Three decades on Commercial Drive have made Havana part restaurant, part neighbourhood gathering place and part Vancouver memory book.
By Robert Lawrence Vancouver
Restaurants come and go quickly in any major city. Reaching 30 years is different. It means surviving changing tastes, changing neighbourhoods and generations of diners while still giving people a reason to walk through the door.
That is why Havana Vancouver deserves attention right now. The Commercial Drive restaurant is celebrating its 30th anniversary throughout September 2026, marking three decades at 1212 Commercial Drive with special food and drink combinations and a look back at the people, stories and celebrations that have shaped the restaurant since 1996.
For Robert Lawrence Vancouver, the anniversary makes Havana an especially timely restaurant to revisit. Its appeal is built around Latin-inspired food, an energetic room, a year-round patio and a strong connection to the social life of The Drive.
Thirty Years on Commercial Drive
Havana opened in 1996, and the restaurant describes its history as intertwined with Commercial Drive itself. Over those three decades, it has hosted dates, group dinners, celebrations, patio afternoons and casual meals while the surrounding neighbourhood continued to evolve.
For its 30th anniversary, Havana is leaning into that history. Throughout September, the restaurant is offering three $30 anniversary specials: a Cubano paired with a margarita or sangria, a taco combo with a margarita or sangria, and an anniversary sangria pitcher.
Havana presents itself as a colourful, energetic escape inspired by Old Havana, Cuba, while remaining rooted in Vancouver through local ingredients, British Columbia craft beer and its long-standing place in the Commercial Drive community.
The Cubano Still Makes Sense as a Signature
The Cubano is one of the clearest expressions of Havana’s menu. The current sandwich layers house porchetta, honey ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard on a house Cuban bun before pressing it together. Havana also says it donates one dollar from every Cubano ordered to its chosen charity.
A Menu Built for Sharing
Havana’s evening menu moves comfortably between small plates, tacos, sandwiches and larger signatures. Avocado Tostones pair twice-fried plantains with smashed avocado, pico de gallo and cotija cheese. Chorizo Croquettes bring together roasted potato and chorizo with pickled onion and two aiolis. The ceviche uses serrano- and lime-cured Pacific snapper with avocado, mint, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeño, tomato and a passionfruit-aji amarillo broth.
The taco section offers Carnitas with slow-roasted pork and charred pineapple salsa, Pescado with beer-battered snapper and pico de gallo, and a vegetarian Hongos version built around asada-marinated king oyster mushrooms, pickled cabbage and crispy enoki mushrooms.
For groups, current options include Paella with saffron rice, prawns, Manila clams, Pacific snapper and Spanish chorizo, along with a Birria Beef Taco Platter built around 24-hour sous-vide short rib.
Pacific Northwest Ingredients Meet Latin Flavours
One reason Havana has remained relevant is that its menu does not try to operate as a museum piece. The restaurant describes its food as a hybrid of authentic Latin flavours and Pacific Northwest style, with a commitment to fresh, local ingredients.
You can see that approach in Mussels España, which uses Salt Spring Island mussels with Spanish chorizo, smoked tomato, white wine and grilled sourdough. Pescado en Salsa de Coco pairs pan-roasted mahi mahi with habanero coconut curry, cilantro-lime rice and charred pineapple salsa.
Brunch Gives Havana Another Personality
Weekend and holiday brunch begins at 10 a.m. Current brunch signatures include the Chorizo Maple Melt with a chorizo patty, aged white cheddar, Liege waffles, sunny-side egg and spiced maple syrup; a Little Havana Brunch Bowl with rice, tostones, avocado and poached eggs; Chorizo Hash; an Enchilada Brunch Skillet; and Pulled Pork Benny served on tostones.
There are also Chicken and Waffles, French Toast, a Croque Señora based around the Cubano, and a 1212 Brunch Burger.
The Patio Is Part of the Havana Story
Some restaurants are defined almost as much by where people sit as by what they order. Havana’s year-round patio has become part of its identity on Commercial Drive. The restaurant describes it as an all-season gathering place designed to capture sunshine while still providing protection from Vancouver’s weather.
Inside, Havana leans into colour, music and a deliberately lively atmosphere. The goal is not hushed fine dining. It is a social restaurant built around people connecting over food and drinks.
Robert Lawrence Vancouver Perspective
Thirty years is a meaningful milestone in Vancouver hospitality. Havana’s longevity suggests that the restaurant has found a formula broader than any single dish: an identifiable atmosphere, approachable food, a memorable patio and a relationship with its neighbourhood.
The timing also makes this an unusually good month to discover or revisit it. September’s 30th-anniversary programming gives diners a reason to look at Havana not simply as another Commercial Drive restaurant, but as a business that has been part of the street since 1996.
For Robert Lawrence Vancouver, that history is the story. Vancouver’s restaurant scene is often discussed through new openings, awards and chef-driven concepts. Long-running neighbourhood restaurants matter too. They become part of how a city remembers itself.
This feature is based on Havana’s current published menu and anniversary information; it does not claim a firsthand tasting.
Best for: Casual dates, groups, brunch, patio dining and visitors exploring Commercial Drive.
Menu highlights to consider: Cubano, Avocado Tostones, Ceviche, Carnitas tacos, Paella, Pescado en Salsa de Coco and Chocolate Espresso Tres Leches.
Havana Vancouver
1212 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, British Columbia V5L 3X4
Monday-Friday: 11 a.m.-late
Saturday-Sunday: 10 a.m.-late