Best Cuban I've had in a long time. Everything felt quality and intentional--even the black beans & rice were meticulously good. Noisy as hell at a 5 pm on Saturday, noisier than hell by 6 pm, but you probably know that going in. All the waitstaff were wonderfully polite. I wish I had two stomachs. That's all.

The food was excellent and I especially enjoyed the chicken and yellow rice. My husband, son, and cousin ordered the Cubano sandwiches; my spouse said it was the best he's ever had! We also ordered yuca con mojo, and that was delicious as well. We will definitely be back the next time we are in NYC. :) The only downside was it was sooooooo LOUD! Our waiter couldn't hear us while he was trying to take our order. Definitely can turn the music down a notch.

Cubanos were fantastic. Service excellent. And live music super awesome - loved that folks just started randomly dancing.

I liked the dim environment during dinner and the staff were friendly and spoke Spanish. The only thing that takes away from the experience is that the food is slightly pricey at $30 for ropa vieja and it's not the biggest portion. That being said there's not many good Cuban places around here and it is midtown. Overall would come back again for a special occasion

I've always enjoyed meals at Guantanamera. Their bar area is always full of happy customers, their decor gets everyone's attention, and the food is always on point. I started with a very enjoyable drink, the Coconut Mojito. Every sip of this drink was so good. The sweetness of the coconut was so good, that I made sure to make it last up until the last bite of my entree. For our appetizer, we shared the Ensalada de Piña y Aguacate (Avocado and pineapple in a mango vinaigrette). This was a fabulous selection and I enjoyed the presentation of this starter. Today, I wanted to visit, in order to enjoy.....for my first time...Vaca Frita (pan-seared shredded skirt steak with fresh mojo, onions, and lime). I loved the crispness of the meat, the amount of onions that were infused throughout the dish, and the lime/mojo were exquisite. The accompanying Congri (black beans mixed with white rice) and the side dish of Sweet Plantains made this a memorable meal. The other entree was the Cuban Sandwich (Classic pressed roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard). The portion was large and was accompanied by plantain chips. OMG.... THE DESSERT! We shared the Tres Leches (sponge cake soaked in three milks). At first, I thought it was a Flan, but their presentation was fabulous and...after taking the first spoonful, the flavors exploded and every bite was mouth-watering. Highly recommend this dessert. Guantanamera also has weekly Happy Hour specials. You will be very impressed with their selections and prices. Don't hesitate to enjoy a meal at Guantanamera. You'll be impressed, satisfied, and return for more.

Camarones al ajillo- OMG definitely the best I've ever had. I'm also a snob for seafood. So when I say it was good, it was amazing!! Also the ceviche mixto hit the spot. Sangra Live music was awesome too. I feel like you can't find restaurants that have live Salsa music. Definitely recommend coming here. I will be bring my family here.

This place has been on my list for quite a while and I'm happy I tried it! Immediately it was packed for a Saturday night (obviously) and everyone looked like they were having a great time. I will say, the one downside is we had a reservation, and didn't get seated for about half an hour. But the mojitos were great (I asked for mine not too sweet) and the ropa vieja was to die for. Plus, live music started a little after our entrees came out which was really nice.

TLDR: A good hole in the wall for midtown, with a loud ambiance, big portioned food for big parties. We came here for a friends birthday (6). We did reserve in advance which I would advise to do so as well because this place does get packed! Ordered: Seafood Paella - 5/5 I know, ordering Paella at a cuban spot seems a little like a disservice but I will be honest this hit the spot. At around $30ish dollars the portion for this was beyond reasonable. I've had less for twice the price: both in size and quality. It was piping hot, fresh and packed with flavor. It also came out relatively fast than paella typically normally takes? Perhaps that begs the question of how much this was frozen but frankly it hit all the notes so I am not complaining. Sangria: 3/5 I would say this was a little watered down to me so I didn't taste much? Service: - 5/5 Although I did not know who was our server plenty of people came around frequently to check in on us and. All of our meals came out relatively quickly despite it being peak dinner on a weekend. Feels like a family in there! Ambiance - 2/5 This is totally someone's vibe: the music, the live band that plays at certain times, the dimish lights but it was not several of ours. The stereo music was loud. Loud in a way that I can barely hear the person next to me let alone the rest of the table without hollering. If you are here for vibes this is it. But if you're trying to catch up and not want to be hollering across the table I would suggest elsewhere. It is good though they can accommodate for big parties! Transportation: 5/5 Not too far from the Columbus 59th station but it might be a tad of a walk from seeing a show in times square since its in the high 50's so just be mindful of time if you're coming from downtown!

Sat at the bar to get the happy hour prices. The mojito was okay! The fried mashed potato stuffed with beef was amazing! The steak sandwich was solid. The service was great and super accomodati. I don't think I would return as the music was a bit much for me but I'm also super sensitive.