Escudo de Cuba in Hackney

Amazing value, atmosphere and service. Perfect for a no frills celebratory drinks and dinner!

Ummmm. I don’t know. The food is good and happy hours are great. But don’t order the tapas x2 it’s not enough for two people. I’ll say it’s over priced for what it is.

Great atmosphere, really great staff - and lots of them - great food (and drinks) all for a very reasonable price. My second visit, I travelled from Hertfordshire many miles to do so on this occasion and will do so again. Thank you for a great night out

Absolutely stunning bar which reminds me of the beauty of Cuba. Friendly, hard working staff. They are quick to take food and drink orders. The cocktails are delicious, strong and well mixed. The food is delicious and well cooked. I was pleasantly surprised because bar food isn't usually great. This place is a hidden gem in overpriced London.

Not authentic Cuban food, more like a hybrid blend of Spanish and Latin American-inspired cuisines. Nevertheless, the food is very yummy, the staff are attentive and the vibes of the whole place are vibrant and fun. More than enough to keep me coming back!

Amazing food . The employees working in the restaurant are very nice . See u soon

I visited Escuda de Cuba in Dalston on Halloween night 2024, hoping for a fun and vibrant experience. Unfortunately, the night was severely marred by slow and unprofessional service. Despite the festive atmosphere and a promising vibe, the staff seemed overwhelmed and unprepared to handle the crowd. I waited an astonishing 30 to 40 minutes just to get a beer. It wasn’t due to an extraordinary crowd but rather a lack of organization and efficiency behind the bar. The bartenders seemed disengaged, with no sense of urgency, leaving patrons frustrated and impatient. It’s disappointing when a venue with such potential drops the ball on one of the busiest nights of the year. A better staffing plan and improved training could have turned the evening around. Until they address these issues, I wouldn’t recommend visiting Escuda de Cuba on a busy night unless you’re prepared for a lengthy wait and inattentive service.

I did love it! I did feel slight loss of space as the resturant was busy. I did also feel pressed to order and to pay our bill as while myself and ymmy friend were looking at the menu, we had been asked three times to make an order. We did politely have to say that we have just entered the restaurant so can we have 1 minute to decide please. Similar experience when leaving, we had finished our food but we wanted one more drink ans they already brought our bill and asked us to pay. We said we wanted one more drink of which they brought us and then brought us the bill and asked us to pay straight away. As I brought my friend to this restaurant, I did feel embarrassed that we couldn't relax and have our meal and drinks. Don't worry, we had a sharing starter, 6 tapas and 6 drinks so they definitely got their monies worth, so I recommend the resturant to be more relaxed on their customers.

I came here with my work colleagues. Really good food and atmosphere 👌🏽

The cocktails are nice and the food is fine. The decor and vibe is great. But..... There were at least 6 staff hovering around us. It's so off putting. We were sitted next to the door, literally 2 floor staff standing beside us the entire time. They tried to clear our table twice before we were finished. It wasn't even that busy. Less than 2 seconds after putting down my fork someone was trying to take the plate. Just felt rushed the entire visit. Disappointing, definitely our type of place.

Delicious food and cheap, strong drinks! We came on a thursday and there was a deal until 9pm where you could get 2 cocktails for £10. We got the fuego negro, basil and ginger mojito, tormenta negra, and a grapefruit one that i can't remember the name of. They were all really good. To eat we had the chicken empanadas, pollo cubanito, and masitas de cerdo. It was all amazing, highly recommend this place.

Excellent place to eat and have a few drinks. Everything really good and fairly priced. The service is unmatched.

Not an actual Cuban restaurant. There’s literally a grand total of two Cuban dishes and the rest is generic Mexican and Spanish. At least, TRY if you are going to call yourself a Cuban restaurant.

This bar restaurant was not my favourite. Very busy outside, much more space then inside. Beer service was unstoppable. Some staff appeared hidden behind tall glasses of beer balanced on a tray) Toilets are not in best shape and are located in the basement... painted steps not safe and sweating.. causing high probable for slipping and tripping, quite uneven and I felt unsafe using the bathroom...sticky over touched handle and toilet space. The space between the lav bowl and door (per stall) - needs assessment.

The place, the service, the vibe, the food, the drinks SOOO LOVELY!! And for london prices are very reasonable! My new fav place in the area

Mi novio y yo habíamos ido aquí antes y disfrutado - pero parece ser una experiencia completamente diferente en un día de semana (donde realmente lo disfrutamos) a un fin de semana - que no lo hicimos. Cuando entramos mi novio fue al baño y me preguntaron CINCO veces si quería pedir. La primera vez sentí que era un buen servicio al cliente, luego me sentí muy molesta y como si solo nos quisieran entrar y salir. Justo después de ordenar nos dijeron que necesitábamos pagar, lo que se sumó al hecho de que querían que la gente entrara y saliera como una fábrica. Pedimos 2 colodas de pino por £ 10 que pensamos que era una ganga total - seguro, si quieres un cóctel sin apenas alcohol en él. Los burritos que pedimos también estaban muy secos, pero la comida del tiempo anterior era agradable, así que creo que aunque tienen mucho personal, no saben cómo hacer frente cuando está ocupado. La decoración es agradable y la iluminación es acogedora y suave, pero el ambiente en el fin de semana es agresivo y frenético. Recomiendo venir aquí solo un día laborable cuando no te están presionando para darte prisa cada pocos minutos.

Worst costumer’s service ever. We just sit down and the waiter didn’t let us know that they were gonna close the terrace so after 2 min that we got the drinks a different waiter ask us to put the drinks inside a plastic glass which was quite annoying as we just got the drinks, we asked if they could give us a few min but they were rushing to put the dishwasher. After 2min a different waiter comes to tell us to move inside as they were gonna remove the table, we asked if they could give us 5 min to finish the drinks as they were coming every 2 min. The waiter said “no, you need to move” very rudely. So we left and this was quite frustrating as if they would have tell us the terrace was closing that early from the beginning we would have sit inside and also there were not communication at all between the team.

I found the food below average but the 2 for £12 drinks arrived quick and our group drank plenty of those!

Overall, really good. 2 cocktails for £12. The food selection is good and the food is of decent quality. The decor and atmosphere is nice. There is indoor and outdoor seating.

Nice ambiance but the food was mediocre at best. We had the ropa vieja and the pollo, both were passable. I found the ropa vieja over salty and the portion of beans to be mean. The pollo was a bit chewy and not much flavour. On the service, the waiter was unfamiliar with the food and had to ask a colleague when we asked what the fiah of the day was, so he must have been quite new. But we also felt rushed by waiters constantly trying to clear our table, even though there were at least 14 empty tables available. So that kinda soured the experience.

Banging nachos and cocktails and good vibes

A Dalston gem, cocktails, and food for the soul. Best start to the weekend 🙌

Lured in by pushy staff on the pavement, guided to a free table outside in late afternoon sun. Drinks ordered - four pints of draft beer. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. Paid for our drinks on card reader brought to us. And waited longer. And asked for our drinks. Yes, they were on their way. Meanwhile people all around us received their cocktails. After a good 25 minutes our pints arrived. And some average sweet potato fries and ketchup. The place is over-populated by servers but the service is absolutely hopeless. If we hadn't paid already, we could have left, gone elsewhere and drunk our pints in the time we waited. And once our glasses were getting towards empty, every two minutes someone came to try to take them away. Rubbish experience

Been here couple of time took my boys with me this tome food was excellent... The best part is the chef.. Knows what he is doing.. Food well cooked

Had to take our Cuban princess, cause she was craving a sense of home and this didn't disappoint

It was a good experience. The tables in the alley are really nice because it is quiet and outside! Food was good and abundant.

Bueno Absolutely great place with top customer service from each member of staff who are all very helpful, smile and make you feel right at home. Best authentic Cuban food in London. Fairly priced this place has a lovely feel and atmosphere. Drinks are made with perfection by professionals. Highly recommended what a place.

+ excellent food + nice staff + very good prices + great environment

Nice environment, nice staff, good food and prices

Lively atmosphere. The place seems to be more chaotic due to the staff processes rather than the # of patrons. Seafood dishes not very good.

They are racist to young black men. Even when a table was booked they did not want to let me and my friend in. Then let others with out a booking inside. They did the same to two other black men who came after usa d denied entry. This is not the first or second time this has happened at this establishment but on those occasions I did not have a booking so I could not confirm the racism

A/C!!! The perfect place for a chill cocktail + dinner kinda night. Delicious food and great cocktails for reasonable prices. Really recommend!

It was my first time being there and I can assure you the food was amazing the paella was really really good the nachos too and the vegetarian Enchiladas was my favourit recommended ohh not the forget ther margaritas and the ginger basil mojito yummmi

really nice place with a lot of character, only ordered some of the tapas as we had eaten earlier but it was very tasty! would love to visit again

Food was cold and on the small side. Mixed Tapas doesn’t come with tapas and was missing from the order. A spoonful of beans for the black beans and mostly just plain rice. Not very tasty. Tacos and burrito were nice.

We came here on a Saturday 1st June. Really fabulous atmosphere and music The staff were attentive and very polite. Even when part of our order arrived wrong, it was dealt with and sorted with no fuss. I'm not sure why others felt they were rude, but I guess what you put out, you get back. :-/

What a disappointment! Ordered Margaritas for my friend's and I, and when these arrived , the glasses were half empty. Asked to speak to the manager several times, but never came and staff kept trying to justify why the glasses were not full the top ( in my opinion its how Margaritas should be served...at least its how I do it in the bar I work). Paying 9 pounds for two sips of the drink its unacceptable! What a rip off! Used to come to this place a lot and recommend it to my friends, but never again! Some of the staff are not very friendly either and may give you an attitude! Avoid!

Waited an hour for my food. Awful service.

It used to be a nice place, but the service has really gone downhill. We ordered a round of Margaritas £9 each, which came empty. We complained to 3 different people from staff and asked for the manager. One of the waiters was particularly rude and turned her back to us after telling us the manager wouldn’t be coming to our table. Horrible customer service.

Still waiting the calamari ordered in 2023 🥲

Lovely outdoor setting for a sunny day, but the service really lets it down. Had to wait over 20 minutes for cocktails which arrived half empty. The manager had a poor attitude and asked “do you want them or not”.

Way too expensive for the quantity and the quality of the tapas. We have waited to long for too few. We had to pay while eating which is unacceptable. We do not recommend this restaurant. We had to go to Macdonalds right after.

Service was bad: the waiter wasn’t trained to know what the dishes were like. They forgot our overpriced starter and brought it at the end. Main ‘ropa vieja’ was delicious, but quite a small portion and the cassava chips tasted good came out a bit cold. The place wasn’t even busy. So I hope it was just a bad day.

BE CAREFUL!!!!!! Unfortunately, the security guard aggressively used his strength to push my wife when she tried to enter the place, collaborating with all the questions and checks that he imposed without any inpathy and without any reason, he simply pushed her out even though we tried to have a dialogue. with the same and the situation continued even worse abusive without conversation without dialogue against a defenseless woman We've been going to this place for years!!!! We were shocked by the aggressiveness of this security guard. I DO NOT recommend this place to anyone!!!!

Super nice and friendly staff. We had a miscommunication and were super kind helping with changing the dish.

Great venue, great atmosphere inside, quirky and gives you that latin American feeling with the decor and music 🎶🎵. Great time if a sit was happy hours so we had a few cocktails. The food was delicious- on this visit we shared 6 items from the Tapas selection which was pretty good value for money. I shall definitely return again to try further dishes and outdoor seating as the weather improves.

Loved the food. Great value cocktails. Friendly staff. It’s a bit dark, but that’s clearly intentional. Only downside was that as soon as the place filled up the music changed from reasonably non-cheesy Cuban music to full-blown Latin cheese. I heard Mambo Number 5 twice in under an hour.

The food was so delicious that my stomach staged a protest about its limited capacity. The cocktails were so good, they had their red carpet moment going down my throat (this is not a comment on my throat). Also especially good value during happy hour (before 8pm). My absolute favourite is the Hemingway special- I have already started planning my escape to Cuba.

A fun restaurant and good cocktails. The tapas were a bit hit and miss but overall really good. Very good value. It can get very busy so I would recommend booking if you’re in a group.

Amazing Tapas and Cocktails. Will definitely be coming back.

It was my first time here and I found the food simply awesome, the cocktails were delicious too! Reasonable priced dishes, a variety of choices with generous portions. Good customer service and lovely atmosphere. This is a little treasure, I love this place!

Came here for dinner and a drink. Good food, cool vibe, would visit again!

Everything I come here they give the table I'm on half of the drinks and the others are "being made" for like a whole hour. Love this space but the service is dreadful when busy.

Love this place. Great food and cocktails. This is one of the best spots to visit in the area.

Constructive criticism: The owner has three restaurants and each is close to the other. My family and I went to the one we liked the menu the most. But when we arrived, the restaurant seemed darker than a nightclub hall and I, in particular, need to see what I'm eating. Then the waitress told us that we could eat the same thing at the other restaurant they have, although in that one, the specialty was pizza... But that's what we did. Although my family and I had booked in advance, we later realized that it was not necessary because the restaurants were empty. The owners and workers of these restaurants are Colombians. But if we said that the place was in Cuba, it could be forgiven for the poor conditions it has, because it is in a poor country. But the restaurants in Cuba are much better than these. Plus, being Latino doesn't mean we have to be a mess. The chairs were damaged, all the tables were moving, so all over the floor you could see pieces of cardboard on all the legs of the tables to prevent them from moving. Maybe it was because of the floor, which didn't look very good either. The lamps and crystals were full of dust and although they looked pretty, you couldn't appreciate their beauty very well. Then they gave us some plastic cups to drink from, which were not new, but reused; which I asked to be exchanged for crystal glasses. That was all a real shame, considering that although the food was expensive, it was fresh, well-made and tasty. The food was totally incompatible with the local. The waitresses were very helpful and very patient with me when I complained about the table and the plastic cups. That's why we made an effort and stayed to eat. Those bad details that restaurants have scare away the public, who surely when they enter they do not stay to eat or pass by when they see their unkempt appearance. . I don't know why the owner hasn't made those repairs, but if it is due to lack of money, it is better to sell one to improve two, than to have three in poor condition. Because they lose much more.

Great cocktails, decor and ambience

The best Cuban food restaurant I found in London...✨ They treated us kindly, and if we went before 8 o'clock, it was happy hour, so we got cheap cocktails! The atmosphere is really crazy too..😎 I recommend King Burrito.

Went with my partner yesterday during a Saturday lunchtime. This place was brilliant - would strongly recommend their happy hour.

We really enjoyed the Cuban style food. Great service and atmosphere.

Food was not good and took way longer than said.

Lovely venue; very empty on a Wednesday evening but as a result the service was excellent. Lovely meal.

This place has a great atmosphere and friendly staff. The food was absolutely amazing best burrito I've ever had and the cocktails were fabulous.

On my to do list! This place looks so authentic!

Great location, great food, great deals on drinks, great music. Warm and friendly staff. It's in my local area and always my go-to eating out venue with family and friends. Love it.

I have been to Escudo de Cuba quite a few times. I always bring family and friends here when they visit me. Once inside you don't feel like you're in rainy and cold England anymore, as it feels very authentic! The music makes you feel like the sun is beaming outside...even when it isn't! The only downside is the lighting is a little low and the floor is uneven so the tables wobble a bit. However, the food is delicious along with the cocktails, which are the best and value for money! I like that the cocktails in 'Happy Hour' (which lasts for 8hrs) allows you to have 2 different cocktails, unlike most establishments! The staff are very friendly and I've never been disappointed so I will always recommend coming here!

If you can have a favourite restaurant in London, this is mine! Incredible vibes, delicious tapas, great cocktails, I can only recommend you go!

Whent there for a drink, not expecting much, just wanted to hear some latino music and was so pleasantly surprised. The service was great, very attentive. The food was YUM prices were spot on... and the drink was wow! I'm definitely going back for the Patacon/platano with pork and the drink has to be the fuego negro! If you like lime, this is the ine for you.

So much fun in here. Happy hour is fantastic and so is the food!

Very tasty food. Quick delivery. Will order again

Good food for reasonable price. Nice happy hour. Good environment.

Plain chicken zero seasoning. Cheese wasn’t melted. Arrived cold. No sauces.

Tasty food not strictly cuban but tasty

Another family run business where I feel comfy like home 😀 great drinks, you get a good amount of quality food, great location - just in front of EartH ! Shoutout to the big boss Marcos who always goes the extra mile to make my experience unforgettable… consistently 😎 Highly Recommend, friends and family approved ✅

Service was bad , waited 25 minutes just for our order to be taken even though it was not busy and they had over 6 staff walking around and it took another 40 minutes for our food to arrive, the food was cold and not once did anyone check to see if everything was OK or if we needed anything else despite us trying to get their attention to order more drinks. Will not be going back there for food again, they own the Latino bar awell 2 doors down but the service is good in there

Good vibes, tasty food with great prices, nice cocktails, staff were very attentive! I’m defo planning my next trip here already! It would be good for a cut little inexpensive date night, although I went with the girls and it was ideal too!

Incredible service, strong happy hour drinks, beautiful food - everything you’d ask for. Thank you especially to our waitress Stefanie(or Tiffany?) ! <3

One of the best Latino bars I've ever been in London

Fantastico posto…buona musica, buon cibo, drinks abbondanti!!!

The food was amazing! The Espresso Martinis were the best I've had. Unfortunately... they brought us the bill twice without us asking for it, even though we were going to order more, and they said they do that 'just in case people leave without paying'. Also, we asked how many cannolis come in one portion and were told one, so we ordered two portions. When they came, there were two per portion and we couldn't finish them. It's a shame because our evening there started off so well but got spoilt. However, as I said, the food was amazing!

Stopped here before a concert at Earth. Had 2 for 1 cocktails which were good. Starters of tacos and quesadilla was ace, main course was a good size but lacked taste (the pork). Service was a bit too quick and always asking if you wanted anything else (a bit too much). Price good I would return but in the day. Also please put some lights on as I could barely read the menu

Great drinks and lovely staff 👍👍👍🌻

Another excellent quality steak: very highly recommended!

Great Latin music and vibes Cocktails and food were great Good outdoor area and make sure you reserve

Rather average food and drinks, plus service pretty slow on a busy Saturday night. Good vibes for a Dalston night out and reasonably priced, good for a student pub crawl.

Tried a patacon for the first time, they are excellent.

Very, very pleased with the quality; food preparation was fast and delivery was prompt, even though we ordered late in the evening. Will order again

One of our favourite places to drink on the high street. Good table service and decent drinks on tap. Midweek happy hour cocktail offers are generous and the scran is top tier

I've only been here for drinks/cocktails and I absolutely adore this place. The atmosphere is amazing

Excelente restaurante, quiero destacar en especial la atención de su personal ya que es realmente brillante, su comida es deliciosa. Puedes sentarte en cualquiera de los tres restaurantes y pedir comida cubana, mexicana o italiana. No es fácil encontrar esto! Recomiendo mucho los cócteles 🍸 tienen buenas promociones 👌

The steak was presented beautifully and tasted very nice. Great atmosphere and staff; you really can't go wrong

Great little restaurant a good extensive menu professional polite quick staff nothing is a problem the food is very good very good vibe atmosphere there

The best bar in Dalston and Hackney. The service is stellar! They didn’t have a table available for us in the garden so they built one just for us. Absolutely great! I love their Margaritas and they serve Corona in a corona glass with salt on the border and lime. Spectacular experience! The garden closes at 1 and the downstairs dance floor at 3. The music selection is absolutely amazing although it could be mixed a bit better. Always a great experience

I love this place and when working in the area cannot resist the temptation of their cassava chips. Still as good with excellent service. Can't wait to return.

A restaurant during the day that turns into a lively bar at night! Stays open until 3 am in the weekends with terrace opened until 1 am and then moving to the indoors and underground dance floor. They play good latin classics as well as more modern reggaeton music. Drinks are fairly cheap (9.20£ for a double Gin and tonic is not bad!) and there is also table service outdoors. Really cool vibe!

This has to be the best Cuban restaurant / bar in London. The food is just amazingly delicious. I love Mexican food but this is better. Realistic prices too. There is a great vibe here with South American music and South American staff. Feels like being on holiday. I have checked this place off as one of my favourite places to eat. They also own the pizza restaurant next door so you can sit in both restaurants and eat from either. Great eats

Amazing food and service. And reasonable price for what you get!

Chaque fois que je vais a Londres je fonce direct dans ce restaurant. Le service est impeccable! La nourriture et les cocktail sont délicieux! Et que dire de l'ambiance digne de l'Amerique Latine. C'est de loin mon restaurant préféré. De plus le personnel est bilingue anglais/espagnol et très serviable et disponible.

food is quite poor. service is great tho!

Good, reasonably priced cocktails and open late. However, the music was quite terrible: a playlist of dated cliché "Latin" music like Lambada, Gypsy Kings, Katchupa. Within an hour or so we heard the same songs twice. If a place pretends to be Cuban, we would appreciate some Cuban music.

Great vibe, great food and good coctails. I went there with my son and we got 6 tapas and coctails. !Everything was great!