A high-standard place fit for Bohemians, wealthy people and gourmets.

The luxurious Café del Oriente restaurant, fit for high-standard social gatherings or simply to meet the needs of those who regard themselves as gourmets. Café del Oriente is located on one corner of San Francisco de Asís Square at Old Havana, between the streets Oficios and Amargura. The first thing that draws the attention is the restaurant's stone façade, typical of last century's old mansions, of two floors, the ground floor houses the Bar-Café. The bar counter has 20 seats and a capacity for 40 diners at the tables. The upper floor which is the most luxurious, houses the restaurant with a capacity of 82 seats. The atmosphere is intimist. This is the general look of this food facility which opened its doors on December 17, 1997. The menu features cold plates, broths, soups, some hot first course with shrimp and meat along with the perfect company of a good-stocked wine list made up by Marqués de Cáceres or Oportos. A fine choice is to combine Cohíba lanceros or Cohíba panetelas and Montecristo Nº 4, that are the most demanded cigars. The restaurant opens from 12:00 m until midnight while the Bar-Café opens from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m Habaguanex company, the agency that runs the establishment, is aimed at setting up a luxurious circle near San Francisco de Asís Square, one of the oldest and more attractive historic sites of the city.

Caféde Oriente belongs to the Lezama group, according to Gregorio Morales, the manager. D, Luis Lezama, priest, reporter, and the indisputable soul of the project founded it. It started with La Taberna de Alabarderos 25 years ago and as a result of a peculiar story. Luis Lezama was a priest of Chinch¢n and used to travel with novice bullfighters from towns to town to fight. After a while, they thought of creating something with more permanent because most of the kids did not have a family. It is at that time when they rent La Taberna de Alabarderos and starts its travel through the restoration world with all the youngsters. In December 1982, part of Café de Oriente is opened, in the room that was a convent and a printer's before being a cafe. In April, 1983, the tea room is opened as well as the restaurant of Café Oriente. The price ranges from 6500 to 6800 pt., being able to order the menu in the tea room. The great decorator of the Group has being father Lezama from the beginning. He knows very well what he wants and sometimes has to redo things until he gets the result wished. For example, El Aljibe in La Botiller°a is a perfect imitation of the Arab wall of the 18th century. The most interesting detail of the place is the sparrows. They are a symbol of the Café. They arrived two years after the Café had been inaugurated and began to get inside when opening the windows. At the beginning, people tried to make them go away but in the end they had to give up and become so attached to them, that they were allowed to stay. Since Benito is there, called after a very "slim" waiter because of the resemblance, the rest of the sparrows do not come. Benito is very domineering and smart.