There's no need to travel to the other side of the world when you live in Paris! The world's cuisines come together in the capital to give you a taste of their specialties, and this time we're off to Cuba, in the 11th arrondissement, near Place de la Bastille. While the outside of the restaurant is very colorful, the inside of this historic spot dating back to 1999 has that slightly vintage, stuck-in-another-age Havana charm.
We arrive in a medium-sized room where the bar is located, but a real little maze of rooms is hidden upstairs, for a little more privacy, with a cigar smoking room set back so as not to disturb the other customers. It's like being in a movie from the '50s, in the heart of a lively but dimly lit restaurant. At the time of our visit, the place was particularly full, with an event taking place on the outskirts, Bastille oblige, from the outdoor terrace to the main room, with a very busy bar.
But that didn't stop us from discovering the Cuban specialties on offer. While you can sample many rums more or less typical of the island and typical cocktails including the Cuba Libre, of course, we opted for mocktails, the house CCC, made with orange and cane sugar syrup, and the Manolito, made with lime and passion fruit, served of course in Havana Club branded rum glasses. Excellent choices to accompany the restaurant's festive, purely Latino playlist!
Inspired by the authentic decor of the place, we set our sights on a few tapas to start withalitas de pollo, crispy, well-salted marinated chicken wings, of which only the bones remained, as well as quesadillas stuffed with chicken and melted cheese, a perfectly melt-in-the-mouth delight, accompanied by traditional nachos and their inescapable guacamole.
Fans of this South American cuisine will be delighted by the extensive menu, whether they're fans of fish or meat, for starters or main courses, with yuca con chicharrones,porkbellyand manioc, ceviche de pescado, fajitas, ropa vieja, shredded beef in Cuban sauce with congris rice, or swordfish steak in coconut milk and pineapple sauce. Dishes and side dishes that are rarely seen in the capital, but seem well worth the detour!
Yet, among all this choice, we opted for a salad, the Tazon, which took us by surprise when it arrived! Served in a huge puff pastry, this vegan dish includes rice, plantains, sweet potatoes, avocado and kidney beans, for a hearty and tasty medley, representative of Cuba's generous cuisine, with its thousand and one flavors.
After this behemoth, there was still room for dessert, and in the absence of bananas flambéed in rum that evening, we set our sights on a mouth-watering capirotada, a small, square, typical cake made from apples and raisins, very sweet and with a slightly spongy texture, like a small cloud of gourmet sweetness.
A perfect ending to our Cuban excursion, for those who are not used to this gastronomy! A real experience to try out, whether you want to take your taste buds on a journey for a moment, or why not smoke a cigar from somewhere else at the end of the evening. Open every day until 2 a.m., the restaurant even offers brunch on Sundays!
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, please drink responsibly.
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.
Location
Cuba Compagnie Café
48, Boulevard Beaumarchais
75011 Paris 11
Official website
www.cubacompagnie.com
