Cuba Libre

I met one of my bredrins here (I dunno why I said that) before a pre-​dinner beer a few weeks ago (we went to Sen Nin btw, sushi). I didnt try the food but looked it looked ok.
It was HH, so 2 beers for £6 I think or something like that as well as cocktails etc.
Service was ok, some space outside to people-​watch as it there was no seating inside.
An ok bar, did the job. May try the food if I’m in the area again.

Good tapas — some Spanish, some Cuban. Average £5 per tapa and with 3 each we were full. Would recommend it for tapas. The cocktails — we had Singapore Sling and Daiquiri — were ok but not that flavoursome. However they were cheap.
Lots of vegetarian and vegan tapas available.

Good spot for Cuban food fix. I ordered the Pollo con aguacate (Steamed chicken breast with a parmesan cream sauce, avocados and coriander. Served with rice, black beans & plantain). Personally it was too creamy for me… but that’s just my preference. The taste was good and the chicken was not dry, which is always my fear when ordering chicken breasts. The cream sauce was delicious for those parmesan cream lovers. The rice and beans were good (hard to mess up). The plantains were a bit disappointing. It was more like banana chips as opposed to the expected traditional way of preparing plantains… not to mention 2 chip pieces. From my Cuban food experience, when plantain is on the menu, it’s not this.
I liked how the inside was all Cuban décor. Has a good ambiance and loved how the music wasn’t blaring so loud you have to shout throughout the meal. From some of the posted pictures, I thought that the inside would be super dark, but it was actually nicely lit and cozy feeling.
We also ordered the Ropa vieja a la Cubana («Old Rags» A Cuban favourite Shredded braised beef in a sauce of herbs, fresh tomatoes, onions and sweet peppers Served with rice, yucca (cassava) & plantain). I will be ordering this on the next visit.

6 years ago, I visited this pub/​restaurant for the first time. I got drunk on some cocktails made out of cheap alcohol, which caused me awful not fun hangover, so hearing about evening meal at the place slightly worried me…
While walking in I noticed, the interior is exactly the same as all those years ago — only stickier. At least the menus and the table where me and my friends sat were properly sticky. I was desperately going through the menu several times looking for something decent to eat. It was really difficult. Actually, it was impossible. I had this feeling before… The menu didn’t seem to change in last 15 years… So I wanted to order at least a glass of bubbles, but sadly no bubbles available by glass… buying a bottle at this place? Nope, thank you!
Then I dared to speak up to my group: ‘Sorry ladies, but this place sucks!’. And guess what happened? They smiled with relief somebody spoke up. We happily left the place without any order.

Ok, I have no clue how authentically Cuban this place is, but I’m dubious. I mean, there were a few Che banners here and there, and none of the servers spoke English, so it’s a start I suppose.
But the food was really good! My husband had a pork dish that was basically chunks of meat slow cooked in a sauce, served with black beans and rice. The pork was very tender and flavorful.
I had the pork chops, and they were good. Not great, a little overlooked, but full of flavor. I’d probably order something else next time.
The orange pannacotta (see, this is what I mean… Cuban pannacotta? Dude.) was sublime. My husband and I were flat out knocking it off each others’ spoons in an attempt to have more than our share.
Bottom line: we will be going back.

we came here for post dinner drinks as I was craving a tequila shot for some ridiculous reason. Yet another spot that doesn’t feel the need to discern South American from Polynesian from Caribbean.
As such, we had only 3 tequilas to choose from (the «best» being Jose Silver) and the cocktails on offer consisted of a personality disorder of choices like Singapore Sling, Margaritas and Pina Coladas.
At about £7 a piece, the drinks should have been a lot better than they were. My Guevera Sunrise (a not very cleverly named Tequila Sunrise) was sickly sweet and not made from fresh … anything. The juice used was thin and too, too sweet. Ick. My friend ordered a Zombie and had the same verdict: too sweet and no refreshing rum flavor. For a place that specialises in tropical drinks, they could do to at least spring for some fresh fruit garnish.
The service was ok and the crowd smallish for a Friday night. The outside patio seating is right on the main drag which made for good people watching. Don’t think I’ll make it back though, there are better cocktails to be had if you’re craving a Mojito.

I can only but guess as to how Cuban-​authentic this place is, without first hand experience in well, actual Cuban dining, but I didn’t exactly show up in order to replace a potential future food vacation.
Happy hour cocktails are a great deal. That moment when you decide to order a whole pitcher of frozen margarita instead of a glass… I can’t remember the food…

The food here is pretty terrible, especially given the price. I ordered the ropa vieja and found the meat quite tasty and the potatoes and rice absolutely awful. The rice was way overcooked and the potatoes were strangely over-​starchy. I wonder if maybe they weren’t potatoes whatsoever…
I had actually been here before and should have learned my lesson.
So yeah… don’t come here.

I came across Cuba Libre one day while in Angel with a friend and vowed to try it out as soon as possible. Having spent 3 weeks in Cuba, travelling around the island, I was eager to see how this bar/​restaurant would compare to the warm Havana nights of my trip. I wasn’t disappointed. The bar’s lively atmosphere and dance-​worthy Cuban beats attract a fun and relaxed crowd.
The décor is more ‘tourist Cuban’ than authentic hole-​in-​the-​wall, but in London that’s okay. My friends and I managed to score one of the coveted tables in the bar (the space is divided into bar and restaurant), though I wouldn’t count on this happening again.
Their mojitos are delicious, minty and citrusy with a generous amount of rum. The beer is cold. What more can you ask for when you’re dancing on the (admittedly fairly small) dance floor?
I’ve only given Cuba Libre 3 stars because I’ve never tried their food, but I would give them another for a review based solely on the bar. My advice is to go in the summer, when the heat blends with the sound of salsa and the taste of your mojito. You won’t really be in Cuba, but you’ll be pretty darn close.

If you’re after a relaxed and casual bite with friends and a strong mohito, this place fits the bill. Yes, it’s cheap and cheerful, tables are crowded together and the table cloths are plastic — But after happy hour you won’t care.
We had a bottle of rose and the special of 5 tapas options for £12.00 plus some breads etc and I thought it was pretty decent.
Toilets are not the greatest but this place does have atmosphere and is good for a lively hour or two.

For some unknown reason, I have always thought of this place as some sort of ‘undiscovered gem’ of Islington. To be honest, I think more people are there for the cheap cocktails than they are for the Cuban food.
I was really looking forward to my plate of traditional Cuban appeitsiers and Cuban-​style steak but when both courses came I found myself rather disappointed. Even my Coke was relatively flat. The food was badly presented and lacked flavour. My boyfriend described our meal as something similar to a decent school dinner — which is not what you would expect when you’ve paid almost £60!
I wouldn’t go here again, the quality of the meal was nowhere near worth the prices they charge. I have definitely learnt my lesson now — not all places that are a bit rough round the edges are trying to pull of the ‘shabby chic’ look — they genuinely are just not that good.

Food was decent, pretty Cuban for a Cuban restaurant in London. Not nearly as authentic as anything you would find in the States but the paella and the sangria were on point.
Service was a bit off. I found it a bit odd that the server refused to take any orders by the Spanish names and wanted them by numbers instead. He made it pretty obvious he didn’t want to be there.

You can’t really go wrong with this place in my eyes. Sure it’s not the most authentic Cuban joint there is, but hey, it’s central and convenient in Islington and I like the atmosphere.
If you can grab a table outside then you’re on to a winner, if not then saddle up out the back. Their cocktails are pretty damn good, but not cheap, and the sell Paradiso beer which gives me a nice tickle. Damn good happy hour offers though.
I need to try the food sometime, it looks hearty and hugely unhealthy… and I don’t mean that in a bad way.
Mojito me up.

3.5*, really.
Not sure how authentically Cuban this place is, but — as a bar serving tapas and other «Cubanesque» food — it works very well! The food is OK — tapas portions could be slightly more generous and perhaps slightly better cooked, but still, as tapas, not bad at all.
However, the cocktails and sangria? Much more memorable. Yum. Service was generally impressive and definitely attentive, modulo a slightly long wait for food, but for a group of 7 to get all the food out at the same time is a slightly tricky ask.
It’s a great place to hit if you happen to already be on Upper Street. But it’s probably not a destination place to go out of your way for.

Oh, go on then… take an American’s opinion of a Cuban restaurant. That’s a smart decision…
At least you’ll be taking the opinion from one of the few Americans who have actually been to Cuba. (Am I allowed to say that publicly?) Anyway — regardless of the multiple Hemingway references and abundant mojitios served, I must slightly protest the authenticity of this Cuban hot spot on upper street.
Granted, when I was in Cuba, the mojitos didn’t have sugar in them and the beans and rice were flavourless, plus there was a side order of legalism and corruption… so this was actually quite an improvement on my culinary experience there!
The Paella was like a whole new world of Little Mermaid awesomeness with shrimp, clams, oysters, chicken wings, calamari, and multiple other friends from under the sea. And as a bonus, we received a free bottle of wine with our menu selection.
Don’t come here for your authentic Cuban experience, but for a tasty atmosphere, great deal on tapas, and fantastic happy hour, Cuba Libre is spot on.

I’m Britsih, I have never been to Cuba… I don’t think I have had an experience to bring be any closer here yet I have discovered that Sangria can help solve the problems of the world!
I don’t think this place should really advertise it’s food to strongly, it’s not that it’s bad it’s just that you tend to forget about it. A nice selection of meat chicken and fish dishes and some very friendly staff. The tables however are a little bit to small for the plates… you almost knocked the Sangria off the table — god forbid! Apparently this place is a bar but we didn’t delve much deeper than the table we were given.
A solid 3 stars! Possibly I will go again just for the yummy sangria!

Located on Upper Street, this Cuban restaurant and bar has been around for nearly 20 years.
I was actually enticed in by the sign advertising happy hour cocktails: Two for £8.50 everyday till 8pm. I normally don’t go for creamy drinks, but tried a Piña colada following my friends request and now order one every time. Made using real cream (rather than the squirty stuff you sometimes get) and complemented by the taste of fresh pineapple and coconut, it’s tropical heaven.
I haven’t treated myself to the food there yet but took a peek at the menu and have already planned what I will order next time: definitely the desert Bananas al Caribe (banana cooked in Caribbean style with rum and citrus zest sauce.) The mains generally come to around £12 whilst the veggie dishes are more like £10 and under, or you can choose 6 tapas items for £11.95 (there’s a lunch time deal of 4 for £6.95).
The Cuban bar staff are very friendly and the interior is authentically decorated, with iron lanterns, painted walls, and memorabilia hanging up such as Che Guevara pictures. They also play Cuban music so you really feel like you’ve taken a trip to Havana especially by the end of happy hour at 8pm.

Cuba Libre, a Cuban themed bar and restaurant on Upper Street. There are seats outside. Inside the room has two tiers. The first tier, at ground level, is a seating area for the restaurant. The second, raised, tier has the bar and some further seating.
The place has a lively atmosphere and the staff are friendly. The walls are covered in various kinds of Cuban paraphernalia, that gives the bar more of a feeling of authenticity rather than tackiness.
A good place for a few drinks on Upper Street.

I have come to realize I have an on going search to find the the best mojito’s in town. I thought this place would make my search come to an end, but it didn’t. For my personal taste there isn’t enough lime and sugar in them, it could be maybe because they have to prepare them in pitchers for the happy hour. The staff is friendly and it was quite nice to speak in spanish for a change. In terms of the food, well I didn’t get to try eat as my sister in law got a bit too drunk too soon, so we had to leave as she was really craving a crêpe (which I’ll tell you about soon). However, I did get to read the menu carefully and saw that it was quite meat based overall. Something that didn’t agree quite well with my veggie sis’ in law.
Anyhow, it’s worth coming even if it is to take advantage of the happy hour and listen to some very descent latin american tunes.
Interesting fact: Gael Garcia Bernal (the mexican hottie, from Amores Perros, y Tu Mama Tambien) used to work here whilst in acting school.

I’m a big fan of Mojitos, which makes the 2 for 1 happy hour on cocktails at Cube Libre a big favorite for me. The Mojitos I had recently though were a disappointment, with too much lime and not enough mint. I suppose that is a drawback that is bundled with the joy of getting two long cocktails at only 7.50 pounds — a rarity to be enjoyed in central London!
The music is pretty fun here, with lively Cuban songs that go on till about 11pm. Occasionally a well heeled couple will also start to dance, although space can be limited. The food, mainly Tapas, is also pretty good. I like this place mostly for the colorful mosaic interior, and lively music. I’ll try a Caperinia the next time.

Extrem angenehmes kubanisches Ambiente in Angel. So stell ich mir eine kubanische Bar vor. Gute Cocktails (besonders der Mojito), ganz gutes Fingefood-​Zeugs. Preise sind für Londoner-​Verhältnisse sehr in Ordnung–