Cuba Libre Cafe & Bar

I was dining with JM and a true blue Cuban here the other night. According to Mr. Cuban's comments, the food is not pure Cubana style but a bit of a fusion of Mex-Brazilian-South American touch. We later had a chit chat with the very friendly manager Shukor and he confirm that the food tasting and style has been slightly modified to suit the main stream market yet has the origins that is mainly Cuban.

The drinks of the night: Mojitos and Margaritas! Strong and potent, these pack a punch! The food started with Yuzu Brava(fried tapioca bits with salsa dip),Quesadilla (tortilla skin with fillings of beef and cheese), Sauteed king prawns in garlic and olive oil, Grilled Chicken Breast with Cuban rice and desserts of Flambe banana with ice cream.

The yuzu bits are like deep fried potato with a nice tomato relish. Quesadilla is normal, 4 pieces with some ground beef and onions and cheese. This is quite ordinary like a better made, higher quality Taco-Bell. The prawns are fresh and well done, one of the best dishes of the night. Miss Piggy is not a fan of chicken breast as i felt that chicken breast tend to be quite dry and plus been grilled it gets drier. The Cuban rice is nice though with bits of raisins in it to add to the fragrance. The banana flambe was very well presented but was a tad bit too sweet for my taste. The ice cream is smooth but unfortunately added to the overall sweet factor of the already too-sweet desserts.

The best highlight will be the live band. They have singers and musicians from Spain, Cuba and even Colombo! There is so much energy and a most fabulous vibe. If you salsa, you can even rock to the beat at the small dance floor they clear for this very intention!

MiSS pIGGy maybe will come back here for the entertainment but most prob after filling my tum tum somewhere else first.

Was feeling peckish on a late saturday night after a dismal dinner at thai express so along with my gal friend, we went over to clarke quay to check out cuba libre.

When we arrived, the buzz was electrifying, with the band and crowd sashaying along, tables packed and servers zooming around with drinks, food and menus.

Although it was packed inside, we didn't really mind being seated outside as it gave us the chance to not only watch the band (muted though), watch soccer (it was the day liverpool beat derby 6-0) and watch the saturday crowd wander past.

Without a clue as to what to order, I asked the waitress for her recommendations and she offered the chicken quesadilla and some other items. Drinks wise, I ordered a sangria while my friend had the mojito.

The mojito arrived chockful of mint leaves. I generally don't have a thing for minty drinks but it was alright for me, although I still think it tastes like toothpaste but oh well, taste is a matter of opinion. My sangria was a little diluted for my liking but the fruits floating in the glass made it a pretty sight for sore eyes.

The chicken quesadilla arrived soon after, piping hot and served with guacamole and fresh salsa. It was declared a winner! The cold guacamole and salsa was the perfect accompliment to the hot quesadilla.

Service was quite attentive but the down side was that we were seated near the smoking area outside. Nevertheless, I'll definitely be back to check out the rest of their eats!

I have been to Cuba Libre for quite a number of times namely because it is such a crowd pleaser. Good food, great ambience, reasonable prices, friendly service and the meanest mojitos around. Trust me, they really pack a punch and delicious to boot! Especially the strawberry ones!

The food is not really all Cuban because there's some Tex-Mex fusion going on. I recommend the tapitas (tapas) if you come in a group. They have an ongoing promo - 3 Tapitas for $40, 5 Tapitas for $60 and 7 Tapitas for $80. Really cheap because each dish cost anything between $12 - $18. I especially love the beef cubes with ginger & cili padi, prawns with garlic, spicy calamari and for mains the braised lamb shank. My only gripe is that there is not enough desserts!!!

My verdict: A great place to get some chow with friends, chill, have some drinks and people watch. If you want to smoke some cigar, they have some good cuban selection.