Finally made it to Havana, unquestionably Bar Harbor's most famous restaurant (the Obamas had a date night here during their 2010 visit to Acadia). It was good, but I'm not sure it quite lived up to the hype and price. The bread service - an Italian loaf and a blueberry cornbread - comes with a couple interesting butters and dips and is really excellent (we got a second round on the house). Despite the name, the food here is not Cuban but is more vaguely Latin and also heavily influenced by the local seafood of Maine. We shared the tostadas appetizer. It was a little spicy for me, but an interesting combination of flavors. For our entrees, I had the lobster moquequa, which was pretty good but not mind-blowing. My husband really enjoyed his seafood paella (also Barack's order!) and my daughter really liked the lemongrass chicken. The service was warm and welcoming even though we were kind of pushing it by bringing our 7 year old (they do not have any kid's menu and other than our kid, we didn't see anyone who looked to be under the age 12 or so). read more

What an incredible place- we got oysters and the mussels to start and the mussels were in this delicious broth. The seafood paella was 10/10. The crème Brûlée is incredible and a must have. Ambiance is darkened lighting, good moody vibes. Service 10/10- owner even came up to us himself. Must try place if you are in town! read more

Stopped in for dinner, no reservations, had to wait about 45 minutes. Service was very good. Dinner was good. Had lamb shank...was very tasty and large portion. Also, had lobster moqueca and it was very good and filling. We would definitely come back to eat at Havana read more

Wow!! What an amazing place! They made my husband's birthday so special! They had a birthday card waiting for him at our table. The food, wine and atmosphere were wonderful. The waiter was very attentive and gave great recommendations. Highly recommend this place! read more

IMO, Havana is one of the best restaurants in the area. Really nice service and awesome food. I recommend: Humba Locro de papa soup Stuffed Aubergine Seafood paella Guava crème brulee was delicious too. read more

HANDS DOWN THE BEST MEAL OF THE TRIP!! We came here based on a recommendation from a local photographer and we are very glad we did! Highly recommend reservations at it was very busy and everyone seemed to have a reservation. Waitress started the meal with an amuse-bouche that was a dried apricot, goat cheese and toasted almond. Nice touch! Also got some warm multigrain and cranberry corn bread with three different dipping sauces! The bean dip was so good! We both ordered drinks...a pisco sour and periodista! Absolutely delicious! Some of the best drinks we had on our trip. For starters, we shared the curried pumpkin soup and arugula and beat salad! Both delicious. The soup was so so yummy! A must order! For dinner, we got the paella and halibut. Both were amazing...one of the best paellas we've ever had (on par with Spain!) Finished the meal with the blueberry bread pudding and 2 cappuccinos. If you love bread pudding this is a must get! All in all you cannot go wrong here. Every dish that came out of the kitchen looked amazing! My only regret is not getting the pumpkin spice espresso martini with dessert. Guess that's a reason to come back!! read more

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My husband and I came here while visiting from NY - our hotel manager recommended it and mentioned that they had a HUGE wine list. He wasn't kidding. This place has won awards for their wine list and is one of only 3 places in Maine to have received a specific wine spectator award. They are also very eco-friendly and locally source as much of their food as possible. We started with a puff pastry amuse bouche which was tasty. The bread basket consisted of a blueberry cornbread and a multigrain bread. Theey were served with a honey/cinnamon butter, an oil, and a bean dip. Everything was fantastic. Cocktails: Husband had the Periodista, with rum, triple sec and peach brandy. It was tasty and light - refreshing for a hot night. I had the Havana Martini, which had pineapple juice. I was afraid it would be too sweet because I dislike sweet drinks, but it was fresh pineapple and the balance was perfect. We then switched to wine flights with dinner. All of the wines were lovely. Dinner: He ordered the paella, which was fantastic. It was done correctly - with the crunchy socorrat rice from the bottom of the pan. Really delicious flavors. I ordered the halibut, which was coconut crusted, and sat atop a purple potato croquette with some pork belly. A really good and unique dish. We decided to skip dessert - they also seemed very sweet (not for us), but instead we each did a flight of ports/madeiras. I chose the cheaper 3-glass flight, and my husband opted for the pricier 4-glass one. We shared both. A perfect night! read more

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It's hard for a place to really wow me. I'm a huge foodie, I go out to eat frequently, and I cook and bake a lot. Havana truly impressed me! Everything we had was bursting with flavor. My favorites were the soup with beans and ham, and the shrimp in a buttery garlic red sauce. I will be thinking about this place a lot as I return to Pittsburgh read more

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Food, atmosphere and staff are phenomenal. Nothing tourist trap about this place. Thomas at the front of the house is great, he'll take care of you. read more

Dinner was outstanding, we had lobster and haddock in a coconut broth a ribeye with an amazing sauce. Octopus and mussels for aps both outstanding and the sweet bread and cinnamon butter I saved and ate as my dessert. Best I've had in some time, stem to stern an excellent experience. read more

9/23/24 5:30 pm. My dinner was the Caldo Gallego Soup and the Farm Salad. I suggest getting the bowl of Caldo Gallego, the flavors are delicious. The Farm Salad was okay but not great. I didn't even finish it. I also ordered a lemon drop martini, I did not ask for a virgin martini. I paid $13 for a lemonade in a martini glass with a rim of sugar. read more

Havana - Menu shows what my meal consisted. - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

The food was absolutely fantastic, and I was a big fan of the ambiance. Service was quick and attentive. Make sure to leave room for dessert because it will not disappoint! read more

Average food, above average prices (even for Bar Harbor). We got the seafood paella, lobster curry dish, carne (filet mignon), mussels, octopus, and the spring rolls. The paella and mussels were good, the carne and lobster curry dish were below average, and the octopus was slimy. We used to live in Italy so we know what octopus SHOULD taste like and that one was terrible. Worst part about the meal, my son's water glass broke and they didn't comp us even for the slimy octopus. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Loved it! Def recommend: don't waste your time with other dishes- get lobster moqueca! My friend had the paella and she thought it was too smoky. Oysters were super fresh too. No kid meals. And no water cups with tops for toddlers but we made do. They have two dining rooms- One is an add on in the back which is where we ate. Caipirinha was just ok. read more

We were back again in June 2024, less than a year after our last visit. I was really discouraged by the decline in the place. Perhaps we got lucky in 2023? The pulpo appetizer that we've always loved was bland. The salad was really mediocre -- shockingly so. I again had the paella and liked it but not as much as in the past. It was smaller, somewhat less fish, less of the delicious "crusted" burnt rice you get from the bottom of the pan. On a more positive note, my wife had the pollo and I thought it was pretty good, better than the paella. On the other hand, it was not the kind of special dish I'd associated with Havana in the past. read more

Delicious dinner at Havana! I would highly recommend making a reservation. We got in last minute with a 5:30 reservation but the restaurant filled up quickly. Service was A+ We shared the snap pea salad which was fresh and light. I ordered the scallops which were cooked to perfection-not overdone. They melt in your mouth. My husband ordered the Halibut which was cooked to perfection. They change the menu items based on what's in season, so you are guaranteed fresh ingredients. read more

Havana - Halibut - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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We had a fabulous experience at Havana and highly recommend it! After a week in Maine feasting on lobster, haddock, shrimp, clams, chowder and more, I wanted something in our favorite profile - spicy/high flavor/fusion cuisine - for our last meal in Bar Harbor. I searched Yelp for Thai or similar food and somehow stumbled upon Havana, liked by Martha Stewart. We reserved a table for outside dining at 4:15. We arrived early and thought we'd have a drink at the patio bar. Nope! Turns out that's the Tapas Bar & Grill called Parilla visible from the street that is walk-in dining and drinks, but not open 'til 4! (Next time!) We went into the restaurant and were seated in an enclosed courtyard with shady trees and plants. Our waiter recommended a signature cocktail he and another concocted. I don't remember the ingredients (old-fashioned-ish?), but it was fabulous. At his recommendation we ordered oysters and gambas (spicy shrimp) for appetizers. I chose their signature paella for my entree and my husband had the halibut. The service was stellar yet friendly and not too formal. The food was top notch. The paella had the perfect texture, flavor, not to mention the best seafood! We had the whole courtyard to ourselves. One family was seated nearby on an open deck while we were there. (Note that it was an early res and also early in the season.) read more

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Enjoyed my dinner here. I would recommend making reservations. Had a reservation for 6 people around 6:30 on a Thursday and it was pretty busy inside (inside seating is fairly small too). There are white tablecloths, but the ambiance feels really cozy. They had live music going all night which was really nice. I ordered the below: -Lobster Cake: this was actually the best thing I had. So flavorful and packed with a ton of meat. This is great to share with someone else. -Proveleta: this was decent, not my favorite. It's pretty greasy and the chimichurri is has a kick to it and pretty overpowering. But other people in the group really enjoyed. -Grilled Ribeye: cooked perfectly. I would definitely order this again. -Halibut: this was good but a little disappointing because it was really under seasoned. I had to add A LOT of salt. -Paella: really good! Lots of delicious seafood and pieces of crispy rice. They also split for us in the kitchen and the portion is huge! -Tres Leches: really sweet, but it was good. Pretty large portion so I recommend sharing. read more

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The food was both unique and amazing, and the service was exceptional. Our waitress Jandee went above and beyond to make our dining experience special. We had the chicken and the filet, and I'm confident that anything you order will be special! read more

Way overated for what was charged. It took over an hour to receive our main courses. The rice in my wife's paella was burned. My pork chop was overcooked and the eggplant side dish was raw. Do yourself a favor and go to the Reading Room instead. read more

The food is just OK. The service was OK. The plates were chipped, which is a health hazard. One dish came to us cold- ice cold. They heated it up for us but acted as though we were trying to scam them by stating that it was cold. Even warmed up to an edible temperature, it wasn't great. We had four dishes and none had enough flavor to write home about. It was a very average experience for an exorbitant amount of money. I would not recommend or revisit. read more

Although we have visited each year for the past four years this year was a little different. Still a great vibe and delightful menu however the quality of the food this year wasn't as good as last year. Pretty steep increase in prices while portion sizes seem to keep shrinking. Service was good and ambiance was nice. read more

I'm not usually one to come out of my way to rave about something online, but we had such an amazing experience with Jessica as our waitress, that I just needed to make sure it didn't go unnoticed. She was so thorough with her knowledge about the menu and wine options. She set a beautiful ambience for us, as it was the last big dinner of our honeymoon! Jessica really was an incredible waitress!! The food was of course delicious as well, but truly great service doesn't get acknowledged enough! read more

Maine is really known for its lobsters, but we wanted a breathe of fresh air and settled on Cuban. Seafood paella - shared a full portion but it comes with a lottt of seafood. Rice isn't too dry or mushy, I think it being slightly crispy was perfect. Entire dish packed full of spices Honestly the favorite paella I've had. read more

Havana - Seafood Paella - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

If you are reading this and trying to decide if you should go, stop reading and GO NOW. Havana is incredible. From the wine to the oysters and the pepper everything was amazing. Especially the pepper. The sauce that it comes in will have you asking for a basket of bread to soak it all up (which we did and something I never do). My boyfriend and I were a bit skeptical when it was recommended to us as a restaurant that deserves two Michelin stars but we are now true believers. Give Havana all the stars!! read more

Havana - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Great service & food!! Havana is one of the only fancier restaurants in the main Bar Harbor downtown area, with white tablecloths and all. People were dressed nice, but since it's Bar Harbor, no one was super dressed up. Havana also has an outside bar/tapas restaurant on the patio called Parilla, which is more casual with a whole different menu and doesn't take reservations. We had tried to make a dinner reservation for Havana a few weeks before and were unable to get one. We walked in on Saturday at 5:20pm just to see if they had a table, and luckily they did! If we had come at 5:45pm, the hostess said she would've just told us to go to Parilla. For drinks, we started with the Caipirinha, the Mojito, and the Fruitas Tropical (non-alcoholic) which were all great. The complimentary bread basket was an A+ and included warm bread and blueberry cornbread with a white bean spread, some sort of spicy oil, and a yummy herb butter. The Lobster Cake was wonderful. While there were only 8 entrees to choose from, we tried 4 of them and they were all incredible. The Grilled Ribeye had incredible flavor, the Seafood Paella had yummy crispy rice and plenty of seafood, the Halibut was tropical and cooked to perfection (not dry at all!), and the Chicken was so tender and tasty and better than any chicken I've had in my life!! The dessert fell a bit short for us. The Mango Creme Brulee barely tasted like mango and the sugar tasted overwhelmingly burnt. The Tres Leches Cake felt a bit too dense and dry. However, the waiter/service and everything else was amazing! There was live music with a cellist and overall, I still think this was a 5-star experience and would highly recommend Havana for a nice dinner in Bar Harbor! read more

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Oh goodness, what a fantastic time I had! Honestly this was quite the gem. It seemed a bit off from the main areas but great nonetheless. The ambiance was classy casual and the service was outstanding. The staff really made sure we were taken care of and took care to explain things on the menu that were a bit confusing. The taste of the food was delectable and noteworthy. I was pleasantly surprised give my initial low expectations of this place and only wish I had time to go again! I will say the prices are a BIT steep but it is in the National Park so, I guess you'll have to take it as it comes. read more

Absolutely the best food I've ever ingested. The seafood paella was the top 3 things I've ever eaten. My one regret dining here was not having more money to my name. Also, the experience was made by our waiter, Harley. We love you king!!! read more

The food and drinks were overpriced and mediocre at best. The vibe is dull and boring. The server was very obnoxious and rude. I would never go back to this place. There are much better places around. read more

Our party of 6 felt Havana was OK. I requested unsweet tea and got Brisk tea out of a bar tap that was very sweet and very lemony. The bread was French bread slices and blueberry cornbtread. I was hoping for Cuban bread. The chicken and filet were good. The pork belly appetizer was great but the egg rolls were ok. I would describe this restaurant as Cuban influenced. read more

This place was amazing! We got in without a reservation at the end of the season. We ordered the spring rolls, seafood paella and the steak! The spring rolls and the paella are a MUST! Very great date spot night or even family night! A little on the fancier side. read more

Celebrated our 10th anniversary at Havana and LOVED it! The complimentary cucumber, tomato cream cheese, and blackberry treat was surprisingly delicious. The garden salad was next level amazing. The carne with potatoes and broccoli was very good. Service was top notch. This restaurant and staff gave very nice restaurant vibes. read more

Havana - Delicious blueberry mousse dessert with a sweet message for our Anni! - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Good service. Attentive wait staff. Food was hot and cooked well (fish nicely cooked) but bland. Paella was bland and it should have had more flavor. No saffron. I had sole. One very small rolled fillet with mornay sauce. Very little else on the plate. For $39 I expected more. Sole isn't that pricey per pound. read more

The food had good flavors but the meats (the chicken and steak) were undercooked. The carrots were harder than I would have liked also. It was very lively in the bar area where we sat which made it hard to hear one another or have a conversation at all. read more

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Forget lobster rolls and blueberry pie for a second...and add Havana to your list of restaurants you must visit during your visit to Bar Harbor. This restaurant exceeded nearly all expectations. This is not your generic Latin American restaurant, and the service, the atmosphere, the quality of the food.... *chef's kiss*. We were first served complimentary ribeye steak bites on cucumber slices. The initial flavor hit resembles good barbecued meat, but then the dash of spice trickles in at the end. As for the free bread, we received a soft generic restaurant bread, but ALSO blueberry cornbread, accompanied by a choice of CHIVE butter, chili oil, or white bean sauce. I've literally never had a restaurant gave me so many options for sauces/spreads! For our drinks, we all got the non-alcoholic Tropical drink. The waitress said they still had some strawberry purée left, so I think that was used instead of blueberry? This was rather unfortunate, because all I tasted was passion fruit and pineapple, which was fine, but it left me wanting, especially when I finished the drink too quickly. The rest we did family style: 2 appetizers--Provoleta and Scallops--and 2 entrees--Seafood Paella and Lobster. The ratio of Provoleta cheese to bread was a bit off to me, as in the bread was too small in comparison. I thought the cheese was decent, but not as hyped up about it as my cheese-lover friend was. I really enjoyed the Scallops. As for the Seafood Paella, I like it the American way that it's made (compared to paella I've had in Spain), i.e. more oily, more flavorful. It was a little weird that there was chicken in it, and I also felt like there weren't enough scallops, as there were only 2. For that price, I've definitely had bigger paella even in NYC, so I would say pass on this. This Lobster Moqueca tho. Coconut broth, mango chutney, pineapple...whose mans?? I loved how innovative this dish was. It could've benefited from more lobster chunks, but the broth was delicious. To top the night off, I received a little complimentary dessert of flourless chocolate cake with nuts topping and caramel drizzle and whipped cream on the plate. Loved it! read more

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Fabulous birthday dinner. Got there 30 mins early and they couldn't seat us, but went next door to their small plate/bar and got cocktails and apps. Excellent service and vibe. They came to the bar and told us our table was ready, but take our time -- they sat us right next to their incredible wine cellar -- quite the list of worldwide wines, many large format for such a spot. Dinner was excellent -- lobster and paella were amazing and top flight service and wines. Sommelier on staff can explain many wine and desert/fortified options for you. read more

Havana - Menu starters - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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When I saw a latin restaurant in Bar Harbor I just knew I had to try it. The name might be a little misleading since there weren't any Cuban dishes on the menu. They gave us some great bread and dips for the table which was a nice touch. As an appetizer we got the mussels and they were simply delicious. Then for dinner we got the paella and it's a good size and it was really tasty. They did have some Cuban drinks on the menu which was nice. I tried the Havana martini and it was the perfect combination of sweetness and liquor. The service here was excellent and our server was super nice and helpful. read more

Havana - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Deficient management. Bad food. Ok service. A number of reviews recently were less than the five star army that came through for this restaurant. When researching restaurants for our vacation I couldn't help but think that there were some exceptions to the rule and our experience would obviously be differently. How wrong was I. I made a reservation for Havana restaurant several weeks ago when planning a vacation. I additionally called because of the significance of this vacation being our wedding anniversary. I informed them of the special event and Critical allergies. I additionally asked for out door seating which was not guaranteed. We arrive day of reservation. After being seated, the first thing to come to us was an amuse bouche with nuts. We reminded the wait staff of our allergies. The food is simply terrible. We started off with crab and avocado. The crab is advertised to be fresh picked. It rather thin and minimum in ratio to the rest of the dish. It seems to be mixed with something like ranch dressing which is probably aimed to add creaminess. Needless to say it wastes the dish. We followed up the first disappointment with a Lobster Moqueca and Lamb Chops. The lobster is again advertised to be fresh picked. The dish is just poorly composed. They are trying to put out things fast and in this case it is clear that the components of this dish are prepared in large batches. No flavor in the base. Uneven temperatures with the halibut piping hot, the lobster cold. The lobster additionally did not test fresh. The lamb chops, though perfectly cooked, came out poorly done. No sear on the outside. No spice, not even salt and pepper. Additionally advertise to have a panko crust which was missing. While my wife politely worked through the lamb, I could not eat my dish. I tried to flag down my waitress twice but she wouldn't come to my table. Finally after thirty minutes and my wife being done eating she checks in. I shared my concerns with our waitress and additionally, immediately ordered dessert. She did not hear the order and brought our dessert menus after another twenty minutes. At this point defeated by the sub par experience, we got our check and left. I will note that while our waitress was always polite, she was inattentive and poorly timed. Instead of hiding behind a review, I talked to the manager, detailing this experience. I thought this would lead to a professional, appropriate resolution. While a number of apologies were given, I was surprised by a number of the additional comments made. I was told that there was no record of my phone call discussing a severe, life threatening allergy,, that I should've made clear earlier that the experience was poor, that I could come back for another try (please, this is a tourist town), that I did not order dessert and there was no error on the waitresses end for this. In other words, the manager told me this was my failure. Last time I checked, spending money at a restaurant that aims to be a high quality experience means that I am coming to a place that is detail oriented, treats their customer well, serves high quality food, and doesn't tell a customer that they are wrong. Apparently because they know that I won't be here for long they are allowed to forego a standard in the dining and service industry. read more

Havana - Crab and avocado. Crab meat is not lump or sweet. - Seafood Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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Just a wonderful evening at Havana... Enrique was so nice and kind. Food was really good as well. Paella and the tataki especially. My wife and I had a really fun evening read more

Got a last minute reservation. Had no idea it would be so good. I mean yes it says upscale but it's truly fine dining although in a casual (in a good way) way. Got seated promptly at a great spot indoors. Got some amuse voice consisting of salmon (mixed with some delectable stuff) on cucumbers. I got the Havana martini and mentioned my dislike for syrups in cocktails and they made me a beautiful pineapple martini :) The caipirinha cocktail was great as well. They started us off with blueberry cornbread and some multigrain slices. It came with a white bean dip, honey-Chile- olive oil, and some chive butter. All of those dips were fantastic. They were paired with the right spices and flavors. We started with the mussels- our server warmed us it will be spicy. IT WAS. I loved it. But it's really spicy so keep that in mind if you can't do that. It was beautifully made though- the broth I mean. Comes with toasted baguette with some pineapple aioli. At first I thought why that. But it's probably to add some soothing effect after that fiery broth. Do order if you like spice. It's a generous portion too. I got the paella. It's big. Share if you can. It comes topped with this beautiful portion of socarrat. It's full of meat. Lots of nice flavors happening here too. Subtle; they don't hit you hard. Lovely! I'm off sugar but my partner insisted I have something sweet on my birthday. Took the flan. Came with a card, message, fruit medley :) Very nice flan, but my tolerance for sugar is so low now it was sweet for me. That's on me. My partner loved it and said it was perfect. Will totally come back when we are back in this gorg part of Maine ! read more

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