. Prices vary wildly depending on what you order, and while the food is cooked by Chinese chef Xio Luo, it could be a little fresher. Certain dishes (such as the crispy duck) must be ordered in advance.