Cuba – synonymous with rum, dancing, sunshine and cigars. When I think of Cuba I think of the old-world glamour of a 1920s Havana prospering wildly from the influx of American money. So when I heard that Revolucion de Cuba was coming to town, I had high hopes it could bring a little of the aforementioned to the otherwise gloomy Lower Briggate in Leeds. I went down just before the opening for tapas and a helluva load of rum.
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They really have gone to town on the decor. The venue has had a complete overhaul and the designers have managed to encapsulate glamour with a warm, laid back holiday beach club feel. I instantly feel relaxed in this room. To the back a live singer plays acoustic guitar to diners. A regular feature here is live music and it's little touches like this that help you forget that it is part of a huge chain. Downstairs houses some of the most glamorous toilets in Leeds complete with separate mirrored room with stools for ladies to touch up their makeup.
VIP rum bar
For the evening we are shown upstairs to what will be (on weekends) the main dance room. Here wooden floors and a huge long bar sit opposite some exceptionally comfy booths. Off from this large open space is the specialist rum bar, which I'll come to later, however at the weekends this will be used for private parties and a VIP area.
We are seated in the cosy low light booths and get to meet some of the Cuba team who present us with a sample of the tapas.
First up…patatas bravas, home-made bread and selection of butters, and ham croquettes.
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The breads were wonderfully fresh, warm and doughy…ideal to have with the mushrooms which are divine. These arrived gluttonously rich and served bathing in cream sauce and green herbs.
The patatas bravas however were missing 3 key elements: seasoning, crisp potatoes and sufficient aioli. The tomato sauce was fine but these tatties certainly needed work to bring them up to scratch. Ham Croquettes promised a lot but left me confused and searching for ham. Their crispy outing was reminiscent of a breaded Findus pancake and the inner of whipped potato. I found no evidence of the promised piggy…perhaps he got blitzed into oblivion.
We had roast veg, fresh and well-seasoned with herbs but otherwise, as described. The meatball had a wonderful rich tomato sauce but the meatball left me wanting. It was surprisingly dry to say that it was stuffed with sausage. They left me suspicious that they had been pre-cooked and reheated separately from their sauce, allowing them to dry out. The chicken quesadillas were moreish and a great sharer- I wish we had had more of these instead.
The patatas bravas however were missing 3 key elements: seasoning, crisp potatoes and sufficient aioli. The tomato sauce was fine but these tatties certainly needed work to bring them up to scratch. Ham Croquettes promised a lot but left me confused and searching for ham. Their crispy outing was reminiscent of a breaded Findus pancake and the inner of whipped potato. I found no evidence of the promised piggy…perhaps he got blitzed into oblivion.
We had roast veg, fresh and well-seasoned with herbs but otherwise, as described. The meatball had a wonderful rich tomato sauce but the meatball left me wanting. It was surprisingly dry to say that it was stuffed with sausage. They left me suspicious that they had been pre-cooked and reheated separately from their sauce, allowing them to dry out. The chicken quesadillas were moreish and a great sharer- I wish we had had more of these instead.
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I have no idea what these were but they were great fruity, elephant jugs of joy
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Dinner over, we were taken to the rum room to sample some of the world's finest rums with Revolucion’s charming bartender. Both his knowledge and evident passion for rum (in particular) was enigmatic and the whole group were engaged in his demo. Here are a interesting snippets of rum knowledge that were bestowed upon us:
· Rum can only be classified as such if 40% proof – no less.
· If rum has a strong taste/ smell of vanilla then it means that is has been added artificially
· Rum is traditionally filtered through charcoal, and aged in oak barrels
· The more it is aged the more it tastes like whisky
· Rum can only be classified as such if 40% proof – no less.
· If rum has a strong taste/ smell of vanilla then it means that is has been added artificially
· Rum is traditionally filtered through charcoal, and aged in oak barrels
· The more it is aged the more it tastes like whisky
Bar snacks were mega
The rum tasting ensued aggressively- straight from the bottle and broken only by the sniffing of aromas from the golden liquid. My memory of what we tried evaporated quicker than a puddle in the Cuban sun, however of the ones we sampled the two below were by far the best. The Elements eight was deep and rich and tasted like liquefied dark chocolate. The El Dorado 12 year rum also delighted. This stuff will put hairs on your chest, most certainly one to try if you are a whisky drinker.
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I had a really fantastic night here; mostly because of the wonderful staff, the warm relaxing surroundings and of course the tasting masterclass. Sure, the food isn’t the best tapas you’ll find and is really more mediocre, but the drinks are good, often great.
Perhaps I am being a bit unfair as we only had a small sample of dishes from what is a huge menu; I'll be back on Sunday for their 2-4-1 deal to give it a second chance. And more importantly, I’ll sure be back here on a weekend dancing holes in my shoes because let’s face it, you come here to party. The swarms of tapas come a decided second place to what this place offers: a good night out.
Perhaps I am being a bit unfair as we only had a small sample of dishes from what is a huge menu; I'll be back on Sunday for their 2-4-1 deal to give it a second chance. And more importantly, I’ll sure be back here on a weekend dancing holes in my shoes because let’s face it, you come here to party. The swarms of tapas come a decided second place to what this place offers: a good night out.
Food – 6/10
Drinks – 8.5/10
Service – 9/10
Atmosphere 8.5/10
Value – 7/10
Written by Erin Goodall, FoodGoblin Northern Correspondent
