Cuban food gets an undeservedly bad reputation. State restaurants — the comedores and peso cafeterias — can be grim: overcooked rice and beans, stringy pork, warm beer. But Cuba has a thriving private restaurant sector (paladares) that is often excellent, and the basics of Cuban cooking — black bean soup, ropa vieja (shredded braised beef), rice and black beans (moros y cristianos), lechón (roast pork), and tostones (twice-fried plantain) — are deeply satisfying when done well.
Look for paladares, identifiable by a small sign or word of mouth. In Havana the paladar scene has been dynamic since the 1990s; in smaller towns there are often one or two excellent options run out of someone's front room. Prices at paladares are paid in hard currency (euros or dollars). Expect to pay €10-20 per person for a full meal with drinks at a decent paladar.
Seafood is surprisingly underrepresented on menus despite Cuba being an island — much of the catch is exported. Lobster (langosta) appears regularly and is excellent. When it's available, it's usually grilled simply with butter and garlic.
Rum is Cuba's great gift to the world. Havana Club is the national brand and is excellent; look for the 7-year añejo for sipping, or use the 3-year blanco in a mojito (rum, lime, sugar, mint, soda water) or a daiquirí. Cuba Libre (rum and cola) is simple and worth drinking at least once under the right circumstances. The Floridita bar in Old Havana claims to have invented the daiquirí; it's touristy and expensive but still atmospheric.
Coffee is good and cheap — dark and sweet is the default, served in tiny cups. The coffee grown in the Sierra Maestra foothills near Santiago de Cuba is the best on the island.
At the street level, look for vendors selling croquetas (fried ham croquettes), pan con tortilla (egg sandwich), and fresh fruit — mangoes, guavas, papayas — all sold for a few pesos. These are the cheapest and sometimes the most satisfying meals in Cuba.