ES / EN
- December 7, 2023 -
No Result
View All Result
OnCubaNews
  • World
  • Cuba
  • Cuba-USA
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Infographic
  • Culture
    • Billboard
  • Sports
  • Styles / Trends
  • Media
  • Special
  • Cuban Flavors
  • World
  • Cuba
  • Cuba-USA
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Infographic
  • Culture
    • Billboard
  • Sports
  • Styles / Trends
  • Media
  • Special
  • Cuban Flavors
OnCubaNews
ES / EN
Home Cuba Economy Entrepreneurship in Cuba

Enrique Núñez: “La Guarida is a culinary and artistic experience”

by Marita Pérez Díaz Marita Pérez Díaz, marita marita
November 30, 2014
in Entrepreneurship in Cuba
0
Enrique Núñez

Enrique Núñez

In fiction it was home to a refined gay in the nineties, symbol of the receipt of the counter-culture, religion, spirituality. The hideout of a man cornered by the society of his time, in the Cuban film of largest international impact: Strawberry and Chocolate. In reality it was a family home converted into a successful paladar (private restaurant), located nothing more and nothing less than on the third floor of an authentic tenement building in Centro Habana.

The man behind this metamorphosis is an electronics engineer whom life diverted by chance to the world of gastronomy. His name is Enrique Núñez and he manages La Guarida, one of the best restaurants in town, visited by kings, artists and personalities from around the world. But the beginning was, like almost all the great things, by sheer chance.

“I had read the story of Senel Paz and had seen the play, so I knew what it was shooting. A friend who was assistant director of Titón asked me to help find a location and I suggested the house of my parents. They came; they liked it and chose the place to be the ‘hideout’ of Diego “says Enrique while smoking a Cuban cigar.

In 1993 the film Strawberry and Chocolate triumphs in the Havana Film Festival and the following year it was nominated for an Oscar. The fame transcended the film and tourists began arriving from everywhere in the hope of finding the Cuba they had seen in the movies, the image and atmosphere of the film, to see La Guarida with their own eyes.

Enrique Núñez: “We do not want La Guarida to be just a restaurant where you dine and that´s it, but to be an experience that customers feel the satisfaction of a good meal and enriched spiritually.”

“But they were disappointed to note that it was merely a normal family house,” recalls Enrique and recalls the days when many friends called him crazy and others encouraged him to do something. It was the same time that they gave the first self-employment licenses in gastronomy. His parents and his wife accompanied him on the adventure of “recovering the local environment of the film and convey its poetic message”.

Related Posts

Former congressman Joe García speaks to private entrepreneurs from Cuba visiting Miami, in a warehouse of the Atlantic Grocery Supply Company, along with its executives. Photo: OC.

Cuban private entrepreneurs in Miami: closing the circle

October 14, 2023
Photo: Taken from Clandestina/FB.

Ranking of Notoriety of private brands in Cuba: the first step

June 8, 2023
Photo: Yander Zamora/EFE.

Cuban entrepreneurs address Biden: “We ask again that you listen to us”

May 6, 2023
Photo: official site of the Gabi&Sofi brand of children’s products.

At Gabi&Sofi they never stop dreaming

March 19, 2022

Together they decided to make the place they would like to visit and spent all the resources that they had. They were careful on details, decor, linens, cutlery, plates and glasses and precise music, Cuban especially: Bola de Nieve, Rita … “Our goal with the site was to enhance the best values of our culture and we had a story gave us the excuse for that. Reconstruct the ‘altar of the Cuban culture’ that appears in the movie and began to display works of artists. Today people come to enjoy the food, but also to discover some that piece of Creole art we show. They ask us about everything around them, from mixtures of our dishes to the photographs and paintings on the walls, music, everything. ”

The restaurant has received visits of numerous figures like Jack Nicholson, Beyonce, Peter Norton, Steven Spielberg, Fito Paez and Pedro Almodóvar. But Enrique remembers one particular visit. “Once I was at home taking a shower and a friend called me to see if I could close the restaurant at night. I had everything booked and jokingly told him that only if he brought the kings of Spain. And he just replied that ‘okay, close it’. Then I got nervous and I agreed, but I had to apologize to affected customers. Then I saw the royal guard and received the Queen of Spain, Queen Sofia. It was an amazing experience working for someone of royalty, although I never had the feeling of serving a queen, because she is a very easy person and that was wonderful. ”

The film seduced many people at first, but now s the quality of the restaurant has more weight than the legend. Many who come do not even know the movie. Enrique and his team of friends, family and neighbors of La Guarida, tell the story and suggest the film is something “comforting”. However, they are not licensed to sell or project images of Strawberry and Chocolate. It is something that, according to Enrique, “would be very interesting if we could.”

Surrounded by works with the signatures of Fabelo, Rancaño, Flavio, Ivan Capote, Zaida del Rio, Pichi, Abela and others involved in the aromas of the most delicious ” Grandma recipes ” brought to current culinary context, Enrique Núñez self.defines as an “optimistic of those who believe in something and put all the effort, passion and strength. Today we get what we like that. I am sure that we are also ready to take on the challenges for the development of Cuba. And I hope the government institutions allow us Cubans to make our projects who are committed to this, we want to invest in the island. They give us space to which we are devoting our future to the destiny of our country.”

Authors

Marita Pérez Díaz Marita Pérez Díaz, marita marita
Previous Post

Come and party with Van Van

Next Post

Cuban designers beyond geography

Marita Pérez Díaz

Marita Pérez Díaz

marita

marita

Next Post

Cuban designers beyond geography

Iglesia de la Soledad / Photo: Leandro Armando Pérez Pérez

The pirate and the garments of The Lord

Cuban boxing unstoppable in Veracruz

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

The conversation here is moderated according to OnCuba News discussion guidelines. Please read the Comment Policy before joining the discussion.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Most Read

  • Cubans on the boardwalk in Havana. Economy in Cuba

    Cuban economy: let’s look to 2024 and start moving

    11 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • What foods can be brought to Cuba and what imports are forbidden?

    728 shares
    Share 291 Tweet 182
  • Cuban brands in the U.S.: when “nostalgic nationalism” is business

    10 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • Marylin Monroe and Afro-Americans

    134 shares
    Share 54 Tweet 34
  • Hugo Cancio: “This is my country, our country, where all Cubans were born”

    6 shares
    Share 2 Tweet 2

Most Commented

  • Cuban-American businessman Hugo Cancio speaks during the global launch of the deCancio Foods brand at the FIHAV 2023 Havana International Trade Fair. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

    deCancio Foods at FIHAV 2023: global launch of a “very Cuban” brand

    11 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • Díaz-Canel to Cuban emigrants: “we invite you to join this new stage of Cuba”

    10 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • What foods can be brought to Cuba and what imports are forbidden?

    728 shares
    Share 291 Tweet 182
  • Marylin Monroe and Afro-Americans

    134 shares
    Share 54 Tweet 34
  • Pablo Neruda was poisoned, according to new expert report

    9 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 2
  • About us
  • Work with OnCuba
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Moderation policy for comments
  • Contact us
  • Advertisement offers

OnCuba and the OnCuba logo are registered® trademarks of Fuego Enterprises, Inc., its subsidiaries or divisions.
OnCuba © by Fuego Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • World
  • Cuba
  • Cuba-USA
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Infographic
  • Culture
    • Billboard
  • Sports
  • Styles / Trends
  • Media
  • Special
  • Cuban Flavors

OnCuba and the OnCuba logo are registered® trademarks of Fuego Enterprises, Inc., its subsidiaries or divisions.
OnCuba © by Fuego Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version