Stuart mornings got a little stronger—and sweeter—when Old Havana Café opened its doors this year. The neighborhood spot brings Cuban café culture to Martin County, with a focus on what many locals crave most: coffee and pastries worth lingering over. At the heart of the café is owner Chef Chuchi Rivero, a Cuban-born, Miami-raised chef whose path to hospitality took an unconventional turn through film and television. Before opening Old Havana Café, Rivero spent decades working as an award-winning cinematographer and even directed the Telemundo cooking competition MasterChef Latino—experiences that exposed him to celebrated chefs and shaped his culinary perspective.
Those influences now show up in a more relaxed setting: morning service built around café con leche, strong Cuban espresso, and classic pastries like guava-filled pastelitos that pair naturally with conversation. The café evolved from Rivero’s popular Canadian food trucks before returning to Florida for its first brick-and-mortar location.
While sandwiches and savory Cuban favorites appear later in the day, breakfast sets the tone. Regulars stop in for coffee, flaky pastries, and a quick start before work or the beach, often settling in long enough to turn a grab-and-go visit into something slower.
Open mornings through early afternoon, Old Havana Café channels the easy rhythm of a neighborhood ventanita—proof that sometimes the best way to begin the day is simply with strong coffee, something sweet, and a little Cuban hospitality.
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