Puerto Rican restaurants in Caribbean Islands
-
La Terraza
The Dominican-run La Terraza has live music on Saturday night.
reviewed
-
El Popular
The vintage El Popular lives up to its populist name with huge portions of delicious comida criolla.
reviewed
-
El Bohio
Delectable, inventive comida criolla dishes that taste like nothing you’ve tried before. El Bohio is a little hard to find, but worth asking around for.
reviewed
-
A
Casa Dante
Casa Dante is a family-run restaurant that serves more variations of mofongo than one would think humanly feasible. All are delicious, and you can stick to fajitas or enchiladas or a basic steak if that’s what you prefer.
reviewed
-
B
El Quenepo
The new kid on Esperanza’s seaside block, El Quenepo has a lovely interior and an equally delectable menu. The food’s catch-of-the-day fresh and the decor is – by normal Viequesian standards – remarkably chic. A new trend?
reviewed
-
Aqua al Cuello Restaurant
On a beautiful deck over the water this place cooks up equally beautiful food that has bagged it Puerto Rico’s best Mesón Gastronómico award in recent years. The mahimahi in creole sauce is backed up by some surprising specials. Ever tried kangaroo?
reviewed
-
Bamboo Lounge
Aside from offering first-rate horse rides and mountain biking, Carabaldi also has a great restaurant, with panoramic views of the ocean and the rainforest. There’s great Puerto Rican fare, a kid’s menu, and a bar and patio area that stays open until 2am.
reviewed
-
C
Barú
Very popular with food lovers and martini drinkers, Baru doubles as a nightspot as well as a trendy restaurant. Dishes include ‘yuccafongo’ (yucca made like a mofongo ) with shrimp, beef carpaccio with basil essence or the mahimahi topped with crispy onions.
reviewed
-
Tino’s
If you want a really nice meal – with real silverware and paper plates that don’t bend under their load – then Tino’s is your best bet in Joyuda. It’s not got the pretty views, but it does have the tourist office’s stamp of approval as a Méson Gastronómico.
reviewed
-
D
El Burén
If you rate intimacy over elbow room, inhale deeply and pull up one of the 24 chairs at this stylish purple and tangerine bistro. As trendy as it is tiny, El Burén offers an eclectic menu with distinct Puerto Rican flourishes, with food delivered to your table like art on a plate. Check out the lamb, prawns or lobster.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
E
Café de Tomás
A lunch line hovers at this down-home eatery to see what’s coming out of the kitchen, usually a reliable assortment of comida criolla, many of which cost less than $7. Within the heavy French doors of the adjoining Tompy’s there’s similarly tasty food with sit-down service, tablecloths and slightly higher prices.
reviewed
-
F
El Flamboyán
With its faded Che Guevara posters and vaguely bucolic setting overlooking the surf break at Pools, the Flamboyán is definitely old-school Rincón. This is where you come for comida criolla and inexpensive fish and chicken dishes and to converse with weather-beaten expats about the days before the dudes with money crashed in.
reviewed
-
G
El Patio de Sam
This legendary Old Town staple overlooks San Juan’s oldest square and a statue of Ponce de León, who looks on jealously as drinkers down cheap margaritas and tackle juicy burgers with hungry relish. Part of the San Sebastián nightly music fest, there’s glimmering neon on the inner patio along with live Brazilian jazz music at weekends.
reviewed
-
H
Patio de Nispero
Every great Spanish-colonial hotel has its shady courtyard and the one at El Convento is the home of the deliciously cool Patio de Nispero, so named for the 350-year-old Nispero tree that resides in its midst. You can enjoy breakfast and lunch here or, even better, escape the hot sun-bleached streets to savor a coffee or an icy mojito during the lazy siesta hour.
reviewed
-
I
Rincón Argentino
With tinkling piano, soft lights and heavy palm fronds, this is one of the more romantic options in town, as long as mosquitoes aren’t feasting on diners who choose to sit on the patio. The mains veer toward slabs of garlicky red meat in a grilled Argentine preparation, but chicken, seafood and pasta creations round out the menu. It also boasts a lengthy wine list.
reviewed
-
J
Ramiro’s
In the subjective battle to find San Juan’s best all-round restaurant, Ramiro’s is often in the running. Situated in the heart of rejuvenated Condado, the flavor here is Spanish with New World infusions. Expect guava sauce with your lamb, avocado with your crabmeat and banana chutney with your halibut. Ambience is elegant and reservations are a good idea.
reviewed
-
K
bbh
With its high-end magazine cover setting in the Bravo Beach Hotel, you would expect this restaurant to be trendy and chic. And naturally, it is. This place is foodie heaven, with European cheeses, New Zealand lamb and plenty of infused local ingredients. Tapas are the specialty, but there’s also a wine room and the poolside Palms bar where you can enjoy an alcoholic appetizer.
reviewed
-
L
Antojos
In Spanish antojos means ‘cravings’ and you can satisfy a few at this local bar and restaurant situated on Hwy 115 south of the town. The specialty is fish served up with comida criolla side dishes, such as rice, beans and fried plantains. It’s nothing fancy, but after a day of catching the waves it will replenish a hearty surfer’s appetite.
reviewed
-
M
El Manglar
International with a Middle-Eastern flair, the menu has hummus and babaganoosh, salads, burgers, pizza and Puerto Rican food, all served in a relaxed atmosphere. It transforms from one of the city’s best restaurants to one of its most festive nightspots, featuring a live combo of some sort, playing Latin rock or jazz, folk or occasionally traditional music on a breezy outdoor patio.
reviewed
-
Yuquiyú Delights
This small food concession with sheltered tables situated next to the Sierra Palm picnic area is the only real ‘restaurant’ in the forest. It does decent burgers ($6), comida criolla (traditional Puerto Rican cuisine) and smoothies and should replenish your legs ready for a few more miles of hiking. A few smaller kiosks sell snacks and soft drinks around Km 7 on Hwy 191.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
N
Chayote
Named for a flavorful island vegetable, Chayote is situated in the understated and none too trendy Olimpio Court Hotel. But with its robust criollo cooking injected with French, Hindu, African, Spanish and Central American flavors, the restaurant easily trumps the sometimes iffy rooms. International celebrities have been spotted among the traditional wicker and contemporary art furnishings here.
reviewed
-
Ladi’s Place
Like its west-facing neighbors up and down the road, the sunset views are a nightly show from the breezy patio. Ladi’s claims to have created ‘Mojo Isleño, ’ a zesty garlicky sauce that dresses most local fish dishes. A crooner plays the keyboard in the corner and the song list calibrated to please gringo sailors, who sway along to ‘Margaritaville’ at least once an evening.
reviewed
-
O
Las Tias
This bilevel restaurant and lounge has an ideal corner spot and big balconies, making for exciting people-watching. The elegant French colonial atmosphere – wicker chairs and lazily turning fans – is backed up by a haute spin on regional dishes. The food alone makes it the best fine dining in the city center, even if the unhurried service and the atmosphere still need a little polish. The key lime cheesecake is killer.
reviewed
-
El Ladrillo
El Ladrillo has been around for over 30 years and continues to lure guests out of the plush hotels for a night of intimacy and good food. Filled with old-world charm, the restaurant specializes in to-order steaks with plenty of back-up seafood; everything from octopus salad to lobster asopao (an island specialty, a delicious thick stew). It also functions as a mini art gallery, displaying a selection of local paintings.
reviewed
-
P
Mark’s at the Meliá
Long regarded as Ponce’s final word in fine dining, the cozily lit (though somewhat stuffy) restaurant within the Meliá Hotel has been lauded in every foodie magazine on the island for comida criolla treated to ‘French’ technique. Though more inventive newcomers threaten Chef Mark French’s place at the top of Ponce’s food chain, this is the place for upscale mofongo (mashed plantains), or try the salmon plates ($25).
reviewed