Viva Cuba Burley review: Here's what I thought of the Cuban tapas restaurant on Kirkstall Road in Leeds

I visited twice as a child but my memories of the meals were hazy and a return as an adult was something I had been planning for a while. It is always promising when a restaurant is packed and despite visiting late on a midweek evening, that’s exactly what it was.

Viva Cuba serves Spanish tapas but the vibe is distinctly Cuban, with images of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara adorning the walls and a menu dedicated to rum sitting on tables.

Due to the busy nature of the restaurant, it took a while to be greeted and seated. However, once we were shown to our table, we were swiftly asked for our drink orders and made to feel welcome.

I was not sure how large the portions would be and I’ve previously been to tapas restaurants where ordering multiple dishes does not compensate for the measly portion sizes. The server advised six dishes would be appropriate if we were ‘medium-hungry’, so six dishes it was.

I can say with absolute certainty that six dishes is more than sufficient, as we were soon greeted with six incredibly generous portions. We opted for beef meatballs in a rosemary, red wine and tomato sauce, a sweet and spicy Caribbean lamb stew. chorizo in Rioja sauce, grilled halloumi with red and green Mojo sauce, and crispy diced potatoes with spicy beef chilli. Naively cautious this would not fill us up, we also ordered some tortilla chips with Cuban salsa and cheese.

The beef meatballs were beautifully tender, falling apart and being engulfed by the rich sauce. The chorizo was packed with flavour and the potatoes were blended perfectly with the spicy beef chilli. The sauce served with the halloumi did little to enhance the cheese, although as a halloumi lover I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have saved the best until last. The lamb stew was nothing short of sensational, balancing spice and sweetness with panache. Named as ‘Cordero Habana’ on the menu, it was a standout I would recommend to anyone.

The food came to a total price of £38.65, representing fantastic value considering there was no compromise on quality – or quantity.

Factfile

Address: 342 Kirkstall Road, LS4 2DS

Telephone: 0113 275 0888

Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 5pm - 10pm

Website: www.vivacubaleeds.co.uk

Scores

Food: 8/10

Value: 9/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Service: 7/10