Spent a lot of nights here and it will never get old! A great place to dive or get drunk!

Love the atmosphere and the drinks are very good. Friendly staff and bar goers.

Cool place but had a grimy feel. No hand soap in the bathroom like the rest of Puerto Rico.

Oh, it's a dive bar but the very best sort. Writing on every surface of every wall (plus ceilings), standing water on the bathroom floors (eww), but the mojitos were made with great care and were fantastic, and the patrons are interesting people from all over. We will be back! read more

I have tending bar in for over 13 years and always want to try a new one when I see one. While strolling by on the way to the fort we saw this place and I immediately said that we would be stopping to quench our thirst on the way back to the restaurant. Atmosphere is bland but perfect at the same time with a great music selection, interesting crowd, cheap drinks in plastic cups, and btw eric s, that is known as a bumper pool table. Great location within walking distance of many stores and restaurants as well being that it is in the heart of Old San Juan. read more

spiffy ambiance but not-so-cheap drinks. $2.75 for a medalla; yesyes that's cheap for a beer. sin embargo, it doesn't cut the puerto rican standards. there were a plenty of other bars nearby that had $1 medallas. definitely worth a visit, though. read more

This bar is the epitome of a dive bar. It has all the necessities; cheap drinks, strong drinks, great prices, old school juke box and stellar bartenders. If you like a good dive, go here. It will not disappoint. read more

El Batey - Dive Bars Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

One of the better Jack and Cokes on the island. The place is timeless. I was here years ago and went back last month.. Just a few more business cards taped to the light fixture and more scribbling on the wall. Still my favorite spot in Old San Juan. read more

Cheapest Jack Daniel I have had in a long time $5.5 with 60 years of history. This place is definitely worth visiting at least once. Also if you have a nice camera you can get shots with with the red wall read more

This 60 year old bar has charm and style. If you need a place to enjoy a drink and not be stuck in a a tourist trap.. This is your place

Ugh where do i begin, i misssss youu Puerto Rico !!! Good 90s music and people from all over the world. Its a must to stop by this place!

A must in OSJ. It's a dive, but not dirty. JUst a place with a lot of character, run by a character. We stopped in at 4pm for a few drinks, meant to go back but we were too exhausted to carouse. NEXT TIME! read more

Great dive. Cool spot and very inexpensive. Worth a stop if dives are your scene.

Unnecessarily overrated! Super limited choice of beer. We had a vodka tonic which was watered down. The place was dead at 11:30..... surprising as the nearby Taberna was crawling and that's where I am headed back to!!! Maybe Sunday night is not the best time to be here. All the same, the graffiti on the wall (names of people and random uncool scribblings) is not enough to bring me back. read more

One of the great Dive Bars in this hemisphere. Look for a street musician in the park across from the Cathedral. Carlos Hernandez, wonderful!! read more

Very nice bartender. The place has a lot of character. Great music from mostly the 90s as well. Trying not to sing out loud is hard.

The true definition of a DIVE bar. This place Rocks! I love the vibe here. Kinda reminds me of the Lower East Side scene in NYC back in the 80's. If you go to Old San Juan stop here and throw down a few. Be like Guru and be sure to say SUAVE on your way out. read more

DIVE BAR and we loooooved it. Felt like we belonged.

This is hands down the coolest bar in SanJuan. Open air, cool and friendly bartender, nothing else is really like it. Support this gem

Total dive bar!!! Great place to hang out and get some cheap drinks. Graffiti written all over the wall. Bring a marker if you want to put your own stamp on this place. read more

The literal antidote to tourist overload. Cheap drinks and a decor as punk rock as Hollywood Blvd circa 1979 (yes I was there). Highly recommended. read more

The bartender is a hoot! Talking to him about his past was awesome. He was definitely on something, which made it even more entertaining.

well well well, check out the review from rachel f., it's dead on. a group of us from cambridge, ma went SJ to celebrate graduation from grad school (30 somethings). We ditched our hilton resort on the ocean and kept coming here because it was 10 times more fun. and, apparently, rachel f is my dive bar soul mate. , read more

Wonderful people to meet and that work there. A definite place to stop and get a drink or two. Very special place to experience in your travels read more

An awesomely seedy and dark dive bar with cheap beer and rum and cokes ($2-$3 a pop). Graffiti head to toe, hole in the wall joint with lots of personality that's definitly worth stopping by. Friendly service. read more

Interesting place. Read about it or would have never gone in. Passion fruit and vodka was delish. Reasonable prices. Cash only.

A portal out of Old San Juan to CDBG meets Black Cat meets The Raven Lounge. Good crowd, good music, good cocktails, good artsy punk rock fun vibe. read more

Great vibe! Good selection of alcohol and great atmosphere for those that like to listen to variety of music and chill

If there ever was a dive bar, this is it. If you're in Old San Juan and looking for a great place to drink without all the tourists, go here! We ended up spending hours here just talking with the bartender and some locals. The drinks are insanely cheap, and everyone is incredibly nice. There isn't air conditioning, which may deter some folks, but go at night and it won't even matter. Plus, it's open until 7 am. I'd recommend finishing off your night here! read more

BEST. BAR. EVER. I'll keep it simple, if you're looking for a cold beer and a bar with no air conditioning, but an amazing jukebox and better conversation then show up. Bartenders are amazeballs, locals (EDDIE!) are real cool and if you're brave enough to venture in you won't be disappointed. Come as you are, if you're scared of a little dirt or are afraid of a little writing on the walls, then walk-on. Everybody else.. worth it. read more

Grew up in PR, was a teenager in the '70's and this was one of our favorite hangouts, was surprised to learn it was still around, definitely a dive bar but in a nice way, and the pool table, yep so close to the walls that challenge you. Many great memories. read more

Hipster, chill, "speakeasy" style bar. If you are down for a nice drink with a laid back atmosphere, go here. I'm not too sure why it's classified as a "dive bar," as it is pretty touristy because of it's signed walls and business card chandeliers. Anyways, the bartender, Cristobal, is extremely friendly and gives you the best tips about your time in PR. read more

i have visited this bar many times over several decades. every time i have gone to puerto rico, el batey has been the place to stop on my way through the old city -- during the afternoon to have a cool beer, in the early evening when one can have a quiet drink and some conversation, or late at night when the place gets jumping. many describe it as a "dive bar," but to me, that conjures visions of some place carefully made to *look* authentic and hip and original. el batey is no carefully arranged tourist "experience" -- it is the real thing. this place has a long history, which can be seen in the many hundreds of names on the walls, the idiosyncratic mix of songs on the juke box, the easy vibe between the bartenders and the many regulars, and the conversations that ebb and flow all through the day, late into the night. the drinks are cheap and strong, the bartenders are interesting and friendly, and the crowd is diverse. there is a pool table, and in the quieter times, you can pull out a board game to play. and that juke box! my last visit to el batey was just two weeks ago, and sadly, the owner, the charming, brilliant and hilarious davey jones, had just passed away. davey was the soul of the place, but his soul lives on there. the bar was open for business again just a few days after his passing, with all of the regular bartenders and customers in place. it makes me happy to know that next time i am in san juan, el batey will still be there, being the real deal, even though davey will be gone. so stop in some afternoon on your way to the beach, or some evening before dinner. or wriggle your way into the crowd late some night, when the music is turned up loud. you will find yourself among friends. read more