Floridita

 

There are some restaurants that are all about the food and there are others that are all about the experience. Floridita definitely falls into the latter category. Inside this dark basement restaurant you'll find this city's greatest tribute to Havanan style and culture. The waitresses, in their impossibly sexy backless dresses, set the tone from the start - Floridita is a place to indulge the senses. The experience starts with the cocktails - deliciously alcoholic and slightly dangerous, they set you up for the meal that is about to come.

The Floridita menu, though Cuban, is an attempt to work in modern culinary influences: the chefs have tried to imagine what Cuban food would be like, if Cuba wasn't so isolated. When we visited, I started with the lusciously lime-spiked ceviche of red mullet, while my partner tried the croquettes. Both were excellent - well flavoured, delicate and moreish.

For our second course, we couldn't resist the house speciality - Cuban lobster - and we weren't disappointed. Fresh, meaty and slightly sweet, this was a superb piece of shell-fish.

While we enjoyed the food, a Cuban band appeared on stage and the dance floor filled up with couples. Floridita is a place to take your food slowly, enjoy a drink and a dance while your next course comes. You'll leave stuffed and satisfied having indulged in everything Cuba has to offer. Enjoy.