New Habana

This BYOB was ²⁄₃ empty on a Saturday night (7:30 reservation), but still too noisy for my taste. They need to fix that.
We brought our own wine. No problem. Glasses were already on the table.
We shared two fish dishes, sea bass and Bronzino. I preferred the Bronzino. They were well cooked but the bass didn’t have much flavor. Side of plantains was delish while the mashed yucca very bland. Never had it before so don’t know if it always is.
I would try this place again to explore the menu. They were very knowledgeable about by GF needs. And it is in the neighborhood!

The atmosphere made you feel like you were transported to Cuba. The staff was so friendly and gave this super mom the fantastic meal and peace and solitude I so deserved. I admit I arrived hungry and not shy about ordering a bunch of stuff. Every bite of everything I had was a delightful flavor explosion. I’ve dined at the two Cuban places in center city and this place tops them both and you don’t have to pay for parking. I will certainly return again!

The papaya butter is yummy!

This place makes me furious. My friends and I tried six plates and we didn’t like any of them. The chicharrones are the worst we’ve had in the Philly area, the pork entrée has almost no taste and the seafood soup was so poor, we each took one spoonful and stopped. My friend’s comment summed it up, «This all tastes like the chef hasn’t tried any of their own food.»
Normally I wouldn’t leave such an angry review but in addition to over priced, bad food, we all got sick. I seriously had to run to the bathroom five times during the night and four more times the next day. Four days later and I’m almost comfortable eating again.
Hopefully the owners visit the good Cuban/​Latin restaurants in Philly like Tierra Colombiana, Parda Maimon or Mixto soon so they can change their flavors and their prices. Not that I’ll find out if they do, I wouldn’t return if it was free.

Cute local restaurant! Appetizer and dessert were good. Entrée needs some work. Wish them good luck.

Decided to give this new place a try. It was a Tuesday night and luckily I had a reservation as they were turning walk ins away. Unfortunately they had only one waiter on staff who was responsible for seating, serving and bussing all the tables. This is not ok and the owners should be ashamed for making this poor man work so hard.
We ordered the tuna ceviche, shrimp ceviche and beef empanadas for starters. The empanadas were tasty but the ceviches were disappointing. The tuna was so sickly sweet and icy cold it was hard to eat. The shrimp ceviche was also icy cold and too sweet.
For entrees we had the Cuban sandwich and paella. The sandwich was a little too fatty but the yucca fries were delicious. The paella had a lot of seafood but was surprisingly unseasoned. It was very bland.
The restaurant décor has not changed much from the previous occupant. I was hoping for a more ‘Cuba’ feel. Little things like none of the candles being lit on the tables made it feel a little amateur.
I am not sure we will be back. For the prices, the food was not tasty enough. It was awkwardly bland for Cuban dishes.

really friendly service– really average food– needs more authentic spice– there was essentially none– we will give it another try, didn’t have a chance to try the ceviches and they looked interesting

I used to go to Carmine’s, the old place, all the time. Sad to see them leave… But what an awesome surprise! Went in there on a busy night. No reservations and they fit us in. I had a filet mignon app while a friend had the crab salad. We both enjoyed them but the sauce with the steak was outstanding. Bronzino and the pork and bananas, awesome. Check it out. I work in the neighborhood and will probably be going back every week or 2.

They have some work to do. Mediocre food, service. Cuban food can be great. This was not authentic or great. They have a great neighborhood location. But they need to work on their food

Authentic old Havana experience at New Havana! The food was ok (earning 2 stars) — but the service certainly made you feel like you were in the midst of the darkest days of the Castro régime. There are about 7 tables total; the day I went, we were the second table to be used. Yet, service was awful — took over 5 minutes for anyone to come to the table, and longer for water/​menus. Bread never came… and it was over 20 minutes to get the apps after ordering. And, as noted, it’s a tiny restaurant that was practically empty.

This restaurant is quaint and the food is fantastic. It is a welcoming edition to the neighborhood and all the staff is pleasant and welcoming. I will definitely be back with all my family and friends.