Café Habana | Our Story
Desde 1998
In 1998, Sean Meenan took over a 38-seat former Dominican diner at the corner of Prince and Elizabeth in Nolita and opened Café Habana — a place where anyone could afford to eat well, feel welcome, and stick around.
The corner spot
Steel-clad, 38 seats, and unassuming — Sean transformed a former Dominican diner into something Nolita had never quite seen. Cuban and Mexican food, a great crowd, no pretense.
Lenny shot his video here
Shortly after opening, Lenny Kravitz filmed the music video for "Again" at the infamous counter — and the café's reputation as a place of nonchalant cool was set. It's been that kind of spot ever since.
Brooklyn, solar power, and doing good
In 2005, Habana Outpost opened in Fort Greene as the first fully solar-powered restaurant in New York City, followed by Habana Works — a 501(c)(3) running environmental and children's education programs in Brooklyn, New Orleans, and beyond.
The corn that started everything
On the menu since day one and still the first thing anyone orders — the grilled corn is the dish that put Café Habana on every New York essential list.
Malibu, Tokyo, and what comes next
Rande Gerber brought Habana to Malibu in 2010, Tokyo followed in 2016, and the mission continues: good times around good food, desde 1998.