This review is long overdue. I visited Cubana Cafe in the Spring of this year and unfortunately I…read moredo not recall exactly what I ate with my friend here. Prices were reasonable as I recall and I do not recall the food was objectionable. However, I recall it was crowded when we entered and we had to wait at the bar for a table. So we had classic mojitos to start that were not the strongest. They were good, but nothing exceptional.
This place has lots of energy largely fueled by the music and after some time, folks were dancing in whatever square centimeter available. One enters on the right side of the establishment which has the bar on the right side going all the way to the rear. Every bar stool was occupied with people standing in between. There are a few tables to the left as you proceed the length of the bar to the rear and the main dining area is at the rear on the left. It is dark and you will need your phone light to illuminate the menu, unless you have good and young eyes.
The decor is warm and enveloping. This is a cozy spot. There are cigar cases here and there and other paintings and posters with Cuban themes on the walls the dimly lit tables by candlelight contribute to the warmth. Catch this place early if you want a more romantic vibe when it is not so loud and crowded. After about eight or nine, I am guessing this place shifts into party mode with the well chosen salsa, merengue, bachata, and Cuban playlist.
If you come here desiring a more laid back smoking experience, continue left and around through the dining area in the back and through a French style glass door into another dining area with smoking. The overall layout is horseshoe shaped with this laid back smoking area on the left side of the place, separate from the bar and main dining area so patrons can choose whether they want smoking or non smoking. Had we known this at first, we may have opted to eat on the left side where it is considerably quieter and a proper conversation can be had without straining and screaming when the other side up- shifts. I enjoyed a relaxing Trinidad Fundadores on this side after dinner and I was not charged a cutting fee.
The dual sided Cubana Cafe presents one the option of having two distinct experiences and at relatively fair prices. I am giving it three and a half stars, but that could be easily revised upwards when I visit again and have a wider experience with their food and drinks. This is a place I would revisit many times and certainly would be a regular if I lived in Paris. It's fairly unique in my estimation for Paris, which does not have much Latin flavor from my frequent visits. The service is quite good in the limited and crowded space, so I tipped appropriately here.
