Havana Central

Chill ambulance, good food. I had a wonderful time I celebrated my son mother birthday here one candle very fun… And went back to start over when our son was born. Love there flan! Haha

My husband really liked the food he ordered here.
The place is very cozy and not too loud. I like the theme of the restaurant.
He wanted to come back since this place is just 1 block from where we live, unfortunately, it is now closed. :(

I came to this restaurant on 5÷25÷2014 and had no idea it was closing down. I came with a group of 8 of my family.
We got there and were sat promptly especially for a table of 8. Our drink order was taken fast, granted most of us just drank water — I had a Mimosa and it tasted pretty good but how could you really ruin a Mimosa?
I ended up ordering a Pernil with rice and beans and while it wasn’t bad, it isn’t what I’m used to. I’m Hispanic, so I would say I’m an expert when it comes to pernil, rice and beans and this just wasn’t that good. Found the food to be a bit pricey and the serving portions weren’t even big.
Other than the food being just OKAY, the ambiance of the restaurant was nice and spending time with my family was fun. The waitress didn’t bother us as we ate, spoke and caught up — so that was a PLUS.
I wouldn’t have come back to this restaurant so I guess it closing down makes no difference to me.

Perhaps this is a bit spiteful, considering that the place is going out of business today. But every time I’ve been here, I’ve been totally disgusted by the atmosphere (everything about it is hideous and unappetizing), and, consequently, even more grossed out by the food, which is not good. It’s just not. Anyone who says anything to the contrary is lying to you.
Here’s to hoping that the new tenants will be serious about bringing more quality food to Morningside Heights – there are very few restaurants around here that do a great lunch and (especially) dinner, especially since Community went down the tubes for everything but brunch. I’m really tired of restaurants around here serving shitty food because they know that students don’t have many options.

Great Mojito, however on the pricy side. Who knows, maybe 9 bucks is normal for NYC? Service was so-​so, but it didn’t matter in my case since we were sitting outside on the patio on a nice spring/​summer evening. I’d go back for another «classic» Mojito.

I went after a graduation for Columbia. The service was really slow but the staff was very friendly. I really enjoyed the ropa vieja and the soco Mojito special was delicious. They also had a Columbia blue Mojito that was good. Generally I think the food is overpriced but that’s New York for you. I’ve had other meals here that weren’t so great. Going for brunch was pretty fun but once again a little overpriced and the food was just okay. They are known to have live music occasionally and I’ve attended mixers there as well. They also are open to having parties in the large area in the back. Decent place for an every once in a while visit but I will not be a regular.

I love havana central, the service is always great. The staff is friendly and happy. The food has always been great i love the morro and the camarones al ajillo, i dont recommend the pernil because it was too oily when i had it. Great place to go on a date or even casual dinner.

Went for a friend’s birthday dinner. Maybe it was because our group was really large, but the service was average. not that great. Food was pretty slow to come out.
I got the ropa vieja which was pretty good but overpriced considering the taste. Large portion though.
My friend got the seafood paella which was not that great. I was curious to see what cuban paella tastes like and I hope this was not a full representation of cuban paella (if it’s different from spanish paella). the rice seemed a little to wet and bland. it was also expensive for the amount they give you.
I’m not a sangria person, so I don’t have a good judgment on sangria, but I’ve definitely had better. splitting a pitcher of Sangria felt like a real waste of money to me.
the ambience was nice though. hey had a live band playing, some people even were dancing a little. I wish i knew how to dance like that. maybe I would have joined them.
nice restaurant with pretty good food, but i would go somewhere else for better cuban food. (are we allowed to directly recommend other restaurants on these reviews? haha. well… if you want to know of this other cuban place that was really good, message me or something)

Really loud at night, but their drink specials are worth it. Also, their paella. man. Their paella. I need to go back for the paella.

Havana Central
Went there on a Sunday afternoon.
Ambiance: The walls are painted in bright colors with various artwork that give you that «I’m in the Caribbean» feeling. Something about the décor reminded me of my grandmother’s home in DR.
Service: We were greeted by a very nice hostess who walked us to our table. Our waiter was also friendly and attentive. The manager also came by to check up in us and I thought that was nice.
Food: If you read my reviews then you know that I order calamari wherever I go. The portion was quite generous and although not the best I’ve had, it was quite crunchy and seasoned with Spanish spices. The sauce that came with it, on the other hand, was a disappointment. I’m all about giving a traditional dish a twist, but if you’re not going to serve calamari with marinara sauce, it should be served with a delicious sauce, not the chunky salsa you serve at a Mexican place with tortilla chips. Plus the salsa was not even enough for the calamari they served.
For the main dish I ordered the pernil, with white rice and black beans. The pernil itself needed a little more salt but the onions on top were quite tasty and saved the dish by giving it flavor. With that said, if I didn’t like onions I would have given this dish a lower rating. The beans were quite tasty, no complaints here.
My friend seem to like the churrasco she ordered but I did not taste it.
The prices could had been a little cheaper.
Would I go back? Yeah
Will I brag to everyone about this place? Not necessarily.
With that said, if you’re looking for Cuban food in the UWS, this is your place.

I had to give this place a perfect review because everything was amazing. Came here with my gf who moved to nyc. We weren’t having the greatest luck with food but this place definitely made up for that. I’ve always heard that Cuban food had no taste but clearly they’ve never eaten here. I had the sangria which was very yum. For an app we had the Plantain chips and they were so freaking good I wish I had them now. They went so well with the guac and Avacado salsa. I had the ropa viejo for dinner and the portion size was perfect. The beef was so soft and melted in your mouth. They gave me beans when I wanted a side salad and let me keep both for their error. The server was very nice and checked in on us. The décor was really cool and had that University feel as we were near Colombia. I would definitely come back the next time I visit my friend.

Came here for brunch and thought everything was pretty gross.
I had the huevos rancheros which looked very sad and limp on the plate and tasted like hotel food. It was basically a scoop of dry, undercooked rice with a slice of avocado and an egg. No sauce, no flavor. During brunch, drinks are cheap ($ 4 or $ 5) but they were also gross. First I tried a bloody mary which was so spicy, every sip burned. After that, I tried a bellini, which was better, but not great.
Out waitress was slow even though it was totally empty and randomly charged us for 3 sodas, even though nobody had soda at all. She fixed the bill but it literally took forever.

Went to celebrate my niece grad from HS. Mojitos & Passion Margharitas were good. The food was gery good. We had empanadas (variety) for apps & from Roast Pork, Shrimp & Rice, Paella, Shrimp Ajillo for main dishes. The black beans were thick & well seasoned.
Old Havana ambiance

I dined here with my family late on a Friday night and we were extremely pleased with our experience. They serve simple, authentic and delicious Cuban food, accompanied by live music on the weekends by a full band and great drinks. The drinks are a bit pricy for how much you get, but they were tasty and it is New York. My brother had the guava glazed ribs, which were so incredibly tender and a huge portion! My mom and I had the Chicken and Rice, served with black beans and a bunch of veggies. One portion is enough for two moderately hungry people! The service was prompt and very friendly. Our drinks were never empty.
This is a food allergy friendly establishment, with a note on the menu to alert your waiter of food allergies. The Chicken and Rice dish is gluten, soy, egg, dairy, and shellfish free, which was awesome. Many Cuban foods are naturally gluten free, so this is a great place to go. The waiter accommodated my requests with pleasure. So refreshing!

I used my gift card for this location. I have been to the two others. really good flavor in the dishes, but the mojitos are EVERYTHING!
our waitress was a bit inattentive and it wasn’t busy but she did notice and made it right. Overall great!

Havana Central had been a staple during my graduate school days and remains a staple as I continue working in Morningside Heights. The food is solid and drinks are good. Is what comes out of their kitchen authentic, delicious, Cuban cuisine? I’m not sure. Then again, 1) what do I know about Cuban cuisine and 2) I’m not sure this place should really serve that purpose. It seems as if HC caters to a crowd that just wants a few bites to eat and some cheap drinks to drink. It fulfills this duty to a crowd that largely consists of Columbia students or people who work in the neighborhood.
I’ve only ever been here during lunch (when they have their under $ 10 specials) or right after work for happy hour. Not sure I’d pay regular prices for some of the dishes they serve.

So, I went back to Havana Central for the first time in a few months. I went during happy hour, expecting the same quality of drinks that I’m used to, and unfortunately I was disappointed. Both my mojito and margarita were quite weak, and the margarita was waaaaay too salty. One thing I used to appreciate about HC was that the happy hour drinks weren’t watered down. I feel cheated when I’m told I’ll pay half price for a drink but then I also receive half the liquor. I’d rather pay full price for a good drink. The food was good and the service was great but the drinks were all too disappointing.

I once loved Havana Central. It used to be my go-​to destination for Cuban food.
I recently returned to this location for a birthday dinner. There was a 25 minute wait for a table but it was a Saturday night so no complaints there. We had told them there were 7 of us but our table ultimately only fit 6 people comfortably. The waiter took our drink orders then the appetizer order but took almost a half hour to return to take our entrée order. For the app, we had empanadas. They were all as good as I remembered. Juicy and flavorful.
For my entrée, I ordered the pernil because I had had it via takeout from them before and I make great pernil so I like to compare. Everything was presented nicely but the pernil was extremely dry. It made me sad because it was dry to the point that I could not finish it. The rice and beans were still great, though.
Service is a hit or miss here now. Our waiter was nice but he didn’t check on us very often, he charged the wrong amount on the credit cards at the end of our meal, and he seemed overwhelmed by the amount of tables he had to take care of that night. While I will definitely come back to Havana Central, it is no longer a favorite restaurant of mine. Oh well.

I spent three semesters at Columbia University and never once thought to try Havana Central. Maybe because my tuition was so exorbitant, I often searched out the freebie meals provided by events on campus to fuel my studying (and I am probably a better person for doing so).
But a situation occurred last month that brought me back to Morningside Heights. Under less stressful circumstances, I was able to take in the neighborhood that I never got to appreciate. Then I remembered that this location was once the West End Bar that my favorite «Beat Poet», Jack Kerouac, used to frequent. I had to take in the historical ambiance.
I think this is the only location that offers Sunday Brunch, though not positive. I wanted a protein laden breakfast, and this place was perfect!
I was able to order an appetizer of Chicken Chicharrón, with a couple of fried eggs. The service was attentive, and the meal was addictive. So much so that it was worthy of this review. I am trying to find an excuse to go back.

Ordered delivery from here and what can I say except that it wasn’t anything special. It took an hour for the food to get here, when they estimated 30 mins, and the food was nothing great.
I ordered the Lobster Stuffed Avocado, Corn on the Cob, and Churros. The Lobster and Avocado was good, but it just didn’t work with the plantain «chips». I ended up eating them separately, which was a lot better, but I was left wishing I had some tortilla chips to scoop it. The Corn on the Cob was OK, the ones at Café Habana are 10 0000x better. And as for the Churros for dessert … well, those I have nothing to complain about. Those were perfect, and are the reason for 2 stars instead of 1.
Not to mention that this meal of 2 appetizers & 1 dessert cost me ~$ 27 with tip. Maybe I just didn’t get what everyone else gets here? Or maybe I need to eat in the restaurant? Whatever it is, for now I can’t give it more than 2 stars.