2 Best Restaurants in Soroa and Las Terrazas, Western Cuba

A rarity in carnivorous Cuba, this is a vegetarian restaurant with an innovative take on local organic and wild ingredients. You enter under a green arbor smothered by blue flowers and descend a few steps to an intimate, two-tier restaurant with a valley view. On the menu: tempura vegetables, creative salads, a bean pancake accompanied by a stuffed tomato, or the house specialty: "boliche," mashed yuca and sweet potato balls filled with vegetables in a cream sauce. There's also a vegetable paella. Portions come in three sizes for different-size appetites: small, medium, and large, and are priced accordingly, making it easy to sample and share.

This riverside terrace restaurant overlooks the footbridge that leads to the famous waterfall. The idyllic setting and river view make up for an uninspiring menu of simple Cuban fare featuring chicken and the house specialty, Soroa Tentación, a stew of shredded beef with tomatoes, onion, and garlic. The house drink, the daiquiri cascada, is made of various colors of alcohol, in honor of the rainbow that often appears over the falls. The entrance fee to climb the 250-meter path to the waterfall is CUC$3. Unfortunately, the waterfall is usually dry by April, before the rainy season begins.