Cafe Habana -3939 Cross Creek Road- Malibu- 90265/ 310-317-0300

The LuxLady is so excited that Cafe Habana Malibu is finally here!  The chain’s west coast location is a welcome addition to the Malibu Lumber Yard.  The new location, Malibu’s first solar powered joint, maintains it’s NYC sister’s cool vibe by offering innovative Latin cuisine from Cuba and Mexico alongside local art by Shepard Fairey and a bullet hole -riddlen , salvaged bar dating back to the 1800’s.   There is even an onsite mint garden that supplies the restaurant with the mint for it’s mojitos.  How cool is that?  Word has it that there is a Cafe Habana food truck in the works for both New York and Los Angeles.

Everything from the chill atmosphere to the service was top-notch.  The LuxLady is so ecstatic that restaurateur Sean Meenan (along with sister Leslie Meenan and Randee Gerber) decided to gift us with a West Coast outpost.  I’d like to give a special shout-out to my waitress Britnee, who was spectacular.

I had the pleasure of spending a glorious day at Cafe Habana over Father’s Day weekend and I’d like to share my faves with Luxlife readers:

Queso Fundido

This dish was surprisingly…dare I say succulent?  Yes.  The queso was tangy and bursting with a variety of flavors which is difficult to do for melted cheese.  The accompanying salsa verde was super fresh and mildly seasoned.  To sum it up in one word…delightful!

Ensalada de la Casa

Looks simple, right?  The orchestra of flavors in this house salad will knock your socks off.  The lime-citrus dressing perfectly compliments the marinated oranges and sweet corn.  This salad is a perfect meal starter and a must have as is the…drum roll please…

Grilled Corn

Apparently, you can’t go wrong with the seductive combination of grilled corn, cotija cheese, chili powder and lime.  This starter is worth the trip alone.

An honorable mention goes to the:

Sweet Plaintains

And the Caipirinha

Run, don’t walk to Cafe Habana.