Cuba Guide
Northern Oriente
State restaurants
1 La Begonia Maceo s/n e/ Frexes y Martí Price: 24hrA reasonably priced open-air café overlooking Parque Calixto García beneath a canopy of begonias. Ordering a chicken salad sandwich off menu is far better than braving the greasy fried chicken, fries and pizza. Also good are the huge pots of creamy ice cream. This is a popular jineteros hangout.
2 La Boguedita de Holguín Aguilera no.249 esq. Martires A pleasant restaurant specializing in grilled pork with a bar area where trovadores play in the evenings. The cheap prices and friendly atmosphere more than compensate for the fact that most of the menu options are usually unavailable.
3 Cafetería Pico de Cristal Martí s/n esq. Libertad Although somewhat lacking in character, this mid-range, centrally located café, specializing in the usual fried chicken, spaghetti, pizzas and sandwiches, is popular with locals.
4 Cremería Guamá Luz Caballero y Libertad Join the queue for the best peso ice cream in Holguín. Standard flavours on offer are strawberry and chocolate.
5 Dimar Martíres 133 esq. Luz Caballero An attractive, intimate gem of a restaurant featuring tasty, sophisticated fish and shrimp dishes. Charming waiters in sailor suits complement the ocean-going theme.
6 La Granjita Máximo Gómez no.264 e/ Frexes y Aguilera No-frills peso restaurant doling out basic, inexpensive Cuban meals.
7 Mirador de Holguín La Loma de la Cruz Good-value restaurant at the top of the hill (to the left of the summit), featuring chargrilled dishes and superb views over the city. Friendly and unpretentious.
8 El Parque Libertad e/Frexes y Martí Standard snack bar dishing up flaccid pizzas, good toasted sandwiches, omelettes and fried chicken.
9 
Salon 1720 Calle Frexes 190 e/ Miró y Holguín 
24/46-8150 Price: Expect to pay $5–10CUC for a main course, $22CUC for lobsterWith its splendid decor and attentive service, this may be one of the best dining experiences you have in Cuba. By European standards the food is good, by Cuban standards it's excellent. Try the delicate onion soup garnished with oregano followed by beef medallions or lamb chops with tamarind sauce. Another surprise is that everything on the menu actually appears to be available, though the Cuban wine is best avoided.
10 Sodería El Framboyan Maceo esq. Frexes With a mind-boggling list of sundaes and other delicious icy confections, this ice-cream stall offers a range of exotic flavours including orange-pineapple, almond and hazelnut alongside the standard strawberry and chocolate.
11 Las Tres Lucias Martíres e/ Frexes y Aguilera Opening time: Daily 7am–3pm & 5pm–1amAppealing little café with a cinematic theme. Film posters and black-and-white stills hang on the walls, and the name itself is a reference to the Humberto Solas film. Movies are shown on some evenings.
12 La Unica Maceo e/ Frexes y Martí A petite soda fountain that does a swift trade in good-quality ice cream and cakes.