Havana Restaurant & Bar

My Fiancée and I recently dined at Havana to celebrate our anniversary and we had a thoroughly great night. We first chilled out in the cocktail lounge with some great pre dinner cocktails, before being escorted to our seats. The food and service were just exceptional and the ambiance very relaxed & romantic indeed. Great evening would definitely recommend.
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Lisa
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Thursday, November 19, 2009

My Partner and I had a wonderful evening at Havana. It is a wonderul place to relax, unwind and enjoy great food and service. Will most definetly be returning soon.
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Jason
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Booked a table at this place about a month ago. Requested a nicely located table due to a special occasion. Unfortunately the table we were shown was not in a very good area. The frankly obnoxious manager at ths place couldn't care less, was chippy, and offered no alternative explaining they were all booked for later. Made no effort to arrange something. We left immediately and had a great meal at the Hotel du Vin which is vastly superior!

Can't comment on the food. Atmosphere looks okay downstairs but upstairs you could be anywhere.

Like the previous reviewer this manager lost our business that evening and any future evening and we will be warning everyone we know to never step foot in the place with the service as it is.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Thursday, October 08, 2009

I have often noticed this place when walking down the street and frequently wondered to myself what it would be like to dine there and today with a friend I finally decided to take that step and walk in. Well... It looked very quirky and even like quite a small place from the outside... Something modern that I thought perhaps sold some honest low priced food however upon entering the building and peering straight ahead at the grand dining room I found myself with eyes wide open murmuring "Wow”. It was sensational.

I chose for us to sit in the main dining area although we were given a choice to sit in the less formal area near the front.

It was only lunchtime so we decided to have the lunch set menu which was very reasonably priced at only £15 for three La Carte courses. The main menu itself isnt exactly cheap however it wont break the bank either.

The service was very good however I was slightly annoyed that a table of five that arrived ten minutes after us got their food ten minutes before us, however when the food did finally arrive it was worth it! The meat was cooked wonderfully and the presentation of the food was impeccable.

The wine list was rather pricey however probably very worth it. Now that I know what this place has to offer and the sheer quality of their service and food I would definitely go back there for an evening meal or possibly cocktails.

It is quite possibly the most beautiful and certainly the best restaurant I have ever eaten at in Brighton and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of visiting.
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Nadeem Sheikh-Ali
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, July 06, 2009

My wife and I had our wedding reception (more of an after wedding meal really) at Havana's on the 30th August 2008. Even today we (and our friends) STILL talk about the amazing food and especially the fantastic service from the waiter Alex.

We sat in the alcove and had 24 friends and guess in tow. Alex managed the delivery of food and service fantastically. There was a Jazz band playing (our favourite sort of music) and, during the course of the evening, they played our special song. The whole night was perfect from the minute we arrived until we all left.

We often return and will do again this August for our first anniversary.

THANK YOU HAVANA for the memories.
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Ed Goodyer
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, July 02, 2009

We had an amazing time on our visit to Havana. The place certainly looks the Part. From start to finish our evening was just wonderful. The Food was cooked and presented beautifully, the service was exceptional. Havana has got to be one of finest restaurants in Brighton, by far the best restaurant I’ve been to since moving to Brighton. This is a place to go to relax, unwind and just have a have a great dining experience. Definitely try there Cocktail, Spiced Mojito’s they are just Yummy.
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Dave
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Last Saturday, 11 of us went to Havana to celebrate my friend's birthday.

The diners were packed in like sardines. The service was patchy. The wine was poor and heavily marked up. The food was dull and very expensive consisting of tiny portions and virtually no vegtables.

We all felt conned, although we expressed this to the manager and he did give us a discount. Still, at 40 pounds/head, much better value and quality can be had elsewhere in Brighton.
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Simon
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Monday, May 04, 2009

Last week my partner and I and some friends visited Havana for a birthday dinner. We had a fantastic evening. The meal was great, and the ambiance had a fantastic Buzz about it. The staff were very friendly and professional and made our evening very special. Overall a wonderful evening. Superb ,keep up the good work.
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rizz
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Monday, May 04, 2009

I stopped into Havana last night. I was only mildly hungry. I had never been to Havana and thought I'd give it a quick try with a starter and a glass of wine. The restaurant was no where near full, with laods of open seats. I was sat in the nearly empty bar area by the friendly hostess, who knew that I just wanted to "sample" the restaurant with a light bite and a glass of wine. I placed my order of gnocci first while I looked at the drink menu. Before long, the hostess reappeared and told me that the manager (who later told me he was the owner) told her that I couldn't order "just a starter". When I questioned him on this, he antagonistically defended his position. I know the restaurant business very well, and am consistantly amazed at how some people stay in business. Had the "manager" simply served me a starter and a glass of wine, rather than sticking to a rule that might apply if the restaurant was heaving, I may well have enjoyed myself, and returned on my next visit with a bigger appetite, and a group of friends. As it stands now, I will never spend two pence supporting this place.

I definitely won't spend my money in Havana. With plenty of other good restaurants in Brighton, and people being generally more discerning on where they spend thier money, it baffles the mind to get this kind of treatment...especially from a restaurant who's outward appearance suggests that they should know better. My review only reflects my experience in so far as it was affecfted by the service...for example, I have to give the food a 0, as I never had the chance to try it, the atmosphere was quite nice, but again spoiled by the service, and the service, though initially good, was ruined by the owner.
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Matteo Watkins
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Saturday, May 02, 2009

My husband and I have been going to Havana since we have been together about 7 years, we love it the food is wonderful and the service is exceptional. In this world of fast food and fast lives it is a place to go and really enjoy a wonderful leisurely experience. We love it and they are child friendly too.
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Jacqueline Twamley
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, February 27, 2009