Havana Central at the West End

[gumnaam]

Well, after a century of renovations, it has finally opened. Any reviews? Going purely by looks (I stopped by for a beer before the kitchen opened) it looks avoidable, but one never knows.

[gumnaam]

Casbah Rouge, the restaurant that replaced Taci, is definitely an odd place. I ate there a few times when it first opened, before it was invaded by hookahs and belly dancers, and the food was quite good. The merguez sandwich at lunch was just the ticket. I think they no longer open for lunch, odd in a neighborhood like Morningside Heights which is full of lunch eaters (!), and I find the loud music and belly dancing a tad intrusive. Shame really because the food is good and the alternatives few.

[nativeNYer]

i'm up there all the time. it looks completely avoidable. what a really poor decision. not that west end was any great shakes but this is ridiculous. it always looks completely empty whereas the WE bar was always crowded while the restaurant was half full. the other place that looks like another disaster is the restaurant that replaced taci. then i passed it the other day and it looked like it had closed.

[haleyjen]

I'm curious as well, as I live in the neighborhood.