Cuban Street Food & Stories: A Guided Havana Day Tour

• Meeting location: Parque Central. (If you are staying in Old Havana, meeting point could be your accommodation)
• Meeting time: 9:30 am
• Duration: 3 hours

Your first stop will be a bustling neighborhood farmers market, where Cubans shop daily for what’s available, not necessarily what they want. You meet local vendors and learn about the dual currency legacy, food rationing system, and the unpredictable availability of ingredients. See firsthand how people adapt, trade, and creatively stretch what little they have to feed their families. 

As we walk, you snack on some popular street food that, though simple, are small triumphs of resourcefulness, made from ingredients that can often be scarce. 

We transition into the cozier corners of Cuba’s evolving food scene — the locally loved cafés and homegrown bars tucked into colonial courtyards, artist studios, and repurposed living rooms. But this isn't just a coffee break — it's a flavorful journey into Cuban-style tapas culture.

At each stop, you sample a rotating selection of street food favorites served as tapas, traditionally shared among friends over drinks:

• Casabe – a crisp yuca flatbread topped with garlic oil or local cheese. 
• Empanadas – golden pockets filled with meat, seasonal vegetables.
• Tostones Rellenos– twice-fried plantain cups filled with savory toppings like ropa vieja, tuna, or sofrito beans.
• Tamales

Choose a delicious Cuban cocktail to go with your tapas. It’s less about formality and more about enjoying the rhythm of Cuban life, where good conversation and shared bites are the true main course. These cafés are small triumphs of independence and creativity.

To end the day on a sweet note, we’ll stop for a batido de mamey — a thick, tropical milkshake made from one of Cuba’s most beloved native fruits — or a scoop of Cuban-style helado from a local vendor. It’s the perfect way to cool off and reflect on a day filled with flavor, stories, and the resilient spirit of Cuba’s food culture. 

If time allows, we also make a visit to the Museo del Chocolate, where you can learn about Cuba’s cacao traditions, sample locally made chocolate, and even purchase bars and cocoa products to take home. 

Please note: In Cuba, food is deeply tied to the seasons and what’s available at the moment. Unlike in other places where ingredients can be found year-round, Cuban cuisine reflects the natural rhythm of local harvests and market availability. This means that the dishes and ingredients you experience on this tour may vary, and that’s part of what makes it so special.