This delightful and relaxing restaurant is easy walking from all the historical monuments and attractions. The inside is beautiful and spacious. The service and food are even better.
Faye is one of the best waitstaff I have seen in years, ask for him!
The menu is extensive, authentic and delicious. My companion found "the beer which taught me to love beer" which she had not tasted since she lived in Costa Rico years ago. My Cuba Libre was just what I needed, too!
Love the Cuban atmosphere. It feels very Cuban with fans, stonework, balconies and plants. Also, the food was excellent. Great presentation and the flavor popped. I am so full! The service was good too.
Not cheap by any means, but the food is tasty and the server knew his stuff. He was mostly helping explain the food to an adjacent table but not only could he explain the ingredients but explain why they were used the ingredients they used and not others.
Cuba Libre was so cool! We were seated without any delay. Since this was our first time.. we went with the tapas menu to taste several different dishes-- Padron peppers, coconut crab fritters, and my favorite
SPINACH AND MANCHEGO BUÑUELOS with
Manchego cheese and spinach puffs. It's served with Goat cheese-ranch sauce and organic olive oil. The hot toasted bread served first had a cinnamon like butter to die for. I will be back again.
It's Summer Restaurant Week in D.C. - which is similar to Toronto's Summerlicious, where participating restaurants offer three course prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus. We were in a Latin mood, so we opted to try Cuba Libre's $22 lunch and it was a great choice! First impressions of the restaurant was that it felt like we were stepping into "little Havana" ...the decor/atmosphere complemented the delicious food, which was overall well-prepared and had nice flavours. Service was excellent as well.
Thanks Cuba Libre and their new Executive Chef Brad Smith, John Shields (and the signed cookbooks he gave as gifts), and the wonderful bloggers at DC Food Blogger Happy Hour for a wonderful happy hour. The food and drinks were excellent. I was impressed with the malanga chips, dips, shrimp ceviche, and baby octopus. I’ll definitely go back to try more items. ...
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Capital Cooking With Lauren DeSantis
+3.5
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First first time to visit for lunch and was with a group of 6. Everyone loved their meal. I got the Del Mar with 3 seafood selections and it was excellent. Interior's too fake for my taste but you don't go to eat the decor. Very nice.
Go for the amazing atmosphere Nd stay for the food. We went on Tapa Tuesday. It was 26$ apiece which frankly was too much. We couldn't eat that much. It was all good, but service slowed the longer we were there. Everything was good but the coffee was UNBELIEVBLE! Don't miss it!
Simply delicious. The pork belly melts in your mouth. The crab ceviche is not to be missed. The service was spectacular; our server was extremely attentive and did a great job of explaining the dishes.
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Weekday lunch - fast, friendly and very yummy!. My husband, our two pre-teen daughters and I chose Cuba Libre as it was on the way to the International Spy Museum (go there) and we noticed "Ybor City" on the menu (we're from Tampa, FL). Excellent choice!
My picky eater said the black beans were the best ever (I took no offense as I was so happy she wasn't complaining!). My husband had a Cuban sandwich - very good. My non-picky daughter and I shared 6 small plates and we each had plenty to eat and no "least favorite" dish. They were all wonderful.
There was also a FAST lunch option (which we did not choose). It was called the Cuban Bento Box and included 1/2 sandwich, two small plates and a small dessert. This was on the daily specials menu and changes frequently. We thought that was a great idea for those who work in DC, but we were on tourist time and meals are a way to rest our weary feet, so we didn't hurry!
The restaurant is so fun to look at, too! It is decorated as if you are eating outside and are surrounded by the buildings and balconies of Havana. We noted that this could have been incredibly tacky, but it was simply delightful
Our children were welcomed by the friendly waitress. Excellent service. Our waitress encouraged us to come back for the dinner menu - and we will!
Omg. The ribs are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great space. The restaurant is in a really neat space and a fun atmosphere. I had a couple items off the tapas menu, the black bean soup and the Chicharrones de la Casa (sort of a meat sampler). The black bean soup was good but not really outstanding (nothing too special) and came with really delicious, light, fluffly yucca sticks. The meats were good but I wish the waiter pointed out which was which. For dessert I got the chocolate torte, highly recommended. It had a rich chocolate flavor.
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Above Average Nouveau Cuban Cuisine with Sticker Shock!. If one is a true aficionado of 'legitimate and traditional' Cuban food, one must come to grips with the fact that there is no 'real' Cuban cuisine to be found in the Metropolitan Washington Area, then only can your expectation in coming to 'Cuba Libre' be bearable and you're able to compare frijoles to frijoles and yuca to yuca. Because of the assimilation of the Cuban Diaspora within most metro areas outside Miami, New York and Chicago, the best Cuban victuals are usually relegated to a combination of nouveau cuisine, variations on a Caribbean theme with the temperance and homogenation on the most typical of traditional seasonings for more acceptance by the general diner. With this in mind you can appreciate this eatery's offerings in a true light, and it is indeed very good! Recently we visited and having Hemingway Martinis and a bottle of wine over dinner, enjoyed their Lechon Asado (roast pork) and Vaca Frita (fried shredded beef) to be excellent renderings, albeit relatively small portions. We completed our dinner with their dessert takes on Flan Tocino del Cielo and Tres Leches de Banana, adequate and not the best we've had. Although the overall experience between the décor and ambience was very, very good in a sophisticated way - both the service and the prices were far from equitable to the value of what we received - definitely overpriced. Buyer beware, we recommend the eatery highly, but believe it to be extremely expensive for what you get - go prepared for 'sticker shock'!. …Rick el Gástro Ecléctico!
Really disappointing. The Tostones were like cardboard. We sent it back. The maduros were pretty bad but the yucca was really good. As for the main meal my wife thought the shrimp was bathed in rotten pineapple. She barely ate any of it. I was ok with my mahi and black beans. Part of out order never arrived. All in all not good. If you must go, sit inside, and don't go during restaurant week (even though we didnt do the fixed price menu). I wish there were more Cuban pod options. Frank
We were in from out of town and stopped in on a whim...Cuba Libre was fantastic! Excellent mojitos (love the blueberry and black cherry), great dinners, and the tres leches dessert was incredible. I highly recommend, and we will definitely return next time we are in town.
The food sucks and service sucks even more... DON'T GO! May they close down, NEVER to return!
Went for the Unlimited Brunch. Food was amazing. Service was a bit slow but this is because they make everything fresh and some items are pretty complicated. It was also Mother's Day. Some notable items were the "Raise the Dead" seafood soup, the chocolate waffle with bananas and sun-dried cherries, and the cornmeal pancakes and bacon with rum molassas syrup and mango butter(tastes almost like sorbet)
Went at 4 in the afternoon. They we're closed but sat us. Great interior. Great food!!! Best cuban food I have had so far
This place is HOT !! Not too touristy and the suburbanites haven't found out about it yet.
Wonderful food
Wonderful service ++
Wonderful scenery
GREAT for dates or just a treat for a friend.
Go again and again.
The Pork chop and brisket were both very tasty. They specialize in rum drinks, but I have had just as good or better at other places. We did have a good time. Overall a 'B'.
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Awesome, original, fun. My husband and I have now been to this place 5 times. The menu is incredibly creative wish a fresh twist on Cuban. The staff waits on u hand and foot. It could not be better. It's fine dining-level service in a fun, unpretentious setting. The ceviche flight is incredible. Guava ribs to die for (Bill Clinton had them at one Cuba L restaurant -- they're in Orlando and Philly -- and he went back to the kitchen to get more boxed up!). Suntanned salmon was my favorite -- I could've eaten 2! The churasco is a huge fave. My husband really enjoyed it, tho the salmon was a bit more creative and tasty. The top of the menu is basically appetizers - like the ceviche and ribs. Another wow in the mouth 8 the appetizer meatballs. They have cilantro, pine nuts - and I forget what else. Wowowow. The manchego cheese and spinach puffs (something like that) melt in the mouth. The lamb chops are incredibly tender. If they have the bacon-wrapped cabralese and dates appetizer -u must try it.
And I don't even like mixed drinks all that well, but the signature, all natural mojitos are out of this world. I'm hooked on the grilled pineapple one, but there about 10 other flavors. The management are incredible - like something out of another era when restaurant staff appreciated your presence and were grateful. I cannot recommend this place more highly.
Great Service!. The service was absolutely great! We didnt have to ask for a thing! Our waiter was on top of his game. The food was tasty. Great drinks. Good music. They should offer some late night dancing soon. Next time I am in the DC area I will definitely eat at Cuba Libre again!
One can’t live on ceviche alone, and a rum bar wouldn’t be a rum bar without…say it with us… rum. Good job. You all get a gold star for the day. Cuba Libre boasts a rum menu of more than 80 varieties. The mojitos, a house specialty, are made from guarapo (sugar cane juice pressed daily in-house), fresh lime juice, a splash of soda and hierba buena. And, flavors can be added to any mojito to customize it to your liking. We opted for the Pyrat XO (Pyrat XO Rum, hierba buena, guarapo, fresh lime juice, splash of soda) with pomegranate flavor.
I will be the first to admit that I have been avoiding Cuba Libre since it opened. I made a premature decision that it was not for me given its Disney-like interior and chain restaurant affiliation. However, I was invited to j
Caippy Hour. Cube Libre has some good happy hour deals. $4 Estrella Damm - Cuban beer Also $4 Small plates. We tried the Guacamole Cubano Avocado...
Had a great experience here while I was in DC. We came in during the week day and it was still very busy. There was a wait for a table, but we were able to find some seats at the bar. The food was really good and the atmosphere was great.
The only issue was that the service was a little slow. It was quite difficult getting attention at the bar. I don't blame the staff, as they seemed incredibly busy back there. It seemed like they needed at least one more person back there.
Their interior is nice and colorful and we got a nice section away from the bar so it was very peaceful and made the meal even more enjoyable.
First of all, we were served some pressed flat bread with mango butter, this butter was surprisingly tasty so do not skip this!
The shrimp cubano which was prepared extreme good as the shrimp were large and cooked perfectly.
We also ordered the Ropa Vieja which has a really fresh lime taste and was very tender and cooked wonderfully.
It was the first time to eat at a Cuban restaurant, but we like their dishes.
We definitely go back there to try different dishes and some of their custom cocktails.
Great service, food and drinks. Everything was delicious, served in a beautiful way and big enough portions. I almost forgot to mention the music, so cool!
Don’t forget to get some mojitos!
I recently dined at Cuba Libre a charming Cuban gem, and it was an absolute delight. I was transported to the vibrant streets of Havana. The ambiance was cozy and filled with the sounds of Latin music.
Now, let's talk about the food - it was nothing short of spectacular. I ordered the Pollo asado, and my friend got a soup called "levantarse muerto" or something similar... very good food!
My first visit to Cuba Libre and I was not disappointed. Ronnie was our server and he did an outstanding job. The food was flavorful, seasoned well and basically on point. I have no complaints about our experience and look forward to our next visit.
Great music and great food. We made reservations and were so happy we did. Was a perfect option prior to our concert. Within walking distance from the Capital One Arena in a few hotels.
My experience is from the tables at the bar. Apps, Food, and Dance was the goal. The Bar is mid-difficult to get drinks from, the food was good not great. The crew is friendly, and help provide a great vibe. The transition from restaurant to club is a smooth process. The bar at transition losses the stools, be aware. The security team is one of the best i have seen, professional. Music selection was varied weighted heavy to latino flavors (Cuba!). I will revist for sure, Gotta findout about VIP! GOALS achieved.
Quality food is served here and the price is very typical for a high end restaurant in this area. There’s plenty of seats in and outdoor. Service is questionable. We asked for an 8 oz churrasco and they brought a 16oz. One server for a whole section. Too crowded and there was no checking on us or another drink. We just left. I would def comeback cause maybe it was not my day. Ended paying over 100 on a churrasco and a single drink. Two appetizers were around 36 with a lemonade. 4 stars for now.
From the bright colors outside, you know you're in for a treat. The appetizers were good, sharing sizes. The mango butter was so good...my drink was great. Very loud, bright & busy. Service was decent. Definitely worth another visit.
The food was excellent and the service was very fast, despite it being pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon. We split the Cha Cha platter which was a great way to get a little bit of a lot of different appetizers. The Pork Masitas was particularly good. We also had mojitos and the mango was excellent - not too sweet. The bread and mango butter was amazing and not something I've ever had anywhere else.
Also note: the interior of the restaurant has been entirely remodeled to fit the theme. When you walk in it feels like it's the Blue Bayou or some other Disneyland restaurant, but that's not a bad thing - it's well done.
I attended a group meal with the organization i was in DC with for two days. This is an excellent restaurant! My first experience with Cuban food. The menu for our event was not the same for table service. The arroz con pollo was amazing. The Tuna Nikkle was marinated with a great mango oil. I especially enjoyed some of the best plantain chips I've ever tasted. Great service too!
When in DC, this place is a must. We went on Valentines weekend so I think that’s why it was packed or is usually like that. The ambiance was fun. The food was delicious. It seemed a bit overpriced for me, specially the gaucho. The churrasco was delicious. The guacamole with plantain was my favorite dish. We had their rum and they were yummy. I’m not sure if they do this on purpose but the man’s drink were stronger than the women’s. We celebrated my friends birthday and they gave her a complementary flan. The waiter was nice but everyone seemed to be in a rush. The bathroom were clean and the huge mirrors made it so convenient to check yourself out.
Yum Classic Caipirinha! It tastes like a margarita. Happy hour prices from 4-7pm Mon - Fri.
I had an awesome date night (dinner, drinks, and dancing). The staff were extremely friendly and receptive and the food and drinks were great. I enjoyed the music selection and definitely plan on returning in the future!
Tried cha cha appetizer. Perfect size for two as an addition for some cocktails. Guacamole with plantan chips was awesome. Snow bird cocktail was awesome in taste. Late evening 10.30/11pm on Saturday started fun cuban party. Highly recommend stepping by.
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