Las Havanas

As themed Latin based pub restaurants go this ones got it’s groove on. Music is sometimes an issue, as the DJ usually think making people lose their hearing is a challenge. As the music goes it really depends on the night and what they have planned.
Monday has a BOGOF offer on cocktails and food for happy hour.
Tuesdays Salsa party has lessons on the third floor from 7.30pm.
Wednesday is student night with BOGOF offers.
Thursdays is Caribbean party night.
Friday & Saturday is the best nights if you’re up for some fun.
Rinse and repeat!
This Latin bar has a set menu of events so you can expect the same each week, fun as that can be the cocktails really only work during BOGOF times. This place has a real party atmosphere that is great if you’re full of energy, because this place is all about the Latin rhythm.
As for the food, I have always had an objection to eating in a restaurant bar; you never get good chefs cooking food for these establishments so you are generally better off looking for a dedicated restaurant.

Let us take a moment to pick apart this bar’s claim that, ‘Las Havanas cocktail bar is one of Cardiff’s top destinations for a fun night out.’
Firstly, let me say that I’ve never visited Las Havanas as a destination. Yes, I may have dropped in on the way to Shot in the Dark but, believe me, there was no element of forethought here. We didn’t stand by our front door asking, ‘Hey, what’s the venue we should go to that everyone talks about and we really shouldn’t miss?’ If we had, we would have ended up at Buffalos, 10 Feet Tall or Clwb.
So, like the start of a bad joke, a couple of mates and I walked into here and ordered a coffee. The prices were quite reasonable, and conveniently displayed in chalk right behind the bar. The coffee was made, and the bartender cited the damage. At this point, I looked back with fondness to my maths teacher in year four. I knew she wouldn’t be best pleased if I let this one slip. So, conjuring up the remote spirit of Mrs. P, I politely pointed out his error. But, apparently, the prices on the wall were those for a different time of day.
Too keen to have a ‘fun night out’ to argue, we reluctantly paid up and took our seats by the window. The bar was empty apart from us, so I don’t know why they felt the need to play music so loud it could be heard in the original Havana. I felt the party was being forced upon us, which meant I didn’t get to hear the latest on Sam’s love-​life. Rather, we just stared at the candle in the middle of the table.
URBAN CHALLENGE: Get here for happy hour (chances are you won’t see me and my grumpy friends then)

Once The Hawaiian Restaurant, as Las Havanas, this City Road tapas and cocktails joint has shifted its geographical food focus a few thousand miles from the Pacific Ocean to Latin America. Deceptively spacious, the restaurant area extends back a fair way from the street front, serving up a sturdy range of enchiladas, fajitas and tapas, plus more traditional bar grub like burgers and steak. It would be a leap too far to say you actually feel transported to the hubbub of Central America, but on busier weekend evenings — rather than some decidedly deserted school nights — you can easily forget that Cardiff city centre is barely 10 minutes walk away. The cocktails aren’t anything mind-​blowing, but considering they won’t blow your budget either, complaints feel a touch churlish. And a trip up the rope bridge-​reminiscent stairs to the toilets gives the added bonus of a distinct air of entering an as-​yet-​unfilmed Indiana Jones movie.

Can we go again please?
Yes, I know we’ve only just finished but I want some more…
Not that Las Havanas will leave you hungry. When I finished my meal I was so entirely stuffed that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. But I was completely satisfied. The food was absolutely delicious. Pure and simple (gonna be there).
There is a real party atmosphere which makes the whole dining experience so much more fun. I love the way it adds to the experience. That could have been the cocktails, though…
The prices are… well, it’s not really cheap but I think that it is perfectly reasonable, particularly given the huge amounts of fun that we had. The service was friendly and I left feeling like I didn’t want the night to end.