Havana Bistro Cafe

Driving around looking for a place to eat, we could smell the aroma coming from this little Cuban Bistro and it reminded me of the food I had growing up. We went to check it out not knowing if we wanted to eat there yet and once we saw the selections it was a no brainer. The Bistro had authentic Cuban food as well as a glass display with the desserts they offered. Having a sweet tooth that pretty much sealed the deal.

The menu was easy to ready and understand. The choices were either to get a combo for $7.25 which was all day or just an entree. I went for the combo since it contained a lot of choices, which included picking one protein such as the beef with potatoes (carne con papas), spicy chicken, shredded beef (ropa vieja), and pork cooked in three different ways. Second a choice of rice which included cuban rice which is white rice cooked with black beans, yellow rice and regualr white rice. Third choice was the sides which included but were not limited to beans, corn, yuca, and tamales. I have to say it was a lot of food but living in these times you have to think ahead, I knew I would be getting the rest to go for lunch the next day.

Once seated with the food I went for my drink, they had regular coke fountain drinks, iced teas and for an extra charge, natural juice drinks such as mango and passion fruit. I went for the iced tea, I wanted the green tea but the machine was not working properly and came out as plain water so I settled for the raspberry iced tea. The building was small but looked like it could hold about 35 people.

Open for only one year, the bistro was not busy for a saturday afternoon and we had the place pretty much to ourselves as we ate. After taking the first bite, I knew I wanted to come back again, the beef was incredibly flavored and so tender it pretty much melted in my mouth, the cuban rice was authentic and the yuca was not bland at all. My fiancee had the cuban sandwich with yellow rice as a side. The sandwich tasted like an authentic cuban sandwich.

Once we ate to the point of explosion, we got the rest to go. Since the whole reason I wanted to eat there was for the dessert, we got a cheesecake and flan, a custard dessert with caramel sauce, to go. The flan tasted like flan but the texture was a bit more dense than I'm used to, it tasted great though.

I give the Havana Bistro Cafe a 4/5 chef hats for a great dining experience and great food. The price was reasonable for the amount of food I got, but the experience felt like I was eating at a fast food restaurant, I would have liked to see more things inside and maybe cuban music playing in the background. I would defiantly suggest eating at the Havana Bistro Cafe if you are looking for authentic cuban food, but for a Saturday night when you want to go out and have fun, I'm not sure this place would be too entertaining.



Location: 7975 S, Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32809
Phone: (407) 420-7285

Paradiso 37 - Street Foods of America

First off this restaurant is brand new to the Orlando - Downtown Disney area. We love browsing around Downtown Disney. So a few weeks ago we saw that this place was under construction. But last night it was open! Now on to the review.. Great service, the workers were great. Our food came in good time, they had a live musician playing. The inside was very appealing, you also can sit outside, but I recommend sitting inside. The lights change colors slowly and have a soothing feel to them. You also can see the chefs in the back working away to give you a great dinner or lunch.

The prices are a bit steep, so if your looking for a place under $10.00 dollars a plate this might not be the right place for you. But if you are looking to eat out and have a good time, this place is it. They have a wide menu, the menu represents the 37 countries of North, Central and South America. If you have kids, they also have a kids menu.

On to what I had, I ordered the Quesadillas which came with cole slaw, also ordered the chips and salsa. I highly recommend the chips and salsa. Most of the other people in the restaurant ordered them too. They were great, and the salsa was even better. I rate this place 4/5 chef hats. Good food, good service and good atmosphere. Try to dine at night, that is when the live band is playing and the atmosphere is the best in the restaurant.



Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Downtown Disney - Orlando
Phone: (407) 934-3702