VinDivine

PRO: Awesome ambiance, very authentic, great live music and a huge bar
CON: Food was a little disappointing

What can we say, besides “Say hello to my leetle friend”. Sorry, couldn’t help but interject my fave Tony Montana line.

Anyhoo, this place is straight outta 1950′s Cuba (not that we have been to Cuba, nor were we alive in the ’50s). So let’s just say, it’s straight outta what we’ve seen in movies that depict 1950s Cuba. How’s that? We’ve been to Son Cubano several times, and 1) it is always packed with a fun, happenin’ crowd and b) we always have a blast.

Smack dab in the Meatpacking District, Son Cubano stands out from the throngs of other places in this hood with its authentic Cuban theme and design, excellent cocktail list, great menu, live Cuban music (Son Cubano means ‘Sounds of Cuba’ BTW)  and overall just a ton of great energy.

Somehow it’s one of those places that’s great for a family of eight or for a cool date spot. It’s somewhat glam with big chandeliers, beautiful mosaic tiles, and vintage photographs on the walls. Well, of course the photographs are on the walls. They have big tropical flowers and cool lighting from candles throughout the room that evokes a cool, sexy scene. Mix with that the live music and you’ve got a winner.

Hey, last time we were here there was a cool ’50s Cuban dude at the bar we hang out with for a while and got some cool stories from. Cool until he tried hitting on the other J…Oh well, can’t blame him. Plus, the old bastard could dance better than me!

Son Cubano is big. And I think they have one of the longest bars I have ever seen in my life. Bonus! All dark mahogany, it basically stretches the entire length of the place on the right side, with a few breaks here and there. So It’s cool to come here for just drinks and a little jivin’ to the music, or for a nice, long meal.

Of course they make a killer Mojito, called The Perfect 10. Made with 10 Cane Rum and they actually muddle the mint. So many bars/bartenders get lazy and just toss a couple leaves in and call it quits. But they also have a long cocktail list, great selection of liquor, wine and beer so whatever turns you on, you’ll be happy here.

On to the grub. They have a big menu. Lotsa Tapitas (starters) which we like, since grazing is fun. We had the Albondigas, Home Made Cuban Meatballs in Habanero Sauce ($11), which were really good. They were slightly mild for habanero (no, it’s not because our tastebuds were numb from all those Mojitos, either). Croquetas de Jamon ($9), were also satisfying, but we’ve had better. Just lacking a certain spice, although we couldn’t put our finger on it. Empandillas de Pollo, chicken and veggie turnovers ($12) were nice and tender pastry with very tender chicken, onions and excellent spice. A winner.

One of their signature dishes is Ropa Vieja ($24), twice-cooked shredded flank steak in a Cuban Creole sauce served with sweet plantains and white rice. The steak was well cooked, but again, what surprised us was an overall lack of spice to the dish.

So to wrap it all up: awesome spot worth traveling across town to check it out. The food is ‘good’, the drinks, music, crowd and overall vibe are awesome.  So go for a meal if you want, but definitely don’t miss it for drinks!

VdV Rating: 4

Hours:
Lunch Mon-Fri 11:45a-4p
Dinner Mon-Wed 4p-11p, Thus 4p-2a, Fri 4p-4a, Sat 11:45a-4a, Sun 11:45a-10p (brunch too)

Son Cubano
405 W 14th Street (@ 9th)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 366-1640

cuban