Groundbreaking paladar turned venerable institution

Talk of the town: Originally this apartment was used as the set for film Fresa y Chocolate, but it became so popular with visitors the owner decided to turn it into a restaurant, and international acclaim followed.

Word to the wise: A table on the ornate candlelit balcony is by far the most romantic spot.

On a Centro back street, you broach the barely lit doorway of a dilapidated mansion, climb a marble staircase where children play ball and old women sweep and, just when you think you've gone wrong, you find the doorbell for La Guarida.

Enter a welcoming treasure chest of kitsch and cool, from religious iconography to the film set leftovers, crammed into three small rooms. Now the yellow walls are also adorned with signed photographs of the numerous high profile visitors they've had in since 1996, including Steven Spielberg and Jack Nicholson. Lauded at one time as the best food in Cuba, food standards haven't dropped, even if the prices have risen.