Has a nice sitting area on the sidewalk under the trees. This place opens no earlier than noon I think, even though good place for "lunch" Note that even though there is a food menu, they won't serve you at the sidewalk. You can get drinks (sangria is good) but you'll just sit there until you go inside and ask for food. Turns out you have to come inside. After figuring that out, the food order was good variety: Croquettes de serrano and chorizo were flavorful. Lonchas de Manchego ok. Patatas bravas ok. Decently priced for quantity and tourist location. Service ok. read more

We had a friendly and attentive waitress. We ordered the ham and cheese plate for an appetizer and split the meat paella. It was a very nice dining experience. read more

Great vibes, great food and great service. We were looking for a restaurant, and most were closed or full around 8pm, but El Champi was open so we ventured in. They have a great tapas menu. We ordered the meat and cheese tabla, chorizo croquetas, bacalao croquetas, mixed seafood and shishito peppers. We also ordered hibiscus mojitos and sangria which were delicious. Our waiter and the other staff were very friendly. Would definitely recommend! read more

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Everything we had was delicious! The only downside is that they are understaffed as many restaurants in Old San Juan are. That said, our server was so pleasant and the food was worth the wait for us. We tried their mushrooms, the prawn, the mussels (so good), and their meat and seafood paella (also really good). Whether you dine in or out, this is a lovely place and we would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind having a wait a bit for their food. read more

My fiancé and I loved this place so much we went three times in two days! Their Spanish-style tapas menu is amazing - the flavors of everything we had were robust and complex. I especially loved the simple pan con tomate (similar to a tomato pesto bruschetta) and the salpicón de mariscos which was a very fresh, flavorful mixed seafood salad. The manchego croquetas were the best I had while in San Juan and we lived for their red sangria. Mojitos also seemed super popular here. The ambiance is versatile and amazing as well - there are two cute bar spaces, a dark/cozy restaurant space, a hidden gem of an artsy green indoor/outdoor patio and a street patio, also lovely considering this is on one of the most picturesque streets of San Juan. All of the bartenders and servers were helpful and accommodating. Highly recommend stopping by :) read more

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A beautiful spot to enjoy a meal. The staff is warm and welcoming, and offered suggestions on other things to see and try in town. The food was amazing. We have vegetarians in our group and they accommodated us by making a vegetarian paella. it was amazing! the white sangria is what we paired it with as well as the patatas bravos. Will be back again soon! read more

El Champi - vegetable Paella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Great setting in a old building on beautiful street. Fantastic tapas! Manuel is a great server. Real Puerto Rican fare. You won't be disappointed! read more

Trash restaurant. I am waiting for their seafood rice for an an hour. Worst restaurant in PR

Delicious! Staff was friendly and interior patio was perfect for a quiet intimate dinner. We brought our 8 year old who didn't love the food but we did. The tomato bread and Sangria were my favorites but everything was good. They brought out plain bread to for my daughter as well. read more

Im in the restaurant business and i really didn't want to go down to old san juan but then i saw this place here on yelp and needed to try it.... took a shot and I'm glad i did. The food was amazing. The Satpicon de mariscos was amazing, followed by jamón seranno..... then the paella de mariscos.....absolutely worth the stop.... the FOH (front of house) ambiance was very nice.... the dining area around the side needs some sprucing up but dont let that deter you from this amazing food. Highly recommend! read more

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You don't need to be bilingual to have authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Sangria is phenomenal and the staff was great at explaining everything read more

It was a busy place on a Sunday night so we added our name to the wait list. We went for a walk and came back and were quickly seated. Diego was a friendly and attentive server. We had the house Tempranillo after they ran out of the house sangria. It was tasty and worked well with our tapas. We had the chorizo en vino, the jamón and manchego cheese board, and bread with tomato. We then ordered a paella de mariscos and the black rice with calamari. Everything was flavorful and it was plentiful for our party of three. My favorite was the black rice. It was dark with the squid ink and kind of messy, but well worth it. It was about $35 per person and despite the large groups dining, our food came relatively fast. The restaurant is inside one of the older structures in Old San Juan and made for a memorable dining experience. read more

A must visit! Delicious tapas and cocktails on a beautiful back patio. You'll never want to leave. Andres was absolutely fantastic and recommended all the right things. Gracias! read more

Stopped in by pure luck in March during a cruise stop. I flew back a month later and added a one night stop in Old San Juan soley to be able to stop in. I am doing the same thing next week! I literally dream of the Croquettes de Jamon & homemade Sangria. Totally worth the flight from Alabama, see ya'll soon! read more

The food was absolutely amazing. The service was lacking and we got our drinks after about 30 minutes. The portions were perfect for tapas. The Pina Cojita was such a perfect mix of my two favorite drinks. Great small place! read more

El Champi - Patatas Bravas, Tortilla Espanola, Jamon Seron - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Great place to stumble upon. Delicious wine and tapas. The atmosphere is elegant but relaxed. This was a great place to come to around 6pm before dinner. Will keep them in mind for next time read more

The mixed drinks are very good (really loved the cinnamon old fashioned). Good tapas place with great service. The patatas bravas are especially delicious- a little spicy and full of flavor. The mushrooms are tasty as well. read more

Food was horrible We didn't get tacos before our main course. Do not order cod for a fresh catch of a day. So stupid of me!!! read more

We stopped in on a Sunday and had a great time! My partner ordered Sangria and I had Spanish Gin and Tonic! We had mussels, tomatoes on a bread and shishito peppers! It was very tasty and we loved the portions. It was a perfect nutritious break! read more

Delicious authentic Spanish/Puerto Rican cuisine. Cozy, unpretentious atmosphere. Feels like you're part of a family. Service is terrific; bilingual waiters. Several kinds of paella and a variety of tapas. My family enjoyed the seafood paella the best, with its rich seafood stock to flavor the rice. Location is across from the giraffe cat statue-if you're lucky, a real cat will sit at its feet. read more

the tapas were out of this world. chorizo al vino, Tablita de Jamon y quezo manchego and finally Patatas Braves! the flavors exploded in my mouth! The mojito de coco was out of this world and their Cinnamon old Fashioned The music was awesome and the best part we were sitting near the kitchen and they were singing and having a good old time! Our waiter Jorge was very sweet and made sure to provide substitution for our drinks which was on point bc my Mojito was delicious!!!!! will be back 100% read more

Great service and delicious food! Our waiter was helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor dining (a few tables on the street and some in the back courtyard). I would definitely come back here the next time I come to visit. read more

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The space was nice, the food very good and the service also good. They accommodated my big group. It is located in a very nice section of Old San Juan read more

My American partner and I arrived at this restaurant and were directed to a table outside by an employee. We waited for some time and no one came to take our order, however another party that arrived shortly after us got their order taken. The server finally showed up and instead of apologizing for the wait, or even saying welcome, immediately asked if we had a reservation and told us we had to move tables so that they could accommodate a larger party. I wouldn't have minded moving, but his tone was demanding as if we had done something wrong. He then walked away without even asking us if we needed anything or wanted a drink. At that point I decided to leave and my partner approached the server and he yelled "just go". As a native Puerto Rican, I've never been treated so disrespectfully by a server before. I hope that's not the impression the tourists who visit our island get. read more

pretentious faux spanish restaurant. seriously overpriced. nice staff, even they can't overcome such fundamental flaws

Wouldn't recommend. Stopped in only because everywhere else we'd looked had a long wait and we enjoy Spanish food. Food and service were unremarkable and the ceiling kept crumbling bits onto our food until we finally asked to move. read more

We stopped into this place and absolutely loved it!! It's unassuming from the outside and very chill inside with a cute patio. It reminded me of the little bars in Madrid. The sangria was amazing and great liquor selection! read more

This place has a nice laidback vibe, serving Spanish type food. Everything was quite good. The bread with tomato, cured anchovies and mushrooms for appetizers, and red snapper and seafood paella for the main course. It got crowded at 7, with many people lined up waiting for tables outside. We sat inside which was nice, if a bit cool. The one waiter managed to do the jobs of bartender and server for the entire place. He needs roller skates, but did an incredible job, and even took time to help us navigate the menu since our culinary Spanish vocalist lacking. read more

Great atmosphere, service was casual and friendly. Food was great for the price. Hibiscus sangria was the perfect drink after a hot day,

Wonderful place in old San Juan, best food we have had here hands-down. Nice people, beautiful space. Not just deep-fried or piles of plantain, like you find virtually everywhere else, but well prepared, ample portions, fresh ingredients. read more

Our server was so pleasant and had great recommendations. The squid ink calamari pasta was 10/10. Everything was so flavorful!

Amazing food, awesome service and great location. As you are wondering through the historic San Juan, with really cool music playing in the streets, you come across this little gem that serve authentic Spanish cuisine. Highly recommend their mushrooms in black pepper, Patatas bravas and croquettes mixtas that has a mix of a variety of croquettes! We also ordered the paella which was so delicious that we pretty much overate. Finally the cheese flan was an icing on the cake. Highly recommend this place for Spanish cuisine lovers. Do try their hibiscus sangria it's a refreshing drink in the sweltering heat. read more

We were doing the tourist thing and looking at all of the tourist sites. We stopped into this place for a quick drink and some tapas... perfect! Great atmosphere, great service, great food and great drinks! Get the mushrooms! read more

I never go out of my way to leave a 1-star review but this place deserves it. Terrible service, charging for items we didn't order and house made sangria diluted with ginger beer. Some of our food didn't arrive which was the best part because our final bill was way above PR prices. Please look at other places and skip this place. read more

Drinks were terrible, food was mediocre and the service was average. The place is pretty trendy if that's your thing.

The Ambiance of the restaurant and the location was so inviting. The Paella was amazing as was our tapas plates. The service was great! It was a meal/experience to remember. A highlight of our trip to San Juan read more

Charming atmosphere, and wonderful food. Staff was attentive, refilled water as needed, great sangria. Overall, a wonderful place to follow an afternoon in Old San Juan. read more

Amazing food, amazing service, get the croquettes!!!! So amazing. Atmosphere was great, was a much needed tapas delight.

Amazing service and great food. The ambiance was amazing and the drinks did not disappoint.

A newcomer to Viejo San Juan, this Tapas Bar has it together. Absolutely the best Tapas I've had for a very long time. The Boquerones were fresh and the Arroz com Calamares was amazing. The Salpicon de Mariscos was bright and full of flavor. Croquetas de Manchego were crisp and pillowy. Great all around. Give it a try, it will not disappoint. read more

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