Havana street food: 3 places locals eat in Havana
Explore Havana's street food culture through local eateries and markets. This route showcases where residents actually eat, from home-based coffee vendors and bodegas to casual pizza stands and ice cream shops throughout the city.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Havana Street Food Tour
- End
- José Martí International Airport
- Stops
- 3
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Havana Street Food Tour — Guided exploration of authentic Cuban culinary traditions through local vendors and traditional dishes that define Havana's vibrant street food culture.
- Chocolate Shop & Churros — Traditional café serving hot chocolate paired with fried churros, a beloved Cuban snack combining Spanish colonial heritage with local flavors.
- José Martí International Airport — Main international airport serving Havana, gateway to Miami and reference point for discussing Cuban sandwich origins among Cuban American communities.
Useful for your trip
- Food
- Try street food from a local's house window - coffee and snacks are sold directly from residents' homes in the morning to people going to work
- Food
- Visit a bodega to get subsidized food as a local. You'll need a notebook to purchase items at local prices
- Save money
- Exchange tourist money for local Cuban pesos to pay local prices. This depends on where you go and who you talk to, as it's technically only for Cubans
- Food
- Street pizza is very cheap and popular - made with flour, water, tomato sauce, and cheap cheese. Eat it fast as it melts quickly in the Caribbean heat
- Save money
- At the famous ice cream shop, pay 1 local Cuban peso (~5 cents) in the local section instead of 50 cents in the tourist section for the same ice cream
- Food
- Chocolate and churros shops exist together - buy churros to dip in hot chocolate for a traditional Spanish-influenced treat
- Tip
- Wi-Fi parks exist throughout the city where locals gather. Buy Wi-Fi cards from official shops with long lines or from street vendors at market prices
- Transport
- New buses across the city cost 25 cents; older standing-room-only buses cost 2-3 cents. Choose based on your budget and comfort preference
- Avoid
- Don't ask for Cuban sandwiches in Cuba - they're not a local dish and are only made in touristy places. Cubans identify this as a tourist request
- Food
- Hire a local guide for food tours to learn about authentic Cuban street food and culture. Try Strawberry Tours and local guides like Cesar
Video on this route
CUBAN STREET FOOD | What locals eat in Cuba | Havana Travel Vlog