Paladares
Paladares
are the independent, state sanctioned, family run
restaurants of Cuba. Since the beginning of the Cuban
government's quest to open up their country to democratic
economic reforms, paladares were one of the first
and only enterprises to fall under these reforms.
Rules
stipulate that they must have no more than 12 seats
(though they many times do), strictly family run and
must cook rustic Cuban food (i.e. no lobster or chicken
breast as they are reserved only for the tourist hotels) |
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Within
these and other strict guidelines, such as being one
of the few taxed businesses in a communist country,
they have flourished. So much so, it is these paladares
that tourists seek out over other state and hotel
run restaurants. The food is authentic, wholesome
and inexpensive.
Based
on my personal experience and first hand travel experiences
from other travelers to Cuba, it can be concluded
that the number one problem for tourists there is
finding a decent place to eat.
Before
the emergence of paladares, choices were limited to
either expensive state run hotel restaurants and cafeterias
or snack stands along the streets. The little bodegas,
Cuban national eating places, were off limits for
the most part to tourists as they accepted only Cuban
pesos.
With
the Cuban government opening up its shores to international
tourism in 1993 and allowing the privatization of
paladares in 1995, things began to change. Today,
paladares abound. The main problem with them is that
the legal ones are taxed so high that many do not
have the money to advertise. Many times they will
hire a “tout”, or guide, to help bring in
customers. Of course, the guides work on commission
only, and therefore tend to favor only those paladares
from which they can profit and push up the prices
also. There are also illegal paladares, but they seem
to close as fast as they open. This of course, is
why there is a dilemma for tourists.
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Must
Do
Hector's Pizza
Downtown
Centro Havana you will find the ultimate Cuban Pizza.
Made on a rooftop by Hector.
Easy
does it:
When nobody is at the street just shout HECTOR! and
he will show up, tell him what you want, a large or
small pizza, wait a few minutes and your pizza will
come down in a basket.
You will pay about 7 CUP Cuban pesos (about 30 euro
cents) for a small pizza about 30 cm.
Put the money in the basket and off you go!
Bon
apetito :)
Hector's
"Pizzaria" is located at Calzada Infanta
/ San Rafael. Just around the corner of El Rapido
More pictures of Hector's Pizza Service |
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