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This is the second in a series of reviews that aim to find the best burger in Manchester: #BurgerWars. We’ll be scouting out great burgers across the city, and then reporting back just for you. At the end, we’ll crown Vada Magazine‘s Queen of the Manchester Burger Wars. Once we’re done with Manchester – well, then we’ll move onto the next city!
Since they opened back in 2012, I don’t think I’ve seen a quiet Friday or Saturday night in Revolucion de Cuba. It’s easily one of the biggest party spaces in Manchester, with a vast club room tucked away underneath what is already a huge bar and restaurant space.
With a venue this size, you could be forgiven for expecting something to give – service, quality of drinks, food selection. With this latest concept though, the guys behind the now infamous Revolution vodka bars haven’t left anything to chance.
Revolucion de Cuba is a stunning two floor bar and cantina, located on the corner of Peter Street and Deansgate (opposite the Great Northern). As well as the main bar and restaurant on the ground floor, live music and late night partying await in the Havana Club Room. If you fancy giving your dancing feet a rest though, you can enjoy table service all night as you sample some of the world’s finest rums in the exclusive Havana Club Bar.
We started our evening with a couple of Porn Star Rumtinis – a twist on the vodka classic that works well. So well, we quickly ordered a couple more! Part of the Favoritos de Cuba cocktail menu, this is Bacardi Superior rum shaken with passion fruit, lime and vanilla, served with a shot of Cono Sur.
Feeling pretty spoilt for choice, and knowing how generous the portions tend to be here, we opted to share a starter of cajun creamy mushrooms. Not a lot of imagination required here, but it’s worth noting the rich, creamy sauce has got a cheeky little kick to it.
My reason for visiting Rev de Cuba, though, was a clear one: show me the burger! The waiter was happy to recommend their signature burger: the Cajun Hot Burger – a delectable hunk of brioche-wrapped red meat.
All the burgers at Rev de Cuba are made to their secret recipe. Mine was topped with their own spicy rum sauce, jalapenos and manchego cheese, served in a rum bun with a mug of fries and a side of rum mayo and pickles.
I’ll gladly take that waiter’s recommendation every time I visit in future. Cooked just to my liking (pink, but they’ll do it your way), tender and juicy, and with a great mix of flavours to top it off, I was left suitably stuffed.
My dining partner for the evening opted for the cajun chicken and mushroom buritto, from the Especiales menu, which Rev de Cuba describe as ‘de Cuba dishes with a difference every month’.
I couldn’t resist trying this, and despite the Cajun Hot Burger being as tasty as it was, I was still left with pretty bad food envy – more of those creamy cajun mushrooms that we had to start, stuffed inside a flour tortilla with marinated chicken, paella rice, sour cream and fresh spinach, topped with pico de galo and served with tortillas and spicy black beans.
Despite feeling the strain on our waistbands, we were warned we’d regret leaving without Rev de Cuba’s signature dessert, their churros.
These were nothing short of AMAZING. A mug of Spanish doughnut sticks dusted in cinnamon sugar and served with chocolate and rum caramel dipping sauces. The churros were fried to perfection, and if I could bottle that rum caramel sauce and sell it, I’d be a very rich man!
Revolucion De Cuba’s menu describes itself as ‘bringing a love for food to life, with Cuban energy and Latino passion’. We couldn’t disagree with them on this occasion. Both food and service were faultless throughout.
