Situated in the stables market, the Cuban brings a refreshing taste of South America to the bustling heart of Camden town.
The décor comprises of exposed brickwork, wooden accents, exotic artwork and is awash with bright colours, whilst the pretty outside seating area overlooks the market, making it the perfect location for a spot of people watching.
We were greeted by a friendly waitress who showed us to a booth and recommended a selection of cocktails. We went for a Dragons Den first, which is a mixture of dragon fruit, gin, lavender syrup, fresh lime and lychee; I immediately decided this was favourite and would definitely recommend it.
Between £8 and £10 a pop, the cocktails aren’t cheap, but with fresh ingredients and innovative flavour combinations, I would say they are amongst the best in Camden.
The food menu boasts an interesting fusion of Native American, African, Spanish and Caribbean cuisines. With speciality mains including Mojo Kebabs, Chorizo Chilli Beef and Deep Friend Plantain, a seafood menu including Garlic King Prawns and Spicy Cuban Muscles, a grill menu including a selection of steaks and burgers, and 15 different tapas options, there is something to whet every appetite.
As Cuba is renowned for it’s Tapas, we decided to share six dishes; pan-fried Chorizo in a red wine sauce, Nacho’s Rancheros with chilli beef, Calamari de Cuba with garlic sauce, Chicken Quesadilla’s, Patatas Bravas and Sautéed Garlic Spinach.
We originally thought the price points for each dish were quite high and picked a selection of dishes thinking they would be relatively small portions; on arrival of the food, we immediately understood the pricing, as the portion sizes were huge.
The Patatas Bravas were perfectly crispy on the outside and were paired with a beautiful ‘homemade’ salsa, the Calamari were cooked to perfection and were complimented by a tangy garlic mayo, whilst the chicken quesadilla’s were full of flavour and suitably gooey with a crunchy exterior.
The Nacho’s Rancheros were a little too plain for my tastes, and could have done with a more generous helping of chilli beef and accompaniments as the plate was inundated with chips; the Sautéed Garlic Spinach was bursting with flavour, but sadly, far too oily.
The standout dish for us was the pan-fried chorizo; the wholesome tomato and red wine sauce complimented the spicy meat perfectly. In fact, it was so good (and we were so stuffed) that we took the remainder home!
Visit www.thecuban.co.uk now
NEWSFLASH
The Cuban and Camden Market
Team Up To Host
The Backyard Cinema Film Festival
The Cuban restaurant and Camden Market in association with Backyard Cinema will host a new six week film festival in the heart of Camden Town from Wednesday 29th July to Friday 4th September.
Showing a line-up of exclusive movies, documentaries, Indie short flicks, comedic dramas to foreign language films; movie goers can enjoy their favourite classics in an outdoor experience coupled with the finest in Cuban foods and BBQ.
Film Showings
At 8pm
Wednesday 29th July
Get on Up (The James Brown Biopic)
Starring Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer
Thursday 30th July
Wild
Starring Resse Witherspoon
Friday 31st July
Supermensch
Starring Michael Douglas and Alice Cooper
Wednesday 5th August
Short Term 12
Starring Brie Larson
Thursday 6th August
Whiplash
Starring Miles Teller and J.K Simmons
Friday 7th August
Frances Ha
Starring Greta Gerwig
Wednesday 12th August
Selma
Starring David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey
Thursday 13th August
Hyena
Starring Peter Ferdinando
Wednesday 19th August
The Babadock
Starring Essie Davis and Daniel Henshall
Thursday 20th August
It Follows
Starring Maika Monroe
Thursday 27th August
Nightcrawler
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton
Friday 28th August
John Wick
Starring Keanu Reeves, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters and Willem Dafoe
Wednesday 2nd September
All This Mayhem
Starting Tas Pappas and Ben Pappas
Thursday 3rd September
Northern Soul
Starring Steve Coogan and Antonia Thomas
Friday 4th September
Submarine
Starring Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige
Admission:
Show (standard) Ticket – £14
Thirsty Ticket including a cocktail, glass of wine or a bottle beer – £18
Fully Monty Ticket including a drink plus one main item from the BBQ menu
VENUE: THE CUBAN TAPAS BAR AND RESTAURANT, STABLES MARKET, CHALK FARM ROAD, CAMDEN, NW1 8AH
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TICKETS VISIT: WWW.THECUBAN.CO.UK & WWW.BACKYARDCINEMA.CO.UK