Near the main gates in Terminal 3, Cafetería Terminal 3 is one of the first food options you hit after security. It’s basic even by HAV standards: counter service, a few small tables, and prices that change often with supply. Expect a short printed menu in Spanish, usually with simple sandwiches, pastries, and soft drinks. Don’t count on card payments; cash in CUP or sometimes EUR/USD still works more reliably.
Food here skews very simple: think ham-and-cheese sandwich pressed on a plancha, a basic cheese sandwich, and pre-packaged snacks. Coffee is usually available and runs far cheaper than in foreign-chain cafés in other airports, though quality swings from strong and decent to slightly burnt between batches. Cold drinks usually include bottled water, local sodas, and occasionally canned juices, but specific brands change depending on deliveries.
Service rhythm matches the rest of Terminal 3: lines move slowly when multiple flights depart for Madrid, Toronto, or Mexico City, then the place goes quiet. Staff prepare items to order, so even a sandwich can take 10–15 minutes at peak times. If you have a tight connection between flights in Terminals 3 and 2, don’t bank on grabbing something here in under 5 minutes and still walking to a distant gate.
Cafetería Terminal 3 sits on the departures side, past security but before the furthest international gates at the end of the concourse. That makes it a last decent stop for a coffee before you walk all the way down to some of the older gates, where vending machines and smaller kiosks can be empty or out of order. Seating turnover is fast, so groups of four or more may need to split across two tables for a bit.
Practical tip: stock up on bottled water here in Terminal 3 before boarding, especially for long-haul flights over 8 hours, since in-flight service on some carriers out of HAV can be slow and refills spaced far apart.