After almost 2 years, Cuban restaurant from Miami sets opening date on the Strip

A Cuban restaurant in the works for almost two years at the Flamingo will open Dec. 26, a restaurant representative confirmed.

Havana 1957 will occupy the space that once housed Tropical Breeze Café, which has been closed for almost a decade.

The restaurant makes sense for the Flamingo — not just because of the property’s tropical theming or the fact the Strip needs more Cuban food. But also because Havana in the 1950s was something like Las Vegas is today: a draw for gamblers, a place for pleasure-seeking, a city a bit louche in certain aspects, but cheerfully so.

Havana 1957, part of the Vida & Estilo (V&E) Hospitality Group portfolio, has five locations in Miami. V&E is also behind Cafe Americano at Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas and Mercato della Pescheria in The Venetian.

Seafood, meat, rum

In Miami, Havana 1957 offerings are presented as traditional Cuban fare. In Vegas, the menu will be more Cuban-American, the source said.

That menu features dishes such as Cuban croquettes stuffed with creamy ham or chicken; ropa vieja empanadas filled with marinated flank steak; a Cuban bowl of roasted pork shoulder, black beans and rice; and a Cuban burger with a beef patty topped by Cubano sandwich ingredients: pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard.

More than a dozen entrées are served at lunch and dinner. Seared black tiger shrimp are tossed in a citrus mojo scampi sauce. For Pollo Havana 1957, roast chicken with citrus and Caribbean spices is backed by rice, black beans, roasted potatoes and sweet plantains.

A double smash burger (almost obligatory in Vegas these days) sports classic fixings. La Orquesta Cubana sampler showcases roast chicken, ropa vieja braised flank steak and roasted pork, with white rice, black beans and sweet plantains.

The menu also includes mocktails, classic Cuban cocktails like a Cuba Libre, signature sips like a Cuban Cosmo made with lime rum, and more than 30 rums from across the Caribbean and Central America.

What else is new

The launch of Havana 1957 follows the Dec. 6 opening of Pinky’s by Vanderpump at the Flamingo. The restaurant, the latest Vegas project from restaurateur and reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump, combines Art Deco, Vanderpump’s flair for cocktails and modern takes on classic American dishes.

Gordon Ramsay Burger, another spot from the celebrated chef at a Caesars Entertainment property, could open soon at the Flamingo. For more on Havana 1957, visit havana1957.com or @havana1957 on Instagram.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.