Victor's Café

Victor's opened on Columbus Avenue at 71st Street in 1963 and moved to West 52nd Street in 1980, and it is still family-owned, now in its third generation. The rooms are made for an occasion: skylights, tropical greenery, Cuban artwork on the walls, and a steady stream of theatergoers timing dinner to the curtain.

Order ropa vieja, the shredded beef braised in tomato and peppers that Cuba treats as a national dish, or lechón asado, the slow-roasted pork. Start with chicken empanadas, add churrasco with chimichurri if the table is hungry, and let the bar handle the rest: Cuban rum, cocktails and sangria.