A Little Piece of Havana in Orange County

In the most unassuming place, Irvine Spectrum Mall, lies a restaurant that, upon entering, instantly transports you to Cuba. As a traveller who has visited Havana personally, I can attest to this. La Habana in Irvine has the vibe of a Cuban restaurant and bar; in fact, it reminded me of El Floridita in Havana specifically. But La Habana in Irvine is much larger than most restaurants in Havana. Actually, it’s surprisingly quite large with multiple rooms that all transport you to the colorful streets of Havana. Needless to say, it’s a very cute restaurant, and if it wasn’t for how far from LA it was, I would visit more often just for the vibes alone.

They greeted us with flowing champagne for my sister’s birthday, and the drinks we ordered were all very delicious. As for the food, it was a bit lackluster, which, honestly, I can say the same for the food in Havana, so in that sense, I guess it was accurate. (The food once you leave Havana in Cuba, though, is much better. We ordered the 1/2 chicken, my sister got the salmon, and we got veggie empanadas for the table, which actually were delish. If I visit again, I know for sure it’s more of a drinks-and-apps place for me. I really wish they had tostones, but a girl can dream.

With that said, the ambiance is more than worth the visit, and I especially love that most of the dining is outdoors so you can enjoy the weather and feel safe. And if you’re coming from far, you can make a trip out of it and visit the Irvine Spectrum mall or head to the beach, which isn’t far away.

Overall, for the pictures, it’s worth it, for the food, meh. My recommendation is to take your girlfriends on a day trip, get some drinks and apps, and enjoy the ambiance.