Cuba Libre

Located between a string of bars, restaurants, and boutique stores is this little taste of Havana with its promises of authentic food and relaxed atmosphere.


Cuba Libre gets a thumbs down and a major complaint is the significantly high price for sub-par food in small portions. Items on the menu were varied, but hinted more toward Spanish than Cuban cuisine. The Platano Maduro con guacamole or fried ripe plantain gratin served with guacamole at over £5 had a small side salad with a simple, tasteless vinaigrette, a small slice of fried plantain, and a big dollop of guacamole thickly spread across the thin plantain. The plantain was lovely, the salad plain, and the guacamole tasted of unripe, flavorless avocado. £2.60 per individual tapa was overpriced for the sparse serving you get on a wooden plate the size of an ashtray. The calamares were overcooked resulting in a rubbery texture and the sauce for the "patatas bravas" equivalent was not enough to balance the potatoes. The mushrooms with spinach mousse had potential, especially if served with rice. However a side order of rice was £4.45. How much rice are you actually getting for a fiver, especially since rice is a cheaper commodity?!?!? You should expect to get the whole pot! The only redeeming quality of the menu is the way the meat is cooked - incredibly tender and practically falling apart, but unfortunately bland and lacked the excitement commonly found in Cuban cuisine.

Perhaps better for happy hour or other drinks, dining at Cuba Libre is highly advised against unless you want to risk the chance that the day you dine the food will actually be worth its high price.

Cuba Libre. 72 Upper Street, Islington Green, London N1 0NY. CubaLibreLondon.com

Double Chorizo

Among the numerous and crowded stalls in the Borough Market is the outdoor grill connected to Brindisa, the local purveyor of Spanish foods. During lunch hours, especially on Thursday and Friday with City workers migrating south of the river for a tasty and hassle-free lunch and even moreso on a sunny day, the Borough Market is a madhouse. People are milling about eager for samples or debating which stall will best satisfy their hunger. The decision already seems outright near impossible with each stall offering something almost entirely unique to the rest of the market at extremely high quality. But if your mood is for a simple taste of Spain and easy to get to, then perhaps the grill at Brindisa standing slightly on the outer rim of the market with a queue significantly shorter (or moving quicker) than those more inside the building will be the best choice. It is the minimalist and meaty chorizo roll attracting a crowd.


The queue at the stall moves quickly with the assembly line of grill, pay, and serve operating at full steam. The roll is toasted drizzled with olive oil before piled on with a single or double serving of chorizo, argula / rocket, and roasted red peppers and handed to you in a napkin. The combination is beautiful with the spicy richness of hot chorizo, peppery hints in arugula, and the sweetness of the red pepper. In addition to serving as a vessel, the roll is a great sponge to soak up any of the extra oils from the chorizo and peppers. As a mobile choice, you can easily enjoy the chorizo roll while browsing the other stalls at the market.

Brindisa at Borough Market. The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, Borough Market, London SE1