San Juan Restaurants

  1. Metropol

    You can't miss this place - it's right next to the cockfighting arena. It's a neighborhood favorite well-known for the plentiful portions and simple (but not plain) Spanish fare. Wandering tourists are sometimes lured out of their upscale resorts and into its inviting fold.

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  2. Pepin's

    Once you've got past the rather draconian dress code here - no sandals, singlets, shorts, earrings, hats, or people under 25 - you can join whoever's left at this surprisingly popular tapas bar in the Punta Las Marías neighborhood, halfway between Isla Verde and Ocean Park. The tapas start at around US$5 and there's usually a fair smattering of expats.

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  3. Spanglish Café

    A homey hole-in-the-wall that does good business with the lunchtime office crowd, Spanglish Café is generally more Span than glish, so go with a decent phrase book and get ready to order your around US$6 set lunch with a few por favors and muchas . Try the Fricassee de Pollo or the pernil asado and don't forget to leave a propina (tip).

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