Puerto Rican restaurants in San Juan
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
La Bombonera
The old-fashioned coffee machine hisses like a steam engine, career waiters in black trousers appear like royal footmen at your table, and a long line of seen-it-all sanjuaneros populate the lengthy row of bar stools, catching up on the local breakfast gossip. It shouldn’t take you long to work out that La Bombonera is a city institution: it’s been around since 1902 and still sells some of the best cakes in town. Come here for breakfast, lunch or an early evening snack attack and soak up the unique Latin ambience over a copy of the San Juan Star.
reviewed
-
B
Tantra
For purists, eating Masala Dosa in Puerto Rico is probably about as incongruous as chomping on mofongo in Madras, but for those willing to drop the cultural blinkers, Tantra’s adventurous ‘Indo-Latin fusion’ cuisine is actually rather authentic. It helps that the chef’s from South India. It also helps that the restaurant’s Asian-inspired decor, which places exotic lampshades among carved Buddhas, sets your taste buds traveling inexorably east. The pièce de résistance is the belly dancing that kicks off nightly at nine-ish.
reviewed
-
C
Ajili-Mójili
The waiters wear hats and the reception displays aromatic cigars from the Dominican Republic, so leave your sandals and singlet in your room and venture out to this classy Condado classic. Housed in one of the neighborhood’s few remaining eclectic mansions, the menu is high-end comida criolla – such as island-style pork loin with mofongo – while the atmosphere is refined and romantic. Expect discreet service and sky-high prices.
reviewed
-
D
Parrot Club
The menu’s in Spanglish, the decor’s a lurid mix of orange, blue and yellow, and the waitress could quite conceivably be sporting a pink wig. Welcome to the Parrot Club, where Puerto Rican politicians wind down and enamored gringos live it up. Until the Parrot’s opening in 1996, the concept of SoFo didn’t even exist. But, with its caustic blend of live jazz and tasty ‘nuevo Latino ’ cuisine, this restaurant quickly set new standards and spawned the ultimate in neighborhood chic – an acronym. Now well into its second decade the menu continues to win kudos with its eclectic crabcakes caribeños, pan-seared tuna and vegetarian tortes.
reviewed
-
E
Pamela’s
Right on the beach and right on the money, Pamela’s is encased inside the elegant Numero Uno guesthouse. Diners sup wine and munch on scallops beside a teardrop-shaped swimming pool while the ocean crashes just feet away. The menu specializes in fresh ingredients plucked from the nearby sea – think jalapeño-ginger shrimp and seafood chowder – though there are surprise twists with everything from Asian to Puerto Rican influences. The place is tucked away, but that hasn’t prevented it from becoming an open secret. Reserve ahead.
reviewed
-
F
Pikayo
Wilo Benet is the island’s very own Gordon Ramsey (without the expletives), a celebrity chef par excellence who has uncovered the soul of Caribbean cooking by infusing colonial era Puerto Rican cuisine with various African and Indian elements. Adding atmosphere to authenticity, Pikayo, Benet’s showcase restaurant, is situated inside San Juan’s stunning Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico where – with unprecedented transparency – diners can watch the action in the kitchen on closed-circuit TVs. Intrigued? Well, shimmy on over.
reviewed
-
G
El Picoteo
One of El Convento’s culinary highlights is this terrace tapas bar that could rival anything in Andalusia. Perennial favorites include tortilla, meatballs, garlic prawns, garbanzos and various cheeses. If you’re after something more substantial there’s also pizza and paella washed down with sangria. Suspended above the hotel’s central courtyard the ambience at Picoteo is terrific and, during the afternoon, the canned music is punctuated by the familiar clack of dominoes.
reviewed
-
H
La Fonda El Jibarito
El Jibarito is the kind of salt-of-the-earth, unpretentious place that you should reserve to sample your first mofongo or arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans). A favorite of local families, in-the-know tourists and passing New York Times journalists, the meals are simple but hearty with good pork and prawns, or plantains smashed, mashed and fried just about any way you want. Pull up a pew and chow with the locals.
reviewed
-
I
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
-
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
Advertisement
-
K
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
-
L
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
-
M
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
-
N
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
-
O
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
-
El Popular
The vintage El Popular lives up to its populist name with huge portions of delicious comida criolla.
reviewed
-
