Viva Cuba

One of the best tapas bars I’ve been to. This place is one hell of a hidden gem. I’ve been here far too few times as I would like to admit, but everytime I do, life seems alittle sweeter. Immediately entering Viva Cuba you absorb the ambience and feel like you’ve taken a trip to Cuba, the food is delicious and caters for the vegetarians such as oneself which is always good, I’d recommend Viva Cuba to anyone looking to dine at a authentic tapas restaurant or even a good night out, because this place supplies it all.

You could almost be in Cuba !
Great food, great atmosphere ! Usually a great queue too … Worth the wait though !

I’ve been to this place a couple of times and to be fair this is allot to do with location — its conveniently located near my house so I don’t have the hassle of taxi’s and the temptation of bar hopping!
I’m torn with this place massively. Firstly I have to talk about the setting — A welcoming, warm atmosphere as soon as you walk in the door. With couples and the like intimately in discussion around candle lit tables and dim lighting it is a perfect atmosphere for couples and small groups of friends. It boats some groovy jazz in the background which doesn’t make you feel that you will be overheard but you can still have a conversation without having to scream across the table. The rich rustic colours of the room and the dark wooden tables definitely enhance the Spanish feel and I like the fact that the majority if not all of the staff are Spanish too. You definitely don’t feel as though you’re on dusty Kirskstall road.
I went with the wifey and we generally don’t book — we were seated upstairs near the bar until a table was available. This gave us the chance to discuss our foodie options on the comfy sofa. There are allot of options on this menu and cater both for the veggies and the meat eaters. I’m not sure if anyone else does this in tapas places but we generally spent some time looking around the other tables in order to establish what an acceptable number of tapas to order was. I say this because I obviously don’t want to have so many plates on my table that folk would be like «wow check out those horse eaters» or that I will be left with a half empty stomach! We opted for 5 to share which seemed a reasonable number.
Moving onto the food — here I’m sorry is where it has gone down hill over the years. We ordered Lamb in a tomato sauce, the lamb was tender and well cooked and it melted in the mouth. However, the sauce was really watery, feeble and lacked in substance. Similarly with a chicken dish we ordered which was supposed to have a Caribbean taste. The sauce again generally lacked and tasted as though it had come from a jar. We ended up having to order bread as both dishes were watery and lacked taste and trying to spoon the sauce into my mouth across the table caused no amount of dribbling sauce down my face. Moving onto the muscles which are always a favourite of the missus, man these really were the pits! They came really well presented in a little pot but they were clearly over cooked and dishevelled, chewy and flavourless. They were supposed to come in a white wine sauce which was appalling. I can describe it as hot water with a slightly bitter taste and splodges of oil which was really off putting. I’m not sure who else is a muscle lover but there’s nothing better than getting a spoon and almost soup-​like eating the broth in its loveliness. This was not something I could do on this occasion… We also had pork which was from the specials board — now this was amazing, the meat was delectable and the rich, thick sauce was extremely moreish and sticky and the stuffed peppers were passable.
The reason I’m totally torn with this place is I love the atmosphere, the location is convenient and it’s reasonably priced. For 5 tapas, bread and a bottle of wine it came to £40 which is not too bad coupled with the fact that I generally have a really nice time here. However if you want really good food it’s not a winner in my book. I’m still on a mission to find a decent tapas in Leeds!!!

A brilliant resteraunt, which can be easily missed because of it’s location. Which is the only thing that lets it down, with it being sat across the road from more recognisable names such as Nando’s, Harvester and McDonalds, so it’s easy to be distracted by the bright lights of the big chains.
Once you get inside it can be a bit dark with the main light coming from candles, but this just adds to the atmosphere.
Me and my girlfriend would always order about 6 tapas dishes and it was very rare that we ordered the same thing twice. We were never disappointed with our meals which were made even better when they were washed down with home-​made Sangria!

So far I have tried 3 Tapas restaurants in Leeds and this is my favourite so far. It’s so handy for a pre movie meal and In my humble opinion provides a tastier more satisfying option than the mass of chain restaurants in Cardigan fields. The restaurant is atmospheric and is a great place for eating as a couple or as a party of friends. There is a good range of tapas, the portion sizes are good as are the prices.

I used to come here quite regular when my boyfriend lived in the area, and I miss it loads! The first few times we came I always opted for the vegetarian tapas as I was veggie at the time but after that I fell off the waggon. However, unlike a lot of places I went during my 10 years of vegetarianism (I lasted quite long), the choices for veggies is really large and varied. I know many tapas restaurants do a lot more veggie options than other places, I just always felt there was a lot of love and effort put into the food here. I always never felt like I was missing out by not having any meat.
When we went back after I returned to being a carnivore we still had some of the same dishes as before, including quesedillas and jalapos, which are both so moreish! The Albondigas Cubana (beef meatballs in tomato sauce) were also one of our favourites, and a massive size too.
We usually used to get a jog of sangria to share too, which was always really nice, and I used to fish the fruit out to nibble on while waiting for our dishes. They also have a really good range of imported beers if sangrias not your cup of tea. So sad that I don’t get to go here anymore, but might have to make the trip again because it’s definitely worth it.

defo a top night out when you come here, i’ve taken a few dates out and they always leave with a big smile, or maybe thats me? :-p

It seemed like the perfect combination –dinner at Viva Cuba, and a movie at Vue — but somehow, we’d gotten it entirely the wrong way around. What would have been far better would have been to either forget the film entirely and focus on the food, or in the very least, arrive for food earlier so as to take in the ambiance. But you live and learn, and yesterday I learned that I really like Vivia Cuba, and I really don’t like Looper.
But, importantly, I really liked Viva Cuba. Here’s why.
The setting is great. As soon as you escape the grey road, opposite the retail park, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, with candle lit tables and subtle music. You do walk immediately into the waiting space on entering, which made me stop so abruptly the bar staff thought I was weird, but I think that was also as my companion had already grabbed a table so in a fluster I tried to explain I was meeting someone. I did this badly, as I was rushing, so that probably didn’t help. A small wave from my table, and everything was understood.
The drinks menu boasts a number of cocktails, beers and other beverages, including Quilmers, which is what I drank. Within moments of being seated we had service, which was great not only as we were time limited, but it’s a pet peeve to be left waiting for ages. A cursory glance at the menu tells you that there are lots of options, some expected and some more exciting, and they appear to cater for vegetarians rather well. (This is something I’m much more cognizant of now.)
I won’t embarrass myself by attempting to recall the proper names for the dishes, but the ones I can highly recommend include the lamb fillet, with mint yoghurt sauce, and the stuffed peppers with mash, peas and cheese. I realise those descriptions are rather dull in comparison to the detonation of a taste bomb that occured in my mouth parts, so I’ll attempt to elucidate the important detail. The lamb was perfectly cooked, soft, slightly rare, and couldn’t have been better matched with such a flavoursome, light, moreish sauce. The peppers, entirely sweet, were balanced beautifully with delicious melted cheese, a hearty effort of mash, made complete with little green nuggets of yum.
Additionally, I gorged on chorizo cooked in wine (I recall preferring the chorizo at El Barito, but it was delicious nonetheless), amazing garlic mushrooms with a sprinkling of sea salt, a ‘tower’ of aubergine with all kinds of little surprises, and the staple — patatas bravas, with salsa and cheese. It was a cheesy affair, and one so wrong it was right. (It wasn’t wrong, it was great. I’m just getting carried away with cliché.) Everything came so quickly it was the perfect choice for a pre-​screen bite, but I didn’t at any point feel rushed from the table.
The waitresses are ninja-​like in their speed to clear the dishes too; within moments of setting down our forks, one was there, asking if we’d like the table emptied. I’m not sure how this would feel were we lingering, but the other diners (who’d arrived before us, and left afterward) all seemed perfectly content, so I’m assuming they sensed our urgency!
Finally, the bill for six dishes and two beers came to about £35. Now, for freshly cooked delicious food, a wonderful relaxed vibe, great service, and plenty of welcome, I call that a bargain. Shame on me for leaving it so long to visit this lovely establishment! Get down quick for something delicious, and, take your time.

The atmosphere in Viva Cuba is very eclectic and the food is awesome. The last time I was there, it took a while for the food to come, but then it was so packed and busy. The one thing I regret, is not attending any of the live Jazz nights, as I love live music.

I’ve been to this Viva Cuba twice and enjoyed the experience both times. The food is good, although I find tapas not quite as appealing as a proper meal. Still though, there’s a good selection and if you get a few people together you’ll be in for a good evening. I do remember having to wait a long time for a table though — so I’d recommend booking in advance (if you can — im not sure!) or heading down a little early and asking for a table in an hour or two, and then head over for a drink on the retail park opposite.

I’ve always been a bit sceptical over the concept of tapas as an actual meal. I love having the odd side plate of something to accompany my cerveza whilst in the baking climes of España, but to sate my horse-​like appetite in a Yorkshire winter? Imagining the comparative quality of seafood in Leeds alongside that of Barcelona/​Valencia/​San Sebastian/​etc also left we wondering just how varied/​good the menu could actually be at this price point (I know it’s meant to be Cuban rather than Spanish, but that doesn’t suddenly make Leeds a port town). This is probably why it has taken me nearly 8 years to visit somewhere I’ve heard nothing but good things about.
Viva Cuba is a short bus ride out of the city centre, but it’s easy to find due to its proximity to the huge Cardigan Fields/​Vue Cinema complex, itself full of exciting activities for those who like to avoid talking to their date for as long as possible, along with easy parking.
The outside looks like a former colonial-​era government building, decorated haphazardly by the gaudy revolutionary banners of its enthusiastic captors (I’m assuming the ATM on the wall outside is some kind of ironic anti-​capitalist gesture).
The inside is quite small and the Latin jazz quite loud, but they do well to maintain a cosy but not footsy-​confusing level of intimacy between tables. There is a fun looking seating area upstairs where drop-​ins are invited to wait until a table comes available, but there was plenty of room when we arrived around 7 on a Wednesday night.
I read some years ago that Cuba suffers regular power failures due to its poorly maintained Soviet-​era power grid, and Viva Cuba pays homage to this by being the darkest restaurant/​bar/​shop/​bedroom I’ve ever been in. Realising that I had been caught outside with neither torch nor carrots, the staff couldn’t do more to help describe the menu for us, and those who are still brushing up on their Cuban Spanish pronunciation will be pleased to hear no one minds you ordering by dish number. They big up their cocktails but this time I stuck with the San Miguel.
The menu has approx 30 tapas dishes, around a third of which are seafood, and then a bunch of breads and salads. There’s very little for vegetarians, but other kinds of picky eaters should still find plenty. I’m happy to say that the portion sizes have been Anglicised slightly, and are so rich that you’ll feel you’ve eaten twice as much as you have anyway.
Although some might consider it tight to charge extra for bread, two dishes and a side of bread will set you back around £11, which isn’t too bad for a «main» and will probably be enough for most. My favourites were the Cordero Habana and the Pollo en Olla de Bodequita del Medio… just ask for numbers 10 and 12. The only seafood dish we got was the prawns in garlic and olive oil. I really liked it, but I’d eat a cork in that much dressing so the jury is still out on that one.
Bearing in mind that my exposure to Cuba begins and ends with a Buena Vista Social Club DVD and some newsreel footage of Castro’s beard, I found the food, décor and atmosphere both authentic and enjoyable enough that I was genuinely disappointed to see the slate skies of Kirkstall on my departure.
This is a lively, inexpensive, and surprisingly hip-​feeling place with food that everyone should try, but loses a star due to being so dark.

I love viva Cuba I go there once to twice a month me my wife and my kid we love it, the food is great and the atmosphere too, if they put a bit more light
it would be better

Not the best Tapas I’ve visited tbh. It is a nice enough place but very dark, filthy (as in it needs a good clean because everything is covered in grease). We sat down and you could run your fingers over the table and leave marks behind!
We had no explanation of the food, service very slack and we had our food just dumped on the table.
The food was ok, lacking in depth of flavour, just very salty. We had a meat platter and tapas bowls and the salads. All ok and presented well.
In all a meal for two was £45 with no alcohol. So quite expensive for tapas.
We recommend you take a torch and flash wipes. That way you can see what you’re eating and clean your table, cutlery, menu, banister…

Food wasn’t as nice as other Tapas bars I’ve been to and the service wasn’t great either. The food was very salty (probably to encourage you to buy more drinks or something).

My husband and I ate here with some friends recently, they had been several times but it was our first.
I had a Mojito and a couple of seafood dishes and a lamb dish. The Mojito and the seafood/​rice dishes were very good and nicely done. The lamb would of been improved by grilling it instead of making it like a stew as lamb can be a bit heavy if not cooked properly.
There was a couple with a screaming baby who thought it would be better to load up on booze and talk loudly over their poor childs screams rather than take their obviously distressed little one home and that was the only thing that detracted from the atmosphere, but that isn’t Viva Cuba’s fault. The space is very small so little things like this can become quite annoying if other guests are not considerate.
The staff was friendly and the service was quick. I would go again.

You’d be hard pushed not to know what to expect when visiting Viva Cuba… the outside is draped conspicuously in banners advertising various awards it’s won, and there’s even a blackboard reproducing the stars it’s been awarded in various categories. While I understand that this is merely an effort to draw customers in, I can’t help viewing it as rather inelegant and tasteless, and it made me enter the restaurant in a slightly negative frame of mind. Happily, these thoughts were soon eroded as I stepped inside and the lively, happy atmosphere took told. Themed restaurants can often seem to be trying too hard, but even with Cuban memorabilia everywhere and Cuban music on the stereo Viva Cuba manages to feel authentic and fun without being cheesy. The food is tapas style which, although not necessarily authentically Cuban, is inventive, delicious and varied, with plenty of choice even for a party of three vegetarians. After dinner, we retired with a rum in the intimate bar and enjoyed the relaxed, convivial vibe. After a few Havanas, you’ll feel a million miles away from Kirkstall Road.

Viva Cuba (formally Viva Latina) is a Cuban themed tapas and wine bar! I don’t get it. I find the cocktails sickly, expensive (all over a fiver) and the décor bland considering it is a themed venue!
I’ll give it to them, they make a mean tapas dish… very tasty! I would pop back in if on Kirkstall road with friends for tapas and a natter. Really yummy stuff with gorgeous salsa’s and meats (salami and chorizo is great!). However as an evening bar I wouldn’t choose to drink here. Viva Cuba’s prices are competitive with the gorgeous wine bars on the trendy Call Lane. However the taste, clientele and surroundings are no match in my opinion.
Sometimes Viva Cuba puts on some local live gigs, often from the Leeds College of Music latin band which are really excellent! Their choice of live music is often well picked out, so if it’s a gig your attending at Viva Cuba chances are you are going to watch musicans that can really groove.
However as a local bar to pop in for a few bevvies with your pals can think of much better, classier and cheaper places to drink cocktails in Leeds.

Viva Cuba is a brilliant Tapas bar, far and away the best in Leeds in my book.
It’s easily missed really, inside an ordinary looking building that looks more like it should house a bank than a funky restaurant. Because of this, I had gone past it on Kirkstall Road for years, without really ever noticing it, but a group of my friends have been eating there every week for the last few months, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I joined them a few weeks back.
It’s the sort of place with that has an effortlessly cool décor and atmosphere — the dark wooden interior and loud (but not too loud) music are the main reason that the place has such an informal, relaxed atmosphere.
Onto the food — I’ve eaten tapas in Spain a fair few times, and I have to say, this place recreates the real thing better than anywhere else I’ve eaten at, including a few places IN Spain. The usual dishes are present, but they all seem elevated to a higher level than other tapas bars — particularly the chorizo and the olive bread. Oh my.
In short, it’s authentic, it’s cheap, it has an amazing atmosphere and attracts amazing people, and it should be tried by anyone remotely interested in tapas.

My favourite restaurant in Leeds! The food is fab, the atmosphere is relaxed but energetic and its not badly priced. You can easily have a meal for two for £25 if you’re not drinking heavily.
The nicest tapas I’ve ever eaten, definitely have the carribean lamb and the fish cakes.
The only downside is that it gets busy and you can’t book so get there early if you want a table straight away on the weekend.

The food here is always spot on, although the service is sometimes a little slow. I prefer the atmosphere of the Kirkstall Road one with the mezzanine bar. A great place to come with friends.