Victor's Cafe

If you haven't had much Cuban food like us, Victor's Cafe is the place to go. For over half a century, it has been a fixture for modern Cuban cuisine in NYC since 1963. We were captivated by the unique dishes that reflect a fusion of Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences. As a family-owned restaurant, you can feel the warmth in both the service and the food. It's right in the Theater District, making it perfect for grabbing dinner and drinks before or after a Broadway show, with its inviting atmosphere and even live music. ＊Havana Guac $19＊Croquetas Corral $16The Havana guac was aesthetically arranged with tropical root chips and queso frito. The chips were light and not greasy, making them a perfect match for the fresh guac. We also enjoyed the croquettes, which were filled with Berkshire ham and served with a tomato dip.＊Paella de Mariscos $45 ***We got two of their signature main dishes: paella was my fav while my friend enjoyed vaca frita more. The paella was brimming with shrimps, mussels, squid and clams. I loved how fresh all the seafood tasted. My friend found it too salty while I thought it was perfectly seasoned. ＊Vaca Frita Al Mojo Agrio $36 *The vaca frita came with a pan of shredded beef, accompanied by a side of rice and black beans. The meat had those crispy edges that added a crunch to every bite. It was a little too dry for my liking but my friend loved it. It was a classic Cuban combo if you wanna try something new! ＊Tres Leches $14 ***＊Flan $11 Pro tip: Save room for dessert. We both agreed the tres leche was the best we've ever had. Topped with torched meringue and berries, the sponge soaked in three milks was incredibly moist. The flan was good too with a light caramel syrup. ＊Cafe Cubano $5It was rich, aromatic and sweet. I would've had more if I went for brunch or lunch :P

Everything I tried here was genuinely so delicious. Hardly any misses, each dish was flavor-packed and had something going for it. The beans and rice combo was actually addicting. Dessert did not disappoint, as their flan was some of the best I've had. Pretty pricey but very much worth it.Favorite dishes: Enchiladas, oxtail, tres leches, flan

Lechon Asado was excellent. Moist, plentiful and tasty. Lechon means baby pig, so that kinda scared me, but I couldn't really tell the difference between peril and this. They accommodated my "no cilantro " request (because it tastes like soap to me). Chose to accompany the pork with the seasonal vegetable option which came out as a sizzling cast iron of broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, onions, mushroom and peppers. We'll worth it.Overall cost very reasonable.Don't drink but the alcoholic menu seemed extensive with lots of named choices on the cocktail menu.

Pro Tip: The Cubano Coffee (with whipped sugar) is more like a sweetened espresso. Espresso size, despite being $5+. Yes, it's NYC, meaning prices will be higher no matter the quality. The interior is quite beautiful, with a very natural appeal. While the plants are fake, you do feel like your somewhere other than the city. The menu offers a great variety of Cuban dishes, withost dishes offering a side of rice and beans. The menu reads well! Our mouths were watering. However, I wouldn't say that the actual tastes matched what we expected. Both the lechón asado and tostones con puerco were mostly bland and dry; the arroz con pollo had very little chicken; lastly, we had two orders of camarones enchilados and they awkwardly came out with different portions...despite charged the same price. Staff was attentive.

This was our first visit and we found much to like. The location is convenient to Broadway theaters and transportation. The ambience was quite pleasant, seating comfortable, and the tables were not too close to each other. We were treated to a small band performing covers of Latin inspired music (e.g., Santana and The Girl From Ipanema). Service was prompt. The food was quite good though not good enough to justify the above moderate pricing.The highlight of our dishes was the octopus appetizer. The octopus was quite tender, not rubbery and definitely flavorful! Among the entrees, The HAVANA GUAC was tasty but the serving size was too small. The POLLO MANIGUA was delicious and we also enjoyed the LECHÓN ASADO.

The place is near the theater so it was a great spot for lunch. The decor is set differently throughout in each section. The automotive hand fans that hang above are super cool to look at, not for cooling. There are seats for couples and groups. The umbrella table inside makes you feel like your outside. It also happened to be restaurant week. I ordered from the special tasting menu while my guests had the standard items. The place is visually pretty. Nice vibe. The food was well received and tasty. The presentation of the dishes were lovely. The Cuban coffee was better than the american.. go figure it's a Cuban restaurant!. I tried the creamy corn grits and shrimp. I would have loved some garlic in that. The battered shrimp were ok in the mix. As an entree the shrimp in a spicy creole sauce with wine boniato puree with boniato crisps. What is Boniato right?...a sweet potato. The Spanish description said camerones enchilados. This was tasty and not too spicy. The shrimp were medium sized. The puree combinations in the entrees for the snapper was sweet plantains. They dress the plates nicely. This came with delicious white rice and black beans If you like a puree you're winning. The tastting menu for restaurant week also came with flan. All nicely done. Others had the Cuban sandwich they asked for some garlic aoli. The flavors need a punch. Unfortunately, one guest had to send her meal back, the snapper wasn't fully cooked. The warning is that the location for the bathrooms are down stairs which wasn't favorable for the older guests. It's not disabled friendly. They recommend that you go next door to the hotel. Also, if you can make the trip downstairs, the walls are adorned with pictures and diffusers. The place smells nice. Note: The toilets go from very low to mid height. Stay away from the one on the far right if you are tall. It's for children. Nice place for ambiance for sure.

I often search for good Cuban food when I'm traveling. Victor's Cafe more than meets the mail. It's a fantastic place that does some innovative stuff with Cuban food, but keeps its authenticity intact. The staff was amazing; every one that I interacted with was helpful, kind, and friendly. The decor inside the surprisingly large restaurant is classic Cuban. Beautiful murals and artwork, Cuban artifacts, fans wave overhead, and lush greenery. We tried a number of things from the menu; every thing that came from the kitchen was perfect. The appetizer platter gave us a taste of a number of classic apps. The combo vaca frita/ropa vieja plate was just right. The snapper ceviche was perfect. The lechon was cooked to melt-in-your-mouth goodness. And we closed with churros. Just plain fantastic!

We had lunch at Victor's Cafe before going to a show nearby. We arrived around 11:50 and placed our order soon after. A couple of appetizers and three main dishes. The appetizers arrived pretty soon and were very good. After finishing these around 12:20, we were there waiting for the main dishes for a long time. Despite asking people who work there several times and people who arrived after us got their dishes, we were still waiting. We finally had enough and don's miss our show and just told the sever, if it's not ready, we are leaving. And then he said everything is ready in 2 minutes, so we got our main dishes around 1:00pm. The food was good, but the service is really pretty bad.

Ambiance is upscale. Stopped in before a show at Gershwin theater. Great service and our server was very cognizant of the show time. Get the plantains! I've never been one who likes plantains but Victor's has converted me. The texture of them was perfection. A lovely chewy fried exterior with caramelized edges and the soft inside was to die for. We also got the Ropa vieja and split the entree since we weren't that hungry. Beans were excellent. Definitely recommend and will be back next time I'm in town.

My favorite restaurant. I grew up coming here with my Cuban relatives. The food is definitely authentic. It's not the most expensive, but there are cheaper options of good value, if that's a concern--especially on the Jersey side. However, if in the City and craving authentic Cuban cuisine, this is the place for you! Ask for my pal, Armando. He's the best. Always takes phenomenal care of us!!! Even gives us off-the-menu items/specials. A delight. The ambiance is wonderful. Perfect for a romantic date night (right by Times Squage, so a stroll downtown afterwards is a plus), a professional meal, a family reunion, or if celebrating a special occasion like a birthday.P.S. The men's restroom has some amazingly cool things framed.