House Of Rice: A New Option For Tourists Going On Havana Holidays

Habaguanex S.A., the group created by the Office of the Historian of Havana (OHC) to promote and run tourism projects in Old Havana has recently opened a new restaurant in this part of town with the inauguration of the House of Rice. The nouvelle dining venue specialise in serving a good variety of Creole rice dishes in an effort to rescue culinary traditions of Cuban cuisine and provide a different gastronomic option for tourists spending Havana holidays.

Among the dishes offered at the new restaurant you can find the four-cheese rice, fried rice, rice with chicken, and the risotto with seafood. However other dishes of beef, chicken, fish and vegetables are also served for those wishing to complement or skip the rice specials.

In Cuba almost all food is fresh as you’d have a hard time finding any frozen vegetables or ready meals on grocery shops. This and the emphasis on dairy produce, chicken and ham are immediately noticeable when eating out in towns. In resort areas or Cuba hotels, the introduction of various foreign cuisines has transformed the traditional Cuban menu but local cuisine remains the prime attraction. In Havana, as in other places of the island the taste of Cuban food is influenced by African heritage. Local dishes include the mixture of black beans, local rice and spices called “Moros y Cristianos” (Moors and Christians) a creation that can almost be called the national dish.

The new House of Rice is to be found in one of the halls of the large Santo Angel Restaurant in Havana’s Old Square (Plaza Vieja). In 1866, this premise owned by Susana Benitez Parejo, was a school for poor children. With a name which translates to “Holy Angel” and which has been kept throughout the years, this locale was sold in 1932 and one of its floors was used as a music conservatory “Santa Amelia”.

In Old Havana every premise, old building or corner has a different story to tell, which makes the experience of enjoying Havana holidays an amazing journey back in time to a multicultural colonial city ruled by the powerful Spanish monarchy. For this reason, this area in the capital of Cuba was declared World Heritage Site in 1982.

For more than 30 years, the OHC has been working hard to rescue Old Havana’s heritage through a sustainable development project which has the promotion of cultural tourism as one of its cornerstones. This local organisation, led by the historian of the city, Mr Eusebio Leal Spengler, and to which the tourism company Habaguanex S.A. is attached to since its creation in 1994, runs every major cultural initiative conducted in Old Havana at a social and economical scale.

Habaguanex runs 21 boutique hotels in Havana and more than 40 restaurants and cafes across the old town. The addition of the new House of Rice will help to increase the company’s revenues which will be reinvested in the continued restoration projects of Old Havana and its locals.

By: Susan Crown

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The House of Rice was inaugurated last month in Havana, giving tourists a new venue for eating out and enjoying the many traditional rice combinations available during culturally-enriching and flavourful Havana holidays in Cuba.