Headed there on a summer Saturday. The place was full, with a lot of single people. The ambiance was fun, relax and ready to party. However, I went there with the hope of dancing some salsa, which was a big disappointment once a heard a couple of songs. The DJ wasn't that good and ruined most the of the salsa songs with his/her remixes.
I recommend the place to find a date or hookup with someone, however, not for strict salsa dancing.
Overall is a fun place
Had the meatballs with pine nuts - AMAZING! The vegetarian ravioli with squash and greens was scrumptious and the Cuban sandwich was a very good size. Our server, Malise, made me a virgin coconut majito which was out of this world. Â The ambience is quaint and exotic and the wait staff was delightful. Definitely going back there.
Review Source:Was here on a Friday with a 5:30 reservation and the place was nearly empty, though perhaps this was due to the rain. Because of my chronic and incurable tendency to over-order stemming from indecisiveness, we saw the the "15 Tastes of Cuba" tasting menu as a  great remedy. Except not so much, as it turns out. I was unimpressed with the bread and mango butter. They must have greased the bread already and it just had a bitter, oily taste in my mouth. The first appetizer was plantain and taro chips with 3 different dips. The red salsa really just tasted like something from Tostito's, disappointing. There were more doughy, fried appetizers than I cared for including the empanadas and papa rellenas. Neither was very good, had way too much dough going on and the fillings were unimpressive. Things picked up a little with the entree tasters. The mahi mahi was accompanied by squid ink rice with actual pieces of squid in there, appreciated that. The shrimp was fresh and firm. The skirt steak was not overcooked but still quite chewy due to the cut. While a vast improvement to the appetizer round, the entrees were still not exactly anything to write to Yelp about. The sides were plain white rice, fried plantains (yet again), and some very basic beans. The portion of the sides were huge compared to the entrees we were getting, not sure what that is about. The dessert round included a dense flan and an unremarkable tres leche cake with chocolate mousse on top. The chocolate mousse tasted like store-bought chocolate pudding.
Additionally, since we had dinner reservations, we were not allowed to participate in happy hour discounts, meaning, six dollar corona bottle. We also ordered a half pitcher of sangria, blanco. Tasted fine, though it was practically fruit juice with just white wine and fresco and some diced up fruit. Smokin' Betty's has a great white sangria that's got much more kick with vodka, gin and brandy joining the party.
Despite the fact that the bar and restaurant never filled up even to the 40% mark, we had to wait between each round for a at least enough time for me to realize I was having to wait for mediocre food. Our waitress seemed unhappy and had the look of annoyance clearly written on her face. I would have easily tolerated attitude had the food been good but that department was disappointing too. Finally, though I do appreciate them coming to clean the table between the appetizer and the main course, I would have preferred a crumb scraper instead of the nasty rag she ran across the table in front of us. That was extremely unappetizing.
This is my favorite restaurant for latin food.  I have tried the guacamole and numerous tapas, however, my typical meal starts with a classic mojito and their bread with the one-of-a-kind mango butter.  Then a tapas followed by the 'Churrasco a la Cubana' which is a chimichurri marinated grilled skirt steak, roasted garlic boniato-potato mash, parsley, lemon and onion sauce. Watercress and mushroom escabéche salad.  I add a side of maduros (fried sweet plantains).  I follow it with a cuba libre coffee with steamed coconut milk and a dessert.  Last time I was there it seemed that most of the desserts contained chocolate.  I prefer non-chocolate desserts, however, that did not stop me from trying one. I had the Tres Leches.  It was good.  The atmosphere is great!  It feels like you are in a tropical place.  The food is flavorful and the service is great!
.
Tried the tapas brunch after we saw the portion size, small ( average $7)). Tapas brunch is $26, unlimited tapas, if you are hungry like we were, you can easily clean up 4-5 tapas, so well with the $. There wasn't a single item that we did not like and we tried about 8-10 different items. Good service, good ambience and excellent food.
Review Source:My wife and I love this place. Â The menu has changed from the first time we went but all and all the food is consistently great. Â Mango butter is awesome. Â They used to have a crab fritters appetizer and cuban spare ribs. Â They've since disappeared from the menu. Â I'd recommend that you bring them back.
Review Source:Like most meals that I've had at Old City restaurants - Zahav notwithstanding -  brunch at Cuba Libre was fairly disappointing.  The service we received was unremarkable and the restaurant seemed as if it hadn't fully made the transition from the previous night; the restaurant turns into a club on Friday and Saturday nights.  I was looking for something vegetarian and relatively healthy, and the options proved to be a bit slim.  I ordered the Guacamole Cubano under the mistaken impression that it was a vegetarian Cuban sandwich - my oversight, I'll admit - and what I got was fine but not spectacular.  The Buñuelos that my girlfriend ordered were quite tasty and my cappuccino was also good. Â
Overall, I would not highly recommend this restaurant, although given the location, I assume that people will continue to come here. Â For a truly great Latin brunch, I'd recommend getting a bit off the beaten path and going to Sazon in the Spring Garden neighborhood instead.
Lovely. Â My boyfriend and I stopped in on Friday night without reservations but were able to get a table on the patio-ish area to enjoy the perfect weather. Â The service was impeccable - our server was very friendly and more than happy to answer questions about menu items. Â The decor inside makes you feel like you're on vacation. Â Love all the greenery.
I loved the spinach and manchego buñuelos!  So savory and tasty.  Boyfriend loved the crab ceviche.  They also serve some nice light bread with mango butter.  Mango butter! Delicious!  We also enjoyed a few other tapas, but the buñuelos and ceviche were our favorites.
If it's good enough for the Rolling Stones (who were there the night before), you should definitely give it a shot ;-)
Cuba Libre wins me over with their decor. It definitely brought me outside of the states when I was there. Depending on the day and time that you go, you will get a different experience. If you're there for lunch, it can too pricey for small portions, but atmosphere is calming, less crowded. Dinner is much better in term of variety of food choice. Â For night life, some of my friends come to salsa dance. The mood is much more alive and colorful. Fancy place and fancy take on traditional food.
Review Source:Alright, so here's the deal. They have Happy Hour from 5-7pm with caipirinhas being $5, sangrias being $4 and tapas from $4-5. What I really liked about this place was the decor, they even have a second floor with a bar.
My friends and I stayed for a while since it was pouring outside. What better way to drink up and stay dry. The dish that stood out the most was the Crisp Pork Belly Pinchos, excellently crispy and a small bed of slaw was served with it.
I was only here for their HH but I'm willing to give their dinner menu a try.
Also, they have salsa dancing that begins roughly around 10pm.
I was in Philadelphia to celebrate my brother's match day results, and he picked this place out for lunch. Â The decor of this place sets this place apart from any other restaurant I've been to in a long time... it was absolutely amazing and truly gave a feel of old Havana!
However the true shining star of this place is the food and the drinks. Â I ordered a mojito and the lunch box. Â The drink was prepared perfectly and the lunch box was super delicious. Â It was presented beautifully and the amount of food was more than enough to launch me into a happy food coma after eating.
The best was the bread served with that amazing mango butter. Â We loved the butter so much that our waitress even asked the chefs and gave us the steps on how to make it. Â She even brought out additional baskets of bread with the butter for us to take on the road.
While service was a little slow (used to NYC pace of restaurant service), everything from the food, to the drinks, to the ambiance, would make this place my go-to place for when I return to Philly again!
Came here multiple times for birthdays and just for plain old good cuban food. Food is pricey, but so worth it! The spinach and manchego cheese puffs are my fave appetizer! I only wished the mixed drinks were stronger. Drinks cost $10+ dollars, but it seems like the bartender skimps on the alcohol!
Review Source:Really dig the decor of this place. Â Never been to Havana, but I'd imagine it'd be something similar!
Cuba Libre serves up more of high end Cuban fare, so definitely excited to check it out.  After looking through the menu, I went with Lechón Asado, and it is this slow roasted marinated pulled pork with their sour orange mojo!  The pork was a bit dry but loved the citrusy mojo.  The amarillo chile smashed yuca and black bean broth makes for a very dark mash potato substitute.  It was also my first time trying vigorón slaw!  Pork rinds + acidic slaw.
Also tried a bit of the seafood paella. Â Lots of fresh seafood and the saffron "bomba" rice was tasty. Â It was a bit wet for paella, but maybe that's how it is in Cuba?
While the flavors were great, nothing just really amazed me. Â Maybe it was because I had such high expectations and price wise, it is on the high side, especially for entrees. Â Food also takes a long time to come out, but luckily, they have this awesome mango butter to go with their complimentary toasts. Â I think the mango butter was probably my favorite, even compared to the entrees haha.
Service-wise, it was average. Â It was tough to wave our server down even though it was a fairly open space. Â Had to ask some other staff to help us refill our drinks and waters.
Caipirinha, Caipirinha, Caipirinha's!!!
I would order the original ones with Cachaca rum and not the vodka ones - they didn't tastes quite as good.
My absolute Favorite was the mint, ginger, honey Caipirinha and most comparable to the ones I've had in Rio de Janiero! They do it right and basically the closest the thing I have had in the states.
The ambiance was also great as well. It looked like we were in a different country. Â We walked in party of 4 and a toddler in tote on a Saturday early evening with no reservations and we were seated right away. Our waitress was Very attentive. They put us in a perfect corner with toddler and no one seemed to mind.
We will definitely be returning!
I was visiting my girlfriend in Philadelphia and we decided to go to this restaurant one day. Â Upon entering we were seated immediately, it took the waiter about 20 minutes to get us water and bread with the delicious mango butter (which by the way, was the highlight of the meal). Â It took about 20 more minutes for him to actually come and take our order, and 30 minutes for our food to actually come out. Â We watched as people who came in after us received food within 10 minutes of arriving. Â I can't help but wonder if they purposefully neglected us because we looked rather young.
When the food finally did arrive, it was quite mediocre, given that we paid $54.88 for the meal. Â You'd think given that we were starving, that it might've tasted a fair bit better, as starvation tends to have that effect. Â We waited around for approximately 20 more minutes to receive the check, which ended with my girlfriend asking someone to bring it to us.
Very disappointing given the cost, I've gone to local Cuban places and enjoyed much more satiating meals and service for about 1/6th of the price.
The thought of paying $10.50 for a mojito wasn't really too appealing to be (being from the midwest and all) but I went ahead and all I can say is NO REGRETS. I'm not normally a mojito fan, but I had a sip of a friends coconut one, and also a taste of the pomegranate, and HAD to order one for myself. I got the passion fruit and it really took everything that I had not to order another. Nice environment and friendly bartenders. Bottom Line- get a mojito...even if you aren't a mojito person!
Review Source:Stepping into the center of this restaurant feels like entering into the middle of a jungle. The atmosphere here is pretty fantastic. Trellises, vines, and wonderful lighting really set the scene for a great dining experience.
I visited Cuba Libre last weekend for brunch with a group of ten. Our server, Melissa, was sweet and helpful as can be. The service through the entire meal was impeccable, even though we were a large, chatty, and distracted table. Plates came out with wonderful timing, and we never felt rushed. Every plate was a hit. I wasn't starving, so I opted for just two: the crab cake with poached egg (perfect: crispy, savory, doused with an amazing oozing yolk), and guacamole (oddly sweet with chunks of pineapple and nicely crunchy plantains). The girls next to me both had baby octopus as one of their dishes and said that they were great.
Olde City is an area that I generally avoid...but Cuba Libre brunch was a pleasant surprise!
Cuba libre is great for two things:
Drinking and Dancing
Food: quality is average, although the seafood paella is surprisingly very tasty (not a Cuban dish by the way)
However, I had brought some friends from abroad there last night and was unfortunate to have a very nasty waiter. He was condescending to my friends, rude, and had a really bad attitude and it simpy enfuriated me to the point that I had to complain to the manager.
( which I dislike doing).
I was disappointed since I have always loved coming here, but the server really made me think about the kind of people Cuba Libre is hiring as their waiters. Â They should really teach them how to treat patrons, no matter what their background! Please do yourselves a favor and train your waiters!!
I love my brunch and I love my man. Â I love my man because he knows what I want: brunch!
On my birthday he took me to Cuba Libre for a face-stuffingly good time. Â We just missed cut off for the Unlimited Tapas but it wasn't a problem at all. Â We each had a few plates, were more than full, and probably just spent under the $26 each.
I started with the scrumptious Café con Xocolati.
We shared the bread basket with all sorts of tasty treats - a churro, muffins, etc. Â Not a boring white roll in sight.
I got the poached egg in tomato sauce which is pretty much what it says. Â I was hoping it would be more egg-y and less tomato-y but nope. Â My own fault. Â I ate my egg and left the bowl of tomatoes alone.
The malanga fritters were fantastic, especially with the dipping sauce. Â Ditto for the spinach and manchego cheese puffs with the ranch/olive oil sauce. Â
He got the pork fried rice, Cuban omelet, and probably something else. Â The table was full. Â So were we. Â Sooo delicious, soooo returning.
Oh, and the ambiance is fantastic too. Â I can't even imagine how much they spent to make it look that cool.
The food here is good but nothing amazing or spectacular. Â I don't find it to be authentic Cuban because it's a little more bland than caribbean food. Â I had the mofongo which was a little dry and the skirt steak which was pretty good. Â
Mojitos are awesome but are better during dinner than they are after hours during the club. Â I feel like they are super watered down after hours.
Happy Hour is really nice. Â The caripihinas (sp?) are DISGUSTING. The sangria is basic - it tastes more like grape juice than anything. Â I suggest to stick with the mojitos.
I also frequent Cuba Libre at night when it is a dance club. Â It's my go-to spot in Phila when I'm looking to dance salsa and bachata. Â I'm not a huge fan of some of the music selection and am looking for a new place to frequent. Â
**The location of this place is awesome though. Â Smack right in the middle of Olde City and easy to bar hop.
Definitely a fan of this place. Have been there twice but I already can't wait to go back. They have dancing on Friday/Saturday nights and amazing mojitos. The first time I went was for lunch during the week. I had the Cuban bento box which was 12 bucks I believe and had SO MUCH food ! It came with empandas, a reuben, guacamole with banana chips, rice, and a small desert (I believe it was a flan? don't quote me on that). Everything was really good and super flavorful. The second time I went was on a Saturday night and it was super packed! It has 2 levels and both had so many people. There was a DJ and live salsa dancers that night which got everyone super amped up to get dancing. They play all different types of latin music like bachata, reggaeton, salsa, merengue, etc. Lots of single people too if you're looking :P
Review Source:Disclaimer: I spent 5 years living in Miami, eating Cuban cuisine at least once a day.
This being said, I know my Cuban food & I LOVE my Cuban food. Therefore, I was mildly disappointed by Cuba Libre because it is not traditional Cuban--it's like what Tex-Mex is to authentic Mexican food. If you are unfamiliar with Cuban, then you'll probably love it.
After sampling about 15 different menu items during Restaurant Week, 2 things stood out as exceptional:
1. THE MANGO BUTTER!!! This has to be one of the best condiments that I have ever tasted. It turned the basic bread basket into a delicious, almost french toast-tasting, delicacy! So, so good.
2. THE MOJITOS! There are 14 unique mojito flavors and they are outrageous. Although I wouldn't go back for a full dinner anytime soon, I would love to go for some mojitos, salsa dancing, and mango butter?!?
I also tried the Pollo de Solar, which was under-seasoned and bland. The Arroz con Pollo (a Cuban classic), but I found it to be over-worked and non-traditional.
The Pulpo con Berenjena (Octopus with Eggplant) was actually quite tasty as an appetizer. The octopus was cooked perfectly.
My husband and I went for the 15 tastes of cuba (basically a tasting menu). Â Everything was fantastic! Â It was tons of food, but not one of those quantity of quality scenarios.
The inside is super cute, and although I've never been to Cuba, I felt like I was far away from Philadelphia. Â I'd definitely go back.
My cousin is in the Naval Academy and was in Philadelphia for the Army Navy game. My uncle and aunt were up from Florida for the game. They wanted to meet for dinner and this was the place they decided. I am always available for a free dinner.
I am lazy when it comes to parking, so I usually park in a lot. However I never park in one where i have to give them my key. Paranoid they will go through my shit. Anyway parked in the lot 2 blocks over.
I walked into the restaurant and it looked nice. I met up with a few other people that were friends with my family. I waited at the bar and had a beer. $6 Modelo. Not bad for center city. It ended up being about 10 of us for dinner. We were seated upstairs where the tables are a foot from each other. Gets cramped, hot and loud at full tilt.
I ordered the BBQ Shrimp which came with a stuffed pablano. The pablano was stuffed with cheese and other goodies. I have a mild tolerance for spicy food. The dish came with 6 shrimp and the pablano. If I remember correctly, the price was around $25. It was a small portion for the price. When I had a bite of the stuffed pepper, all I saw was red. It was really spicy. I thought someone lit my mouth on fire. I chugged a 12oz beer in about 10 seconds. The pepper stuffing was good though. I finished my dinner, but was still hungry. Luck on my side, my uncle offered me a piece of his over priced Cuban sandwich. I obliged and it was good. Not good enough for $20.
Some of the people in our party had dessert. They seemed pleased with them. I stuck with beer. Best dessert in my book. I would have liked a nice scotch but had to drive.
The waitress was very nice and accommodating. She did the best she could considering the amount of tables she had.
It was a good experience. I don't think I would return on my own dime. Just can't comprehend the sense of paying for dinner and not leaving full and satisfied.
I think they are trying to turn a new leaf because we went for their unlimited pequenos brunch and it was great! It was a slow morning but our waitress was still attentive and the manager asked us how we were doing. All the food that came out were great, and it was an extensive menu. We will definitely bring more people next time to sample more food. The reason why it wasn't perfect is because any additions seemed overpriced. $2.75 for a small soda? $8 for one piece of tres leche? That's alright. I'll be back with my crew on another weekend.
Recommended dishes: churros are to die for, skirt steak, spinach/manchego balls, eggs benedict
I give this restaurant a hands down 10. The atmosphere is great, it really makes you feel as though you've just arrived and in Havana and are getting ready to dine with friends. Dining on the second floor is most fun because they have iron balconies which overlook the 1st floor, which has the look and feel of a courtyard. The restaurant also offers Al Fresco dining during the warm summer months.
Cuba Libre is a full service Rum bar. I think they offer over 100 different types of rum. So if you love rum, dark, light whatever makes you feel best you, and doing a happy dance, then you definitely have to try it. The Mojitos are killer, the best I've ever had and they have probably the most variety I've seen too, there's a Blueberry Acai one, amazing!
Now let's get down to the food. Right off the back they bring out warm flat pressed bread with Mango butter. I don't even have the words to say how good that is. So good I thought I found something similiar in Trader Joes and almost blew my top, only to discover the TJ version was more like a preerve and the my steam was quickly let out. The food is all around delicious here, I've had many of the dishes but the ones I recommend most are the Guava BBQ Ribs, literally fall right off the bone, A shrimp and rice dish but I am almost sure it wasn't Paella and the Ropa Veija. In the last year or so they've switched up the menu to have more tapas options which I like and they also have an amazing brunch. For brunch I would suggest going with a few people and ordering a few different options than everyone having a little try because literally everything on the menu is so good.
They also have one in AC in The Tropicana, Orlando, and DC now I believe.
Does it make me a snob that I was disappointed to find out this place was a small chain based out of the Eastern Seaboard? The vibe at the Philly location is really great: open-aired, high-ceilinged with relaxing music and a dressy-casual feel. However, there's a disconnect - for me, at least - between the food, the atmosphere, and the bill. I'm not the kind of person to complain about prices - acknowledge them, maybe - but rarely question. The portions here are small and there's little concept of a "meal." It's more of a tapas place, it seems, and yet, there isn't much chance of turning the tapas into a reasonable meal (barring the piqueos brunch).
To me, one of the benifits of having a smaller chain is that you can consolidate a menu and restructure pricing to draw crowds. Cuba Libre, on the surface, looks like a local, higher-end place. The food's definitely quality, but a single cuban sandwich with a side was $20+. It was a good sandwich; what it was not was a $20 sandwich. What is? Cuba Libre is worth a visit, and I would especially encourage people to try to go for the tapas. My only reservation is...if you're going to spend this kind of money, why not go somewhere truly local, where you know you're paying for a menu that you can't find anywhere else? Alma de Cuba, Amada, and even Tinto Wine Bar would be worthwhile for some great food. El Vez, of course, too.
Had a great dinner this past Saturday while in Philly visiting friends. Â We went the tapas route and ordered quite a few plates. Â Some of the favs at the table included the meatballs (love the pine nuts mixed in for a crunchy texture), Cuban sandwich spring rolls, meat and cheese platter and the mariquitas to start. Â I'm Cuban and this place isn't exactly home-cooking style, but it was close enough to be tasty and comfortable. Â
The ambiance is energetic and nice and cozy at the same time. Â Our waiter (can't remember his name... has a piercing below is lip) was awesome. Â Very helpful with the menu and drink recommendations!
Will definitely go back next time we are in town!
For my 100th review ... the GF and I had to do a tasting menu of sorts. So when I heard about an unlimited small plates (piqueos) brunch at Cuba Libre - I had to check it out. For $26 per person (everyone at the table has to participate), you get to sample from 36 different "small plate" style dishes.
In preparation for the meal, I thought about wearing my Philly Marathon shirt from last year so I wouldn't be judged by how much I had planned on ordering (today was the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon). Then I remembered I had no shame!
Overall, the unlimited piqueos brunch at Cuba Libre is a great deal - provided you have the stomach for it. If you can eat more than 3 of these dishes - it's best to go with the unlimited option. Otherwise - the dishes I would advocate for are the Buñuelos de Espinaca, Torta de Cangrejo Benedict (provided it is warmer than our iteration), One-Eyed Ropa Vieja Hash, Pancita de Puerco, and the Arroz Frito Con Perros Calientes. I would definitely order no more than 3 dishes at a time lest you suffer the possibility that your dish may be cold. That's understandable since the quality of the dishes doesn't scream mass production and the kitchen may need time to assemble said dishes. If you've never had Cuban food - I would take the opportunity to try this brunch option - you can have a taste of pretty much everything. Â
If you'd like to read about my take on the individual dishes - feel free to check my blog!
Oh My! and I don't even dance!
Not reviewing this place on the food, I did not have any, not yet at least.
First of all, I have never been anywhere like this, i just loved loved loved the decor, all the yellow and the green and everything it had to offer. It was't even my style but boy did I dig this place. It was my date's birthday and we went there after grabbing sushi at Vics [duh] and we got a Mango Mojito to start with.
Ok so Mr. Bartender, where is the alchohol in all of this? It was 9$ + tips for one Mojito? Both of us felt like we were drinking some fancy juice that you cannot find anywhere else. Don't get me wrong it was delicious, just not a Mojito... Upon complaining he gave me more lime juice? Errr. Bad Bartender, very bad. We tipped heavy thinking maybe the next drink would be better? We got a Long Island. Nope. Nothing. Oh well.
By then, everyone was on the dance floor, and my date took me downstairs to dance. It was all fun and exciting for me! Neither one of us really know how to dance but we made a complete fool of ourselves and had a grand time anyways!
5 stars to the dance and decor, 2 to the bartender :[ Sorray!
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