Little Havana Ghana

It seems having a Cuban themed eatery is a hallmark of any cosmopolitan city and Accra has been somewhat of a slow adopter. When it comes to culinary variety (or the lack thereof) perhaps it's the similarity of Caribbean/south american fare that makes it non-exotic or Ghanaians's less than adventurous palates in general, perhaps it's our penchant for spicy food and carbohydrate laden meals etc, but all this seems to be changing, possibly as a result of a significantly expanded expat/repat community or perhaps just plain old globalisation.



In little Havana's defence it's going to be hard to please a staunch fan of all things Cuban only a few months after a whirlwind trip to La Isla Bonita. Little Havanas all over the world are by definition manufactured distillates of what the creators idealise about the country and little else-often the food, drink and music-steeped in necessity and poured out with a good measure of nostalgia and garnished with consumerism. Though, much of my critique is based on the little semblance many Cuban restaurants have with restaurants on the island itself, I'm fully aware that their target audience is well-heeled, well-travelled host country nationals as opposed to homesick Cubans. Compare this to the many Ghanaian restaurants abroad whose service, design, location and offerings make their core clientele clear.

The Bueno

It's a Cuban themed restaurant

'nuff said

The Drinks

Again, as a self professed mojito connoisseur, a miss would have been running out of mint, a hit would be...not running out of mint. The bartenders take the showmanship of mixology seriously and while I wouldn't say this is the best mojito I've ever had, it definitely hits the spot. There are several other drinks to chose from such as a Daiquiri, Hotel Nacional (rum+apricot brandy+sparkling wine+pineapple+lime+sugar) if you don't want to have more than 3 mint mixes in a row, or one of their signatures drinks: the storm in a tea cup aka Havana Tea (spiced rum+earl grey syrup+clarified milk+passion fruit) or a Santa Clara (Rum+Olmeca Tequila+ Orange Curacao+Lemon+Sugar Bitters)

The Decor

Little Havana looks like my boudoir...in my dreams. A LOT of work has gone into the sourcing of period appropriate (see below) art and the fact that a lot of the original colonial era fixtures of the building its housed in were tastefully restored adds to the authencity. That and just almost being able to feel the prickly sensation of the Atlantic coast 1 km away on the back of your neck. In fact, the dim lighting might detract from patrons' ability to pick up on all the details...or maybe I just have night blindness...ah well

The Unisex Restrooms

Because unisex private stalls are all we need in 2018! Two stalls and an intervening basin with an avant garde glass basin and hand towels (can't decide if this is meant to be fancy or a mere throw back to a time preceding paper towels)

The Advertising

Nestle in the advertising hub of Accra, this shouldn't come as a surprise so kudos to the team behind the immensely effective social media campaign. I visited on their first Friday and the place was visibly packed and has continued to show strong turn outs even during the week.

Salsa Nights

This would have been a totally different write up without the introduction of dancing. It's hard to find the right balance between dining, drinking, dancing all the while trying to avoid replacing glassware weekly AND foster light conversation but I think Little Havana has found it.

The Not So Bueno

The actual theme is a bit confusing. It was originally pitched as a pre-revolutionary era themed restaurant however for over half a century 'Cuba' has become synonymous with the Cuban revolution, Castro, socialism in addition to the mojitos  which definitely pre-date the ousting of Batista. Furthermore the rooms are littered with symbols of the revolution; photographs of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and the like so perhaps it was just a typo. Along with cantina afro-latino and a few of the other linguistically inaccurate marketing materials being used.

The Yo No Sé

The Food

Yes...I'm undecided about the food. I have been duly schooled by my adoptive Cuban family that comida cubana is definitely not spicy so it's not so much the peppery aspect of flavour that I find lacking in the food. In general Cuban food is simple and thus easy to find underwhelming, but I always feel as though there's something missing. It's as though all the ingredients were present but not combined in the right proportion...or not enough tumbao? The empanadas are good, as are all the soft tacos (fish, chicken,beef) if not a little soggy at times. The mojo chicken 'a la plancha' is filling but overall the best thing on the menu is the spicy mango salsa. I would have preferred meat shredded or chunked in the lechon asado salad and I'm not sure how the 15 GHS price point for fried plantain (platanos maduro) is justified, but as someone who has paid $8 for a handful of fried cassava sticks, by all means #demand&supply.

Location

Somewhat off the beaten track. It's located close to Ako Adjei park in Osu (where everything is) and has quite a few entertainment venues for neighbours. Little Havana is not hard to find and the fact that it's neither on nor off Oxford street seems to add to its novelty. That being said, it's not exactly easy to find (either with Google Maps or memory) and the poorly lit streets (no fault of the establishment ) do not add to it's accessibility.

The Service

No complaints here, but nothing stands out as stellar, a few of the wait staff do seem to go out of their way to be friendly (so thumbs up to them).

The Clientele

Mayhaps the youths are yet to find Ako Adjei park or maybe Little anything isn't cool but LHGh definitely attracts a more mature, albeit very international, crowd.

The Pricing

In line with most mid range eateries in Osu, cocktails start at 25 GHS, shots at 8 GHS, soft drinks at 9 GHS, starters at 15 GHS, mains at 40 GHS  and cigars at 15 GHS.