Restaurants (both table- and self-service) are generally inexpensive. Cuisine is continental or Cuban with a strong emphasis on seafood. Cuban food uses more garlic and less chilli than elsewhere in the Caribbean. Bars generally have waiter and counter service.
National specialities:
• Omelettes, often stuffed with meat and/or cheese.
• Maize fritters.
• Soup made of chicken or black beans.
• Roast suckling pig.
• Chicken and rice.
• Plantains baked or fried.
• Cuban ice cream.
National drinks:
• Cuban coffee (very strong).
• Cuban beer (tasty, yet weak).
• Rum (used in cocktails such as daiquiris and mojitos pronounced ‘moh-hee-tos’).
Tipping: Moderate tipping is expected. However, as more foreigners pass through Cuba, many people who would not normally merit them have begun to demand tips. Some discretion may be required.

Nightlife is concentrated in Havana, Varadero Beach and in the major tourist resorts. Cuba is renowned for its salsa dancing and visitors can attend dance classes or swing their hips with the locals at the Tropicana and Varadero Mambo nightclubs. Much entertainment may be planned by the visitor’s guide or tour operator, and it is common to attend in organised groups. Look for Casa de la Musica in Havana and other cities where live bands perform. Even medium-sized bars usually have a house band playing Cuban classics. There is a choice of floor show entertainments, nightclubs and theatres. The Tropicana nightclub stages spectacular open-air shows. Theatre, opera and ballet are staged all year round in Havana and seats are very cheap. Cinemas show films in Spanish, but some have subtitles.

Special purchases include cigars, rum, coffee and local handicrafts. The main hotels have a few luxury shops. There are duty free shops at the airport and in the centre of Havana. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 0900-1200.