Located near the Hotel Nacional, just off the Malecón and in the heart of Vedado, is a festive and intimate paladar owned by an American woman from California who fell in love with a Cuban man in Havana. Together, Shona Baum and Paver Core Broche opened California Café in 2015. They work together with manager and copartner William Gonzalez Marti to offer food that is a fusion of Californian and Cuban dishes, always made with local and sustainable ingredients. Shona says,“In Cuba, everything is ‘farm to table.’ However, most Cuban cuisine, although delicious, can be plain.” So Shona has made bottles of hot sauce, which are placed on every table, to add additional flavor. The space has a fun, tropical vibe, and plates come adorned with both a Cuban flag and the Bear Flag of California, which matches the large illustrated cartoon bear painted in front of the café and inside on the pastel-colored walls. Their vegetarian options are flavorful, and their Cuban sandwich is especially impressive.
