Azucar

So anniversary was last week so we decided to get a hotel room at Casablanca and do the get out of Queens for a night thing. Also for a precursor, we recently spent a week in DR, so we were feeling very Caribbean.
Someone in an earlier review said «this isnt authentic» Cuban food. Well, ok you could say that, but it is very Cuban themed, and done very very very well. A place like this, is where I go when I want to spend quality time with someone. We had 7:30 reservations, but showed up 15 minutes earlier, just because thats who we are. We got a great table, and ordered a round of drinks in anticipation of the music starting at 8 (which we had seen on some flier, but it ended up not starting till 9).
My girlfriend had a sangria and a pina colata, and I had Cuba Libre’s.
The drinks were well done, not overly strong and not watered down, but the pina colata was very thick and great.
No appetizer we had both attended a wine and cheese function a few hours earlier so skipped right to the main course.
My girlfriend had the chicken with plantains, rice and peppers, which was great, she ate about half and was full.
I had the pork soaked in the cumin and what tasted seared, with black beans and rice, and while it didnt say it on the menu, the pork was mixed with onions (which i hate) but were very easy to pick out. My dish was great, I only wish there had been more.
The music finally started around 9 and we were not disappointed, so we decided to order dessert too. The home made chocolate cake and ice cream. It was just that, fresh warm from the oven small chocolate cake, and a scoop of ice cream on top. Delicious.
Only thing I regret, is not getting a cigar. Apparently, they are complimentary for customers (of course I’m sure it’s expected to tip the roller) but I was totally unaware of this. In total, we were in the resturant for a little over 3 hours, our bill ended up being around 100ish for two people, 44 for drinks and 45 for food.

i had such a nice bday dinner here, gathered 8 of my girls,
had good food, fun music, decent service
and they were nice enuff to let my friends grab the mic and sing happy bday to me
great nite !!
thank you

There aren’t a ton of Cuban offerings north of 34^th street so Azucar is a bit sweeter of an option b/​c of this. While the décor is on the ‘classy’ side for Cuban, it still does an admirable job of feeling more Cuban than midtown/​extended Theater District. The live music (at least on Saturday nights) and the many ceiling fans help in this regard.
The ceviche and grilled squid apps I tried were both very good.
The ceviche was a fair-​sized portion of calimari, rock shrimp, and another fish. Liked the accompanying plantain chips. Light on the citrus so it thankfully wasn’t quite as pucker-​inducing as some NYC takes on the dish.
The grilled squid was cooked well — chewy but not too chewy. The combo of the deliciously garlicky broth and the char from the grill paid off the chewiness and made me glad we didn’t go with the similarly prepared shrimp.
The two entrees we had were big in portion but rather one-​note. My Masitas de Puerco (Sauteed Pork Cubes) dish was just okay. Liked the flavor but got bored of the dish ¼ of the way through. The accompanying congri (a rice/​bean mixture) was very good. My date’s Pollo Aljibe (Citrus Chicken) came with two huge pounded-​thin chicken breasts and what looked like a salad on top of it. Tried a bite and it wasn’t very memorable.
The maduros (sweet plantains) were good. They are the presentable, greaseless type vs. the mushy, greasy type.
The rice pudding dessert was quite good. Loved the cinnamon. Tasted like a grittier horchata.
I’d definitely go back but probably more for drinks and apps vs. entrees…

Azucar is one of the most unique eating experience I have ever had. The atmosphere of the restaurant is load, dark and everyone is having fun. Not a place to go if you are looking for a quiet conversation to talk about heavy things. There is a live band and a cigar roller in the front of the restaurant. I have been to Azucar twice as a change up from the usual guys night out steakhouses.
The food is very good. We had the fried plantains and calamari appetizers. I had the shredded the skirt steak with onions and peppers. It was served in a bowl made from sliced plantains. A very interesting combination of tastes.
If you are looking for something different this is the place to go.

I think these are the same owners as Cuba on Thompson St. Same décor, guy rolling the cigars in the front, similar menu. Anyways, great cuban food. Flavorful ropa vieja, not overly sauced. Boiled yuca with garlic. Shrimp stuffed platanos. I remember a chicken dish, can’t remember the name, it reminded me of stir fry, except the chicken wasn’t cut up, but there were peppers and onions. Quite tasty. O yea, and the beans, not bad, not bad at all.

I came to Azucar with my boyfriend last night, pretty unexpectedly. We walked past it, I said, «I don’t think I’ve ever had Cuban food before.» So we decided to give it a whirl.
I’m very glad we did. It is a pretty modest nighttime dining area, with dim candle lighting. They had a three man band playing Latin music, and nothing makes me happier than live music during dinner. It wasn’t too loud to hold a conversation either, just perfect.
Our waitress was adorable, and very sweet. I’m one of those obnoxious people who asks what is good on the menu, and she pretty much ordered for me. Kudos to her.
Because I was on a budget, I (well, she) ordered the Cuban Sausage and chips appetizer, and the mango mojito. I think this place is known for their mojitos, they have a lot of different flavors. It was one of the best I’ve had. And the appetizer was enough to fill me up as well. Between the appetizer and the drink, I paid just as much as my boyfriend, who opted to only get a meal.
+ * for the food
+ * for the drink
+ * service
+ * music
+ * atmosphere
— * for my ignorance in Cuban food. I hear that there is better in the city, but I do not know better. I will have to come back to Azucar when I have a little more experience.

yummy, the mojitos are official! portions are great, a lil pricey but def worth it. Flan was amazing and after going there twice I dont think you can go wrong ordering anything on the menu. The service was good and wait was not a problem the first time, 2^nd time I made reservations and it went well which was great considering small places like that dint take reservations. A live band plays at night and they roll cohibas in the corner. soo authenthic I loved it!

I wish I had a chance to eat dinner here but instead I just got drinks. The mojito is one of the best I’ve tasted in the city. They even put sugar cane in it. They had some pretty decent sangria too.
In the front of the window you see a guy hand rolling cigars. Apparently they give those to dinner patrons. Maybe next time I head out there I’ll get one of those.

I can’t give 3.5 stars on here…
The food at Azucar is pretty good. Please do not think 3 stars means it mediocre… simply it is not as good as some other Cuban places in the city. For the price, you will be hard pressed to find comparable food in the area (I used to go to Azucar every week or so for dinner with friends who live a few blocks away).
The food is a little too South American for me and the band does get a ltitle loud. I love going to Azucar a little late on a Saturday evening to dance on the [smallish] dance floor.
This is my recommendation if you are in the area and want some good Cuban food without breaking the bank and 2 week in advance reservations.

I’ve been here twice now with my little lady, Chelsea J. and I gotta tell you, the food is phenomenal. The place is a bit pricey, but well worth the extra green. The seafood paella is out of this world and the staff is incredibly friendly. The drink menu is as extensive as it gets and there always seems to be live music which is great. Their downstairs eating area is small, but relaxed and it makes you feel more important than you are. All kidding aside, a great place. And in the nice weather, a cool man sits outside and rolls you cigars. Rad.

Mojitos, Music and Munchies.
I am a huge fan of Mojitos (the classic one– not all this fruity stuff) and they were perfect. Simple as that.
Its a small restaurant with a lot of character and flavor. At certain hours there’s a guy rolling hand made cigars by the front (how great is that?) and certain days have live music blasting throughout.
The food was great and a mix of traditional Cuban dishes and other Latin and Caribbean styles as well. The wait staff was helpful with any recommendations and it was an overall great experience.
My only ything was that I just wish the venue was larger.

Just had dinner here last night before going to a show at City Center. It can be tough to locate a reasonably priced restaurant in this area of the city that’s not a diner and Azucar was a pretty good find. A Cuban restaurant with dishes borrowing accents from South America, Spain, and the Caribbean, the dining room is softly lit with candles and the tables are nicely spaced from one another. Exposed brick walls, live music and a rocking happy hour make for some potentially loud moments, but we were there early in the evening so the excitement only picked up towards the end of our dinner.
Mojitos are the specialty drink here — we tried the regular and the mango, which was way too sweet for me. We started our meal with ham croquettes — very tasty, but they could have been much warmer. Might have even been nice for them to actually be hot! I moved onto a chicken dish stuffed with plantains, cheese and a mixture of onions and peppers. The sauce was great and it was a huge serving. My friend ordered the adobo-​seasoned pork chop — dry, dry and more dry. What I think that we should have gone for here was something like the seafood casserole or paella — as we were leaving I saw some people eating these entrees and they looked really good.
I’d like to go back for the live music and try something different — Azucar definitely has good potential!

Azucar is right next door to Cancun, a place I can’t seem to escape. One night en route to the familliar, we saw Azucar and figured we’d go for it. Very glad I did. The mojitos and white sangria were excellent, as was the environment. Rose petals on the table, pretty candles… the whole nine yards. The service was great too. The fare was fairly traditional, but delicious all the same. The highlight of the evening was walking outside after our meal and recieving a freshly rolled cigar — completely gratis. It was a perfect end to a fabulous experience.
*EDIT* Apparently this place has been renamed Guantanamera.

I really enjoyed the food here during lunch, I had empanadas and then I think the steak with rice and beans, they were all well cooked. The food, as other reviewers have stated, fuses a little more than just Cuban into their menu. Slightly upscale, the servers got a little confused and the food took a while, but our department enjoyed it. It was empty when we walked in but the service was nevertheless very nice. The décor was fine.