La Bodeguita del Medio

The original La Bodeguita del Medio is a tiny bar in Havana where famous old soak Ernest Hemingway liked to drop in for a mojito. This new bar & restaurant is definitely more Kensington than Cuba, all gleaming woods & shiny bar tops, with an attractive terrace & a suited clientele. The menu – which is pan-American rather than strictly Cuban – is interesting, but quality is variable. A long list of starters to share includes flavourful but oily sweetcorn fritters with black bean salsa & creme fraiche, & an unappetising interpretation of ceviche involving meagre slivers of sea bass drenched in a bath of coconut & lime dressing. Mains are better: Argentinian rib-eye is tender & succulent accompanied by chimichurri, while a tightly packed skewer of tiger prawns is generously portioned. Still, Cuba isn’t exactly famed for its gastronomic expertise & if you come to Bodeguita to drink rather than eat you’ll have a fine old time.