Varadero, Cuba trip

[shlomo]

I really don't know anything about Varadero. Food in Havana has gone through somewhat a revolution over the past 4 years. From 5 " very good restaurants/Paladars" to 30 or more " very good restaurants/paladars" that are really trying to be different and of a high standard.

"Great" I don't think I have had yet in terms of world class food. Still throw in Cigars, company, rum, laughter and plenty of great afternoons and evenings have been had

Agreed. Like I said, there are some very good dishes and places to eat. In Havana, Holguin, Guardalavaca and in Varadero, but nothing world class. My opinion of course...

LLC, the experiences are usually great without a doubt! Nothing like drinking a Legendario con hielo while puffing away at a cigar that was rolled with your exact specifications 2 minutes prior. Just isolating the food, and I have as of yet found nothing "great". Unlike many here, while I have been to Havana and have eaten at several restos there, I have not sampled many of the regularly mentioned places. I just think that people's expectation of food in Cuba is already set low, so when there is a decent meal, it automatically gets judged better than it really is.

[dvickery]

schlo

sorry to hear about the bad stuff .

in exchange for a beach you have to put up with these endless shenanigans in vara .

derrek

[shlomo]

schlo

sorry to hear about the bad stuff .

in exchange for a beach you have to put up with these endless shenanigans in vara .

derrek

Thanks D. Still a great trip. Just little annoyances.

[Ryan]

Sorry the food wasn't so great Shlomo.

As Pres says, food in Havana is getting better. Lots of very good restaurants now.

Regarding "great" food, I've had dishes in a least 2 or 3 places that wouldn't be out of place in a Michelin star.

Off the top of my head.

Pork in chocolate sauce, Le Chansonnier

Marlin Tacos, La Guarida

Confit of Pork Belly, La Guarida

Octopus salad, La Moraleja

Rabbit in beer, La Moraleja

What these places can lack is consistency in service and/or execution, although La Guarida is generally very good.

Consistency is where places like El Aljibe come into their own. Always very good, not "great" but really nice and every time.

Finally, tapas in El Litoral on the Malecon absolutely stand up to the best tapas I've had anywhere. Good cocktail menu too.

[helix]

"In Varadero for great food beach and close to downtown check out Las Morlas."

I say this in terms of Varadero resort standards..not world class fine dining, LOL

[tmac77]

I have been to Varadero 6 times in the last 18 months. I always stay and Melia Las Americas dues to it's proximity to both the golf course and the Plaza Las Americas Casa (IMO the best service in the area.) While the food at the hotels is not "great" it is quite good considering Cuban standards. In town there are a growing number of private pallidars which offer up some great food options. The best of these is 'Varadero 60' on Calle 60. There is another one on Calle 41 which I can not remember the name of and Salsa Suarez is also very good albeit a bit pricier.

Totally agree with you on recent service and attitude of the ladies at LCDH at 63rd.

[shlomo]

I have been to Varadero 6 times in the last 18 months. I always stay and Melia Las Americas dues to it's proximity to both the golf course and the Plaza Las Americas Casa (IMO the best service in the area.) While the food at the hotels is not "great" it is quite good considering Cuban standards. In town there are a growing number of private pallidars which offer up some great food options. The best of these is 'Varadero 60' on Calle 60. There is another one on Calle 41 which I can not remember the name of and Salsa Suarez is also very good albeit a bit pricier.

Totally agree with you on recent service and attitude of the ladies at LCDH at 63rd.

Never stayed at a Melia. Have heard mostly good things though. Went into the plaza, but stock was just awful. Nothing other than regular production from mid 2013 and newer. The lady who was there was very patient and kind however.

[Guest rob]

I ate turtle for the first time in Cuba

[AussieCanuck]

I've been to the Tuxpan. The only positive is the beach and the proximity to the LCDHs in town. Wont ever go there again either! The Bella Costa next door is much nicer imo.

I stayed at the Oceans El Patriarca. It just opened 2 years ago, so everything was nice, clean and new, but just not as good as the Blau Varadero that I stayed at several years ago.[/quote

Stayed at the El Patriarca with my wife last year. Have to agree re the food. It was pretty poor ( especially down by the restaurant at the beach). At much better when venturing out into town and on our trip into Havana.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BrotherBear]

I'm always surprised by the amount of negative interactions people have with the ladies at the LCDH on 63rd in Varadero. I've spent hours upon hours there on the patio and in the humidor. The ladies have always treated me well and on many occasions have refused payment from me for drinks and the odd cigar. They have even facilitated purchases made for me by friends and family who were going to Varadero without me by holding stock for them to pick up quickly.

Eva (the manager) is a very nice lady who has a very good grasp of the English language. Her staff can seem off putting at times, but I think that has more to do with the language barrier. I guess (as with so many other things) a relationship built over time is key.

(I will let the other 2 guys in the picture identify themselves if they so desire)

[tmac77]

I'm always surprised by the amount of negative interactions people have with the ladies at the LCDH on 63rd in Varadero. I've spent hours upon hours there on the patio and in the humidor. The ladies have always treated me well and on many occasions have refused payment from me for drinks and the odd cigar. They have even facilitated purchases made for me by friends and family who were going to Varadero without me by holding stock for them to pick up quickly.

Eva (the manager) is a very nice lady who has a very good grasp of the English language. Her staff can seem off putting at times, but I think that has more to do with the language barrier. I guess (as with so many other things) a relationship built over time is key.

(I will let the other 2 guys in the picture identify themselves if they so desire)

No idea why Marc you must have a magic touch. I have been there on numerous occasions and spent many hours there on the patio etc... even brought them, over the last 6 or 7 visits to Varadero, many gifts of lotions shampoo, toothpaste stockings, chocolate ( the list is long) But I have never received anything close to the service, let alone a friendly smile, that I get from other shops in Cuba.

[Maplepie]

But I have never received anything close to the service, let alone a friendly smile, that I get from other shops in Cuba.

i will back that up with you too, Tom. I have another mate in Oakville who showers them with gifts and they give exceptional service. They react in kind with gifts of free drinks and peso cigars.

He told me to do that too to get good service but why should i? I want to give gifts after they give me good service so it's appreciated. It doesn't work the other way around... You don't serve chocolate cake before a steak.

On top of that, they seem to bump up the price. They charged me 140 CUCs for the Bolivar Libertadores and when I pulled out my phone to check the number (as it seemed high), they knocked it down to the appropriate 11x CUCs. They did the same thing when i came back the next day and wanted a single Montecristo No 1.

I'm sure tourists don't have the resources to check them on prices... I don't mind tipping. But not when it's deceitful

Supporting Information: I have only been to them thrice. Two times during one trip and once during another trip. It seems to be continuous with all the people there - especially with people who don't know cigars.

[shlomo]

No idea why Marc you must have a magic touch. I have been there on numerous occasions and spent many hours there on the patio etc... even brought them, over the last 6 or 7 visits to Varadero, many gifts of lotions shampoo, toothpaste stockings, chocolate ( the list is long) But I have never received anything close to the service, let alone a friendly smile, that I get from other shops in Cuba.

I know some of you guys have a wonderful relationship with them. I have been there several times over the past few years with chocolates, soaps, lotions, nothing crap, all good quality stuff, yet it is never appreciated. They still try to rip me off, they never let me anywhere near the humi for fear I will steal everything, they refuse to smile or even have any kind of conversation at all. Its business as usual and never friendly.

To hell with them. I have a small shopping list for Alfonso for my next trip. That man is the epitome of grace and civility. He was so gentle and kind to my wife and I. Truly an exceptionally lovely man.

To be fair Marc, Eva was not there the few times I went in during this past trip. There was another manager who was brusque and rough and altogether completely unpleasant, even with her very strong mastery of the language.

[helix]

I too tried my best but they were harsh.

[CanuckSARTech]

Shlo, sorry dude that you had a bad trip, but I can't help but give a curious chuckle over some of this.

You've made mention before of your multitude of gripes with this region / Varadero - bad food, bad service from the ladies at Calle 63 (which I also have always had good luck with them), not the best prices, rude service, bad accomodations, etc., etc., etc.

Why go back?

FWIW, ~$1200 is NOT a good deal for an all-inclusive to Varadero, in August no less.

You state you don't like going to Havana because you want to lounge on the beach and soak up the sun. If those are your only precursors to visit Varadero compared to Havana, then why use as gripes all these other items which Havana would have completely wiped away from your negatives list?

Don't get me wrong here - I'm not defending the ladies at Calle 63, or Varadero, etc. Varadero is only but a small taste to whet the appetite for Cuba. Varadero is not Cuba but without a caking of lipstick on a pig (not that there's anything wrong with piggies either, LOL!).

But this isn't the first time you've made these gripes, IIRC. You repeatedly mention this was crap, that was crap, I won't go back here or there, "to hell with them", etc.

To me, this is sounding like a completely wet blanket experience where your attitude might have set the stage prior to you walking into any doors, be it at the LCDH or the hotels.

[shlomo]

Shlo, sorry dude that you had a bad trip, but I can't help but give a curious chuckle over some of this.

You've made mention before of your multitude of gripes with this region / Varadero - bad food, bad service from the ladies at Calle 63 (which I also have always had good luck with them), not the best prices, rude service, bad accomodations, etc., etc., etc.

Why go back?

FWIW, ~$1200 is NOT a good deal for an all-inclusive to Varadero, in August no less.

You state you don't like going to Havana because you want to lounge on the beach and soak up the sun. If those are your only precursors to visit Varadero compared to Havana, then why use as gripes all these other items which Havana would have completely wiped away from your negatives list?

Don't get me wrong here - I'm not defending the ladies at Calle 63, or Varadero, etc. Varadero is only but a small taste to whet the appetite for Cuba. Varadero is not Cuba but without a caking of lipstick on a pig (not that there's anything wrong with piggies either, LOL!).

But this isn't the first time you've made these gripes, IIRC. You repeatedly mention this was crap, that was crap, I won't go back here or there, "to hell with them", etc.

To me, this is sounding like a completely wet blanket experience where your attitude might have set the stage prior to you walking into any doors, be it at the LCDH or the hotels.

Welcome back Keith. You were missed.

The women at 63rd have always been rude to me and my wife.

The food in Cuba sucks. No other way to put it.

I have been to Holguin, Guardalavaca, Havana and Varadero. While it certainly is not the entire country,I get the gist.

I go back because it is more affordable than Jamaica and has as nice beaches and people for the most part. Not to mention I do like Cuban cigars.

Nobody ever said I got a "deal". I paid what I paid. It was regular price for Cuba in August.

I reported on my most recent trip for those who were curious, or who are thinking about going to this particular resort. Just like there are 5 million cigar blogs out there with reviews of the same cigars...people want to read my experience, and if they don't, they can just skip over the thread.

My trip was certainly not bad. I enjoyed it immensely and did not regret it at all. I just mentioned the **** parts, which were not that common.