Restaurant El Patio
It’s not every day that you get a chance to eat in a palace where a member of the Spanish royal family ate in the 1700’s. I’m referring of course to the mansion of the Marques de Aguas Claras, home of the Restaurante El Patio. It is located in the heard of Old Havana, in the Cathedral Plaza.
The mansion pleases visitors with its monumental facade, beautiful windows, and lovely central patio, surrounded by plants and flowers.
It is in this patio that you found tables for dining, while in older bedrooms of the mansion there is the Salon La Fuente, with service at the Bar Villanueva, which was a hangout for the bohemian crowd of the 1880’s. Another room is home to the salon Aguas Claras, an ideal spot for a business lunch or private dinner.
The Salon del Marques is an area of the restaurant that is perfect for private celebrations, specializing in grilled meat.
Guidebooks will tell you that the restaurant specializes in both Cuban and international cuisine, but it’’s real specialty is seafood and beef. One of the more popular menu items is the Grillada Mixta Catedral, as well as the small shrimp, the fish filet stuffed with seafood, and of course, the lobster.
The Bar Villanueva, just like the Snack Bar El Portal (in the same area), offer some of the best wine, Cuban and imported beer, rum, and a decent cocktail menu.
I can also attest to the professional service provided at the Restaurante El Patio, all in an agreeable environment.
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