Havana - Restaurant Review

When you find a place that serves decent calamari, you’ve found a restaurant you’ll find yourself eventually haunting. After lengthy recovery from a calamari overdose on a seaside holiday last summer, the calamari urge struck again - prompting a visit to Havana on George’s Street, Dublin. With previous positive experience under an expanding belt, my choice had already been decided on the way there. A menu was unnecessary for me, but my companion accepted two from a smiling waitress regardless. The first laminate was an Early Bird menu (available all night Monday – Wednesday) and the second, the All Day menu.

My companion settled on the Chicken Satay with casablanca couscous & satay dip (€9.20) on the Early Bird, and I, while tempted by Lentil & Chorizo Stew (€8.95), was not to be deterred from my mission and ordered Calamares (€7.95). Having brought the car, availing of the €4.75 per glass wine was not an option, and so an apple juice and Fanta (€2.75 each) were both delivered to the table, both with a little too much ice.

Our food arrived after a short wait, the calamari was small but plentiful and coated in a thin crisp of non-puff batter, served on a small green salad. The accompanying coconut and lime sauce was divine and after the tender squid was eaten, I was shamefully to be found eating the sauce straight from the ramekin. My companion was happy with her two small chicken skewers, which were swimming in creamy satay, its partnering couscous was light and fluffy but the mystery dip was questionable. It tasted like a mild Tabasco sauce and for me it clashed with the satay but my companion appreciated it – out of curiosity if nothing else.

After by-passing the dessert menu, we lingered to chat without noticing it was closing time, despite feeling sheepish we noticed a couple on their first date (yes there was a little eavesdropping) also didn’t notice the time. That’s one of the great qualities of Havana, the atmosphere is relaxed and the staff don’t try to hurry you along, even if it is closing time. Although the draw of the 20% off all-night Early Bird is an added incentive to visit Havana, as a casual restaurant that already boasts low prices it’s not a major draw - come for the cocktails and calamari.

Havana Tapas Bar, Georges St., Dublin 2. Tel: 01 400 5990, www.havana.ie