Beer and rum are the favoured tipples in Cuba and the quality of both is high.

Rum It is rum that most often captures the imagination of visitors usually in the form of one of the cocktails for which the island is famous. Take your pick from a daiquiri, mojito, Cuba libre or cubanito amongst others. Rum is very cheap - to buy by the bottle Havana Club is about £3 a litre, and for the more discerning aged brands such as Havana Club 7 years costs a pricey £5 a litre. But a word of warning ONLY buy from an official store - then you know what you are drinking !

Beer 'Cristal' is one of the most popular local beers, produced in Holguin it costs about 50 pence a can at a Tourist Store or £0.50 to £1 at a hotel. Hatuey, a beer produced in Havana and named after a famous Indian chief is also popular especially in the west of the island.

Wine Imported mainly from Spain or South America wines can be expensive in restaurants and there is often little to choose from. Through a joint venture with a Spanish company Cuba now produces its own wines under the 'Soroa' brand name. Named after the famous orchid gardens of Soroa the grapes are grown and the wine produced in Pinar del Rio province to the west of Havana. Prices range from about £2 to £5 per bottle.

Soft Drinks fresh fruit drinks are hard to find outside of the hotel breakfast bars and the Cubans make do with their own versions of flavoured water. Most are sweet, some very sweet and most taste vaguely of fruit.. some especially in the east of the country are made from vegetables and do not necessarily agree with the western palate. Coke and Pepsi escape the US trade embargo by being imported from Mexico and other imported fizzy drinks such as Orangina and Sprite are available alongside their Cuban lookalike canned counterparts

Cuban coffee is also very good and is usually taken espresso style.

Better than it used to be, but it can still be difficult when eating out to find vegetarian food in Cuba. Often the the choice is limited with Cheese, pizzas, omelettes, pasta and seasonal fruit probably the safest bets. Congris the 'National Dish' appears the ideal for base for a vegetarian meal but the mixture of rice and beans is often cooked with meat fat so its best to check beforehand. Paladars will often cook meatless dishes for you, especially if you go along beforehand and explain what you would like to eat.

At many of the All Inclusive hotels the food is buffet style and there is usually a large choice of different dishes. Most hot dishes are meat based but buffet style food is available at all meal times usually with many different salads, fruit and cheese. At breakfast freshly made omelettes are often available with a choice of meatless fillings

All Inclusive Hotels The majority of beach hotels are now run on an All Inclusive basis with meals provided buffet style. These will generally be operated on a theme basis with a different cuisine every night for a week - ie Italian, Cuban, Seafood, International. At the more expensive All Inclusive hotels there will also be one or more a la carte restaurants included in the price.

Town and Country Hotels Generally at other hotels in towns and cities, we recommend, almost without exception, that you book on a Bed and Breakfast basis. This gives you the chance to look at the menu at the hotel restaurant before deciding to eat there and also the opportunity to try some of the local restaurants and Paladars as well.

There are essentially two types of restaurant - State run and the small private Paladars.

Tourist Restaurants State run hard currency Restaurants, where everything is paid for in Convertible Pesos, can normally be spotted by the credit card stickers on the door and meals are between £8 and £14. The menu can often be long and apparently offer many choices, the reality can sometimes be different as many items can be unavailable.

Paladars The main development in eating out in Cuba in the last few years has been the introduction of 'Paladars' and these have sprung up in Havana and in towns and cities right across the island. Paladars are small, family run restaurants with a maximum of 12 chairs. They are set up in people's gardens, living rooms, patios, anywhere in fact where there is sufficient space for a few tables and chairs. Paladars offer possibly the ultimate in Cuban home cooking and are normally very good value. Payment for tourists is in Convertible Pesos and in Havana and Trinidad expect to pay £6 - £8 for a meal, elsewhere £4 - £7. If you ask before ordering they will often have items not on the menu and some will even cook especially to order if you visit earlier and let them know what you would like to eat.

Bodegas (local stores) and Markets Most foods are still rationed to Cuban Nationals and a ration book system operates. Basic foods, beans, rice, bread, sugar are now much more readily available and can normally be paid for in Convertible Pesos. The local stores 'bodegas' operate the National Ration Card System and are not available to tourists. In Havana there are now a number of co-operatives supplying fresh vegetables to the locals and in most towns there are private (not state run) farmers markets. Usually near to the Train or Bus station these bustling markets are worth a visit just for the atmosphere alone.

Tourist Stores In many towns there are 'Tourist Stores'. In this type of store all goods are paid for in Convertible Pesos so their custom is almost entirely from tourists. The Tourist Stores provide basic, mainly imported food often in packets or tins. The range of fresh foods, vegetables, fruits, bread etc can be disappointing as the shops are more geared to providing snack foods rather than supplying the ingredients for self catering. The Tourist stores are often the best places to purchase bottled water and other drinks before setting out on a long journey.