Sabore Arte

It is perhaps not surprising to find a restaurants named after Che Guevara in Santa Clara. This hotel-restaurant serves up gigantic portions of fantastic home-cooked Cuban food at reasonable prices, and should definitely be your first pick for dining out.

Widely regarded as offering both the best food and the best value meals in all of Santa Clara, El Alba serves authentic Cuban cuisine. All prices are in local CUP (as opposed to the CUC tourists have to use), making meals here some of the most affordable in the city for visitors.

As the name suggests, Santa Rosalia is as much a cultural and performance centre as it is a restaurant. It boasts a big open-air courtyard and patio bar, perfect for a cool evening, and regularly hosts live music.

Sabore Arte is always packed with locals, which testifies to the authenticity and quality of the food and the warmth of the serving staff. The seafood tends to be fresh, but you can't go wrong with the ropa vieja or ajiaco, either.

Hostal Florida Center is widely regarded as one of the best 'casas particulares' in Santa Clara, perhaps even in all of Cuba. It boasts heaps of characterful decorations and furniture, including plenty of antiques, as well as a lush garden and welcoming terrace. It is, naturally, a popular place to stay during visits to the…

Housed in an imposing and impressive typical Cuban building, with high ceilings and marble pillars, Casa del Gobernador is one of the city's very best restaurants, recommended as much for the food as for its picturesque setting.

With several locations throughout the country, Dinos Pizza is a popular chain serving no-nonsense comfort food. The Santa Clara location boasts offers air-conditioning, a nice bar, and most importantly, tasty pizza.

Located on the meticulously decorated rooftop terrace of the Autentica Pergola Hostel, La Aldaba boasts an unbeatable panoramic view of the city and serves great seafood, lamb and chicken dishes, as well as a wide selection of local rums.

Sabor Latino comes highly recommended by frequent visitors to Santa Clara for its authentic Cuban cuisine and friendly and welcoming staff. The menu is varied and extensive, and servings are very generous. It is certainly worth the slightly higher than average prices.