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When people visit Varadero, they frequently take advantage of the all-inclusive tourist packages offered by the hotel complexes. Here, food is served buffet-style, with an eye-popping variety of dishes and exotic cocktails. Many of these hotels offer their competitively-priced buffets to non-guests as well: a marvelous opportunity for any vacationer with a big appetite.
The buffet menus are designed for tourists, so much of what they offer can be found anywhere in the world. To enjoy traditional Cuban food you will have to visit the restaurants in Varadero and Matanzas, but if you can drag yourself away from the hotel compound, you will find the trip worth it.
Paladares, restaurants in private houses so popular in the rest of Cuba, are not permitted in Varadero. However, in Matanzas you will find legal paladares (literally "palates") with traditional mouth-watering creole fare that will have you forgetting the buffet table in no time. El Guajiro, on San Isidro Street, facing the Hospital Provincial, has an attentive owner and a menu that includes lechón asado (roast suckling pig), and masas de cerdo con vianda y mojo (deep-fried pork in batter, with root vegetables and a tomato, onion and garlic sauce). They also prepare traditional Cuban desserts such as the dulce de fruta bomba con queso (papaya in syrup with a slice of fresh white cheese). Prices are very reasonable, and service is superb. For lighter meals, you could try the Café Atenas, on the Plaza de la Vigía, which has a selection of pizzas, sandwiches and fried chicken at good prices. Hotel Louvre, on Milanés street, has an excellent restaurant with a wide ranging menu. In Cueva de Saturno, on the road to the airport, there is a good quality restaurant and bar.
In Varadero, Parque Josone has a variety of fast food joints which sell pizzas, fried chicken, hot dogs, beer and soft drinks, all at cheap prices. Among these are Pizza Nova and El Rápido, part of a Cuban fast food chain. On the Bulevar, you can go to Doñaneli bakery, which has a wonderful selection of cakes and pastries. La Terraza café, on Plaza América, is another good option.
For drinking, an obvious choice are the hotel bars. The Bar Las Américas, in the Meliá Hotel, is open 24 hours a day. For a more intimate atmosphere, go to the piano bar at Las Palmas del Meliá Varadero, from 6pm onwards. El Mojito at the Sol Club Palmeras has a pool bar which is open from 10am to 6pm, and offers a good choice of cocktails and spirits. The same hotel also has two beach bars, Sol Cubano, and the Bar Ron Coco. In Meliá Varadero, you will find Baracoa bar. If you prefer to have a light meal with your drink, go to Snack Bar El Golfito, at the Club Tropical, or the Aquabar at Meliá Las Américas, which never closes.
If you want to take in a show while you drink, try the Bar Show Tropicuba, at the Sol Club Palmeras. In Meliá Las Américas you will find Bar la Cascada. Both of these are open until two in the morning. You can catch a cabaret in the Continental, at the Hotel Internacional, or Jardines del Mediterráneo, on Avenida Primera, and a special show in Cueva del Pirata, every night at 9pm.
The Casa de las Antigüedades, in Parque Josone, offers great service and excellent quality food. In the same park, La Campana restaurant features succulent Cuban cuisine. El Bodegón Criollo, in Playa, is another good choice for regional food. La Vicaria restaurant is a favorite with Cubans and foreigners alike, as are La Guantanamera, in the Centro Internacional de Convenciones, and Casa del Chef, on Calle 12 and Avenida Primera.
For Chinese food, you can go to Lai-Lai, on Calle 18,Mi Casita, on the Bulevar, and Oshin in the Hotel Sol Club Palmeras. For seafood, try El Arrecife on Caminos de Mar and Calle 13, which offers a large and selection of grilled fish and seafood dishes. You can also check out La Marisquería in Kawama, Albacora in Playa, and Fuerteventura, in Hotel Meliá Varadero.
If you like fondues, you will like the Swiss and French specialties of Casa del Queso. Kiki's is popular because of its creole menu, and its terrace, which freshens up the atmosphere in the restaurant. Las Américas has wide ranging menus, and a bar Mansión Du Pont, where you can enjoy a cocktail on the terrace before eating your meal. El Mesón del Quijote, on the Las Américas road, has an international menu.
For a good plate of Italian pasta, go straight to Dante, in Parque Josone. O´Sole Mio, in Hotel Sol Club Palmeras, open from 11am to 11pm, also serves good Italian cuisine. On Avenida Primera, you will find Castel Nuovo restaurant.
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