Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
| Address: | 9101 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819, USA |
| Phone: | +1 407-226-1600 |
| Site: | cubalibrerestaurant.com |
| Rating: | 3.7 |
| Working: | 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–11PM 5PM–2AM 5PM–2AM 5–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
BR
Brian G.
Too much style, not enough substance seems to be Cuba Libres problem. The service was pretty good. We were seated quickly and our waiter, Luis, was attentive. The menu though left a lot to be desired. For one, the prices are on the exorbitant side for what the food is. My guess is they have to offset the cost of a space in Pointe Orlando. But still, $25 for a plate of vaca frita? And I use the term "plate" loosely here, because the amount of food was quite small for the price. Again, more focus on the presentation. The drinks menu could stand a bit of trimming. 15 different varieties of mojitos, plus pisco cocktails and caipirinhas seems a bit much. And where are the daiquiris?? Talk about overlooking a quintessential Cuban cocktail. We ordered a round of "classic" mojitos, but found them to be watered down. We let the waiter know, and he gladly had them replaced with a fresh round. The second time around, they tasted a little sweeter, but still seemed to have no rum in them at all. The appetizers were ok. They seem to be more of a "fusion" style, i.e. shrimp corn, coconut crab, etc. Skip the salad. Very basic green lettuce with a bland "vinaigrette" dressing. The entrees were ok, more focus on presentation than portion size. The vaca frita was flavorful, but the rice was bland, and tasted almost like the microwavable instant variety. Dessert was a miss, as they have decided to go with the dessert shots that you can find at most chain restaurants nowadays. The bill came to over $80 for two people, not including the tip. It was definitely not worth the price. Overall, a mediocre and expensive dining experience. Choices for good Cuban food are few and far between in Orlando, and Cuba Libre is not among them. We will not be returning.
JO
Joseph Hayes
Walking into Cuba Libre, the massive restaurant at Pointe Orlando, is like stepping back to pre-revolution Havana in the 1950s … or it’s supposed to be. Soaring two stories, the restaurant is styled as the open courtyard of a hacienda in Old Havana, an outdoor-yet-indoor space of columns, tinted plaster and street scene murals that are probably more impressive to those not familiar with grand theme park illusions. The vast space echoes with a nebulous mix of reggaeton, salsa and Latino urban dance tunes boomed through the enormous space, shattering the hacienda illusion, but could have hummed show tunes and served me in a cardboard box and I would have been happy. And all that is thanks to the vision of chef-partner Guillermo Pernod. The entrees (the menu changes twice a year) included grilled skirt steak, charred on the outside and satisfyingly chewy within, served with a tart, marinated mushroom salad; camarones con caña; and Dorado a la plancha, a griddle-seared mahi fillet atop black rice cooked in a rich lobster court bullion. And black beans and rice, and fried plantains, and servings of flan and tres leches cake.
A
A Private User
Since we came from NY to Orlando, we have been trying different restaurants all over, just to get a little bit of everything this area has to offer the tourist. Couple of places in the same strip were packed solid, yet this cozy looking restaurant had available seats, and by the looks we werent able to see why. One of the nicest decorated Cuban restaurants we have ever seen, very elegant indeed. The staff was very polite, and we were seated promptly, and since it was a little pricey by Florida standards, we expected a delightful evening. We ordered steaks, and other tropical dishes. I wouldnt say that the steak was bad, but it wasnt good either, and it has to be the smallest steak I have ever been served, sort of a joke. I have eaten Filet Mignon bigger than that, I have eaten larger steaks in a Tapas place; I can keep going on and on, but as I told my server, you can only do this in a tourist place, where your customer base renews itself constantly, because I doubt anyone would visit this restaurant twice. What a shame!!!! What a waste of a good spot nicely decorated.
EM
Emmanuel Valenzuela
This is a Disney fine dining experience and it is not cheap but the food was excellent. The restaurant is located behind close doors by the entrance to the Citricos. The room is wood panelled and the tables are well spread out and large so the restaurant only has about 40 covers. There is also a harpist playing in the middle of the room. The restaurant offers 2 menus -- a 10 course fixed tasting menu or a 7 course menu which has options for each course which was the one we chose. I must confess some of the service to me was a bit pretentious -- I really dont need to see the water menu !!!!! However overall the service was excellent -- just enough attention and information about each course that you would expect for this class of restaurant With 7 courses the meal is a very leisurely affair and the whole experience took nearly 4 hours.
SP
Springhillsuites Marriott
This place overall is great with one exception, the night club outside salsa, bachata and merengue DJ is so outdated. You can tell he is Colombian. Dont get me wrong, I love Colombian music but, when you go every other weekend and have to listen to the same old Colombia Salsa, it gets a little old. And not to say, he does not take request. He tells you hell play it for you but you never here the song you requested. The music is back from the early to late 90s and again, I love that music but, there so many new songs he can play but either doesnt like them or doesnt have them. He needs to update his playlist. The inside is great and the DJ always plays the newer songs and hyping the crowd. I am considering going to another place just because I prefer salsa and Bachata and as I said, his selection of music is weak.
A
A Private User
The service and decor are the best things about this place. The food is so not worth it...I had the shrimp dish that costs 26.50 and comes with a stuffed chile for a side dish. The side dishes, like rice and beans, or tostones are separate, and cost an extra $5!! My shrimp were overcooked and not well seasoned. Drinks were so-so. I would have spent less and gotten more flavor at Bahama Breeze or some chain restaraunt. At random times during dinner, they blast the music to drown out all conversation while the dancers perform. I didnt stay for the party scene after, which seemed to be pretty popular. Waiter was attentive without being overbearing, manager comped dessert in response to complaint of our party being separated. Unfortunately, the good service did not make up for overpriced underflavored food.
A
A Private User
I had dinner with a party of 10 and for the price I rate it as a 3-star. As for the night club, HORRIBLE SERVICE (2-star). We were a group of 8 so we thought it would be best to get a VIP table and buy a couple of bottles. One of the security men forgot to put a band on girls so when we were in our VIP section they were rude and didnt even want to hear there was a misunderstanding. "The manager" was rude and became obnoxious after I proved to him that it was there mistake. Ive been to this club 4 times and everytime I go I hope it will be better than the last experience but the bad customer service there never fails. I dont mind paying high prices if Im having a good time but to pay for bad service, NEVER AGAIN!
