Bella Cuba, Cuban restaurant, Ballsbridge

Havana, it resonates with me as one of the places I have still to visit, now more that ever as it looks like Castro regime may soon be a thing of the past. God only knows what will happen next, and to see Havana is an ambition. Bella Cuba is Ireland’s first Cuban restaurant and has been in Ballsbridge since 1994, situated just a few doors up from Roly’s Bistro. It is a first floor restaurant reached through a hallway that is re-assuringly covered with plaques and awards from different food guides and writers. down the ears. Upstairs the room seats about fifty people and is very bright and airy with large colourful painting adorning the walls. The tables and chairs are wooden and there is a long banquette running from back to front on the left wall. I went along with my daughter Abigail on a Saturday evening. We were on our way to the cinema and needed to eat beforehand. Abi fancied something different and so here we were, about to sample some Caribbean cooking. We got a table at the window, overlooking Ballsbridge and Abigail sits on the comfy sofa side.

Since we were fairly early, about seven o clock the waitress told us we could pick from the early bird, or the full menu. The early bird is very long and offers good choice, but in the end we picked from the A la carte, but the star of the meal, Abigail’s Drunken Chicken is available on the set menu.

There are about ten starters and mains, and they include appetisers like, tiny pastry pies stuffed with mince and dusted with sugar, Guacamole and yukka fries, homemade croquettes of ham or chicken, seafood cocktail or a mixed platter of starters for sharing.

The main courses include traditional roast pork in Cuban dressing, Grilled Swordfish Fillet Chunks & Poached egg, drunken chicken, rack of lamb in jerk spices and a fish of the day and some steaks.

We decided to stay very much on the rational Cuban dishes and so ordered the mixed starter, a drunken chicken main course for Abigail, while I went for the jerk lamb.

The starters came out soon after and we got three large prawns dusted in spices, a mixed leaf salad and guacamole, yucca fries, some chicken croquettes and the pastry mis stuffed with meat and dusted with sugars. We shared everything and cleared the plates. Highlights for me were the prawns, while Abi liked the meat filled pastry. I liked the yucca fries, they are like thick cut chips, while Abi wasn’t too sure. The salad was taste and the guacamole went well with the fries.

After this we had a break until our main courses, during which time the restaurant started to fill up. I also got chatting to the owner, Omar, a young man who took over the family business three years ago. We got talking about Cuba, and I was asking questions about traveling there. As happens the conversation segued and we ended up speaking of coffee. They use Cuban coffee in the restaurant which they re-roast themselves. In Cuban everyone buys the beans fresh and roasts their own This is done by spreading the beans on the roof of the house and letting the sun do the work! They then finish them off in the oven at about 50 degrees to achieve the desired taste. Fabulous, makes me want to visit the country even more.

When our main courses arrive it is clear that Abi’s drunken chicken is a winner. This traditional dish is like a spicy risotto, but with ordinary long grain rice. The pieces of chicken and mixed through with red peppers and rational spices. Abigail ooh-ed and aah-ed all the way through, and finished every scrap, even though she wanted to leave room for dessert. My jerk lamb was tasty and unusual, with the rack carved in to separate chops and cooked in the jerk sauce. Hot and tangy, this was also a winner.

We finished with Bella Cuba chocolate torte and a couple of the Cuban coffees. The coffee is very good and Omar tells me it is available in certain retail outlets. Keep an eye out, this Cuban coffee could catch on!

We had a very nice meal, complimented by friendly service. Bella Cuba offers a change from the ordinary and des it well. It’s there 14 years, so they must be doing something right. No doubt under the energetic Omar, another fourteen is on the cards.