Had a wonderful time at Casita Miramar. Aalyah, our server did an amazing job of being able to…read morecommunicate and inform us about the dishes and accommodate anything we needed. Aalyah, thank you so much for making our last meal in San Juan so special!! The portions are huge! I split an app with 3 people and honestly the main dishes can be split among two people as well. It was very tasty especially the chicken, and the ribs! The place also looked amazing and we were given a semi-private room for such a large group. Thanks for having us!!

Casita Miramar absolutely lived up to the hype. It was at the top of my foodie list while visiting…read moreSan Juan, Puerto Rico, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. We visited on a Monday night without a reservation and almost didn't get a table. The hostess was incredibly kind and explained that there was an 8:00 p.m. reservation that hadn't been confirmed. She offered to seat us if the party didn't arrive within the grace period. Thankfully, they never showed up, and the table became ours. From that point on, everything was fantastic. The food was spectacular, and the service was just as impressive. Every dish was beautifully prepared and full of flavor. The restaurant itself is charming and inviting--it really does feel like dining in a cozy "casita." If you're visiting San Juan, Casita Miramar is absolutely worth a visit. Great food, excellent service, and a memorable dining experience.

I completely understand why this place has such amazing reviews. If you're in San Juan, this is a…read moremust-visit spot. The food was amazing, the portions were generous, and most menu options came with a side. The ambiance of the restaurant was fantastic, with an open street view that really made you feel connected to the local community. The service was good as well, although a bit limited due to the small staff. Overall, I'd rate this place a 10/10. Whenever I come back to Puerto Rico, this will definitely be one of my regular stops

El Refran is located right on Ashford Ave- you cannot miss it - it's a tiny little restaurant that…read morealways has a line. For that reason, I'd recommend going at an off time for lunch because it was great! They were out of a few items, but I ended up with a pork chop with guava sauce and it was so good. They were also sadly out of the tres leches cake but I popped back in later that week as they were closing and were thrilled they had some left. That may have been the best tres leches I've ever had. The drinks were also delicious! We'll definitely return next time we're in PR.

This restaurant was such a memorable experience during my trip to PR. The inside was designed like…read morea replica of the streets of Old San Juan, and it really felt like you were walking through a little piece of history. The atmosphere alone made it feel special b4 the food even arrived. I ordered the "Christmas dinner,"& it was honestly 1 of the best meals I had my entire trip to PR.It came w/ a traditional spread of a half of pastel de masa(a savory PR "tamale" made of root vegetables & plantains, stuffed w/ pork & wrapped in a banana leaf),arroz con gandules(yellow rice w/ pigeon peas),pork ribs, pernil (roasted pork), & sweet plátanos. Everything was so flavorful, comforting, & clearly made w/ care. Every bite felt rich, authentic, & full of PR flavor. My fave part was def the pastel! I wish it was a whole 1 instead of half but honestly I prob couldn't handle a whole 1 anyways. Our waitress,Wanda,was also incredibly nice & welcoming. She even brought out a sample of another traditional dish masitas en salsa de plantano(pork cubes in plantain gravy)for us to try, which made the experience feel even more personal & generous. The meat was tender & tasty and the gravy added pizzazz to the dish. It was so delish my bf ordered it as his main course. Score!!!! (B/c I was def getting some off his plate). lol! Overall, it was a really delish & warm experience:gr8 food, gr8 service, & an authentic Old San Juan setting that made it unforgettable.

We came to El Jibarito for dinner after it was recommended by Yelp as it had a 4-star rating. We…read moredid have a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. The restaurant is absolutely adorable inside and has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Once we were seated, the service was quick and attentive. There were four of us in our party, and we started with the pizza turnovers. They were delicious, although I do wish they had a little more filling. I ordered the tamale. While it wasn't quite to my personal taste, I could tell it was well made and I'm sure others who enjoy that style of tamale would love it. My husband had the baked chicken and really liked it. My friend ordered the salmon and said it was moist and very flavorful, and her husband had the garlic chicken, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, everyone in our group was happy with their meals. Between the cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and tasty food, I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you're visiting Old San Juan.

As a team we are going for a 4.5 rating. So I do 5 , my wife does 4…read more Get here early opens 11:30 on Sunday about 11 for parking and to get in. They do have valet parking and it is a good idea to use. Roads are narrow and parking is hard to find. Plantain Soup given when you first meet the server. Very good. Beers are $18 Caasita mule $14 very good Arepas con bacalao $18. very fish forward, good. Pigs feet and chickpea stew $19. Aguacate Camarones $27. They have their own hot sauce. Rojo pique, very good $14 Service was very good Note they have a James Beard award.

Food is good, service could have been much better!!…read more We got in line and we were seated within 10 minutes of arriving Initially our server was very attentive, took time to explain the menu however after we got our food it took us over 45 min to pay even after asking 2 times. Decor is nice, food is good. Drinks could have been a bit better prices are reasonable

Kept seeing a bunch of reviews on how amazing this place was and honestly it's up there…read more To start off, I'm not really a sweets guy so my take is going to be a little off from the general public. We were able to snag a reservation but for a late time which was about an hour and a half before close. The service was super great but one thing I wished they mentioned that the bottled water was going to be a $40 charge lol. Makes sense for any upscale restaurant though. Should've mentioned we wanted tap so fair warning, ask cause you WILL get charged haha. We had a group of 10 and for how big the group was, the food came out pretty fast. I don't think we ever had a time between drinks to entrees where we were waiting for food to come out. We got the watermelons mojito for drinks since it was the most raved about. It was good but personally nothing crazy for me. 8/10 score on that. We also curry popcorn chicken, the ahi tuna lollipops, the empanadillas and the goat cheese quesadillas for apps and honestly overall 9/10. This is where I don't like the sweetness part of this meal. The empanadillas were what I was most excited for but it was more sweet then savory which sort of lose my appetite a little. I think if you like that kind of taste then it's going to be good. It wasn't a bad taste at all. Just too sweet for my liking. The curry popcorn chicken was good and the lollipops were great. Again, nothing crazy. The goat cheese quesadillas was good as well but again, too sweet for my liking. Now on to the entree, they didn't have the porkchop since we came late so I ended up getting the porkchop belly dish. When it came out, it looked amazing but then I got a whiff of it and smelled cinnamon. That's when I was sort of disappointed. It was like eating pork but tasting Cinnamon Toast Crunch and as said before, it tasted great but too sweet for me. This one was way too sweet to where it seemed like a dessert item. I just had poor luck and got one of the one items that were sweet. This doesn't tank the rating down whatsoever because I also should've read it had cinnamon. It would've been great if they made a dipping sauce or something to pair it with and not have it on the pork belly itself. I got to try other dishes my friends got which were good as well but I wish I got to try something else. If I came back I would try the sold out item which was the pork shank or the sea bass. I know for a fact the sea bass was amazing. Had a bite of it and thought "I'll come back for that" Overall, 10/10 experience and nothing bad about the place but gotta try different items when I go next time. I understand the hype now

My friend travels to PR occasionally for work and this time I decided to tag along. Both being…read morefoodies, she only made one reservation and that was to her favorite San Juan restaurant, Santaella. Not only that, she made it weeks in advance because reservations are hard to come by. We arrived for dinner before reservation time and we attempted to open the front door. It was locked, so we along with two other couples, walked to see if there was a side entrance.. Nope! We kept walking to the rear and stopped a random parking lot attendant that shirt had a different restaurant's name on it. He asked us if we had reservations for Santaella and we said yes, and he directed us to a rear entrance. Once inside, my friend realized this was NOT Santaellas but a rooftop restaurant with an entirely different name. Visibly perturbed, she asked our server QUESTIONS! He said, it's the same restaurant, however, only the rooftop is open on Sundays and it's named Azotea.. WHAT?!? LOL! Because we took an Uber, we decided to stay a while. The menu was extremely limited, but we decided to try the Tamarind margaritas, which were really good, along with two appetizers, the tuna lollipops and the pulled pork quesadilla. Both VERY good, but the dinner menu was lacking. That said, I suggested we go to STK for the seafood tower that I had my eye on the evening before, so we exited stage right! Shame on Santaella for accepting reservations through Open Table knowing full well they are not open. I'm giving them two stars because Azotea was decent but it definitely wasn't what she was going for!

Beautiful restaurant with outstanding, creative dishes…read more My husband and I ordered one app and two entrees. The portions were very large, and we would have been fine with just two menu items! To start, we had the roasted eggplant, lamb 'picadillo', date sofrito, 'Feliche' yogurt. Really delicious and probably best for sharing among 3-4 people as it's a bit heavy given the lamb. Nevertheless, it was really good and we finished it! For entrees, we tried the (1) rice with rabbit, sweet plantain in its leaf and the (2) breaded pork loin, mushroom cream, cherokee tomatoes from San Lorenzo, tostones. Our server was super excited when we ordered the rice with rabbit and I understand why. It was insanely flavorful. Also a massive portion haha. We really enjoyed this. The pork loin was delicious as well, especially with the mushroom cream. Plantains are one of my favorite foods, and these tostones did not disappoint. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It's a nice mix of modern decor with homey, vintage elements. There is a very large outdoor space, but I'm really glad we ate inside. Definitely recommend - especially for a group that likes to share!

What a perfect dining experience. The staff genuinely seem thrilled to work there. They made us…read morefeel so welcome. They were also so excited to recommend dishes from their expansive menu! Beautiful layout with roomy indoor seating arrangements and a lovely outdoor seating space. Bathrooms were pristine with a changing table Food: Corn fritters with cod & heirloom tomatoes - light and delicious, packed with layers of flavor. Nice blend of textures from crispy to the savory tender fish and the tomato crisp Chicken thigh chicharrones - wow. So good. Tender and flavorful Prawns - plump and tasty. Soaked in a wonderful stew I would say 3-4 dishes is good for 2 people with a healthy appetite Would 100% like to come back the next time we are in Puerto Rico

I highly enjoyed La Cueva Del Mar! I wanted a mix of Latin and seafood and this was the perfect…read morechoice. It was recommended by one of our tour guides so it is a great option for both locals and tourists. It had a nice atmosphere and very large menu with many different types of options. The Frutti di mare was one of the best pastas I've ever had! It had almost every type of seafood you could want. A great option for someone who wants to try a bit of everything. It was large enough to satisfy you but not too large where you have to take leftovers it back to your hotel. It also came with a salad and delicious bread. My husband ordered the yucafongo pollo, and was very impressed. It was also filling and well made. The drink menu also had a lot of options. I went with the sangria which was super tasty! It's more on the fruity side. Our service was great and we didn't have to wait long for a table or our food, although it seemed busy. Whether you live in the area or are just on vacation, I would recommended trying it out!

Everything was absolutely amazing from the customer service to the extensive menu provided so many…read moreoptions. It was honestly a little overwhelming, but in a good way. As a Taurus, of course you want authentic flavors you want more authentic vibes and I think this place did that for me. I asked the waitress for her recommendation between the salmon catch of the day and the steak. We went with the steak and she did not disappoint. This will be a recommendation to all of my fellow Americans

Look, were we at an alcapurria spot ordering pastelillos? Yes. Do we regret it? Absolutely not…read more We got one each of vegetariano, cebolla y queso, pollo, and guayaba con queso. The vegetariano was mid, but the other three? No complaints. But honestly, the food is only part of the story here. The vibe is everything. Salsa playing, high energy, warm service. We rolled in late and hungry, looking for sweet refuge from La Placita crowds, and they welcomed us like we belonged there. The music started out mixed, but at some point it shifted to Contra La Corriente front to back. We were enjoying our pastelillos, singing along to No Me Conoces, minding our own business when... el apagón. Not the whole Placita, just a couple spots including this one. The staff didn't miss a beat. Flashlights came out, mood lighting appeared, and nobody rushed us. We finished our food. We paid. We left happy. 5 stars because some experiences are bigger than the sum of their parts. This was one of them.

This is not a polished, Instagram-perfect restaurant and that's exactly the point. That's why I…read morelove it so much. Tucked inside La Placita de Santurce, its a small, casual, almost hidden spot that's usually packed with locals. Think plastic chairs, outdoor tables, music playing and a constant flow of people coming in for a quick bite or drink. Feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a restaurant. I've been coming here for years and this is what I've learned, take it from a local. For a quick bite, alcapurrias are a MUST -- especially beef or crab. Also the "pastelillos" are amazing-- corn beef, chorizo, morcilla... Everything freshly made to order. Now, if you want to sit down and enjoy an authentic Puerto Rican meal, here are some of my favorites: chuletas fritas, chicharrones de pollo, bistec encebollado and carne frita-- of course with a side of rice and beans or tostones for the win. Bottom line: you come here for flavor and authenticity, not comfort. Enjoy

Cocina Abierta was literally downstairs from where we were staying, so it was an easy choice for…read moredinner. They have a lovely outdoor seating area, but we opted to sit inside for the ambiance, which turned out to be a great call. Service was excellent from start to finish. Our waiter was knowledgeable, attentive, and gave great recommendations. We decided to go all in on the $85 per person tasting menu. The food ranged from good to very good, and there was a *lot* of it. Standout dishes for me were the ceviche and the desserts, both of which were exceptional. The beef empanadas and breadfruit gnocchi were also highlights. My one criticism is that the tasting menu didn't feel particularly cohesive. We started with yellowfin tuna, moved on to wood-roasted fish, then suddenly shifted into Italian territory with breadfruit gnocchi in a rich buttery sauce before continuing on to beef steak and duck. Individually, many of the dishes were delicious, but together they felt more like a sampler of the restaurant's assortment of dishes rather than a thoughtfully sequenced tasting menu with a clear theme or progression. That said, the quality of the food, generous portions, and outstanding service made for a very enjoyable evening. If you're looking to experience a wide range of the kitchen's offerings, Cocina Abierta delivers.

PHENOMENAL This is…read morenot just a restaurant, this is a dining experience. This is upscale elegance in a relaxed environment. This is global techniques blended with locally sourced Puerto Rican ingredients. From the moment you walk in, you feel welcome. I was there to celebrate my birthday (a reservation is a must). I asked if I could be seated in a different section of the restaurant, and even though they were packed, they said absolutely and found me a lovely seat in the bar area. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive. I suffer from severe food allergies but wanted to experience their tasting menu. My server spoke to the chef directly and then took the time to walk me through every option. I TRULY appreciated that they did not take anything off the menu but rather told me how they could adjust for my allergies. That is very rare and so very much appreciated that they went that extra mile for me. I highly recommend the tasting menu. It's 5 courses and they give you 3 options to choose from, within each course. And for the price ($85), a great value. Everything was delicious but I highly recommend the Breadfruit Gnocchi, Rainbow Runner Crudo, and Criollo Duck Mofongo. Chefs kiss! What I also noticed was, even though they were insanely busy, they didn't make you feel rushed. The invited you to savor the experience - which I did. Next time you are in San Juan, make a reservation and go. You won't be disappointed!

We were in the area shopping around and exploring. It was earlier in the day so not many places…read morewere open, we saw signs leading to this food truck. They had such poor service, they were not helpful in providing menu items or recommendations. Very impatient. The truck was pretty small, clean interior, and drinks were organized. They had limited seating with NO shade/umbrellas. After they took our order we waited over 40 minutes for three boxes of food. The platter came with meat, veggies, two sauces, and another side of choice (I chose fries). We all got Chicharrones, it was very juicy and tender. And the exterior skin was surprisingly really crunchy! Super tasty!! The fries were mediocre, cold and thick cuts. Portions were filling, none of us were able to finish. I don't recommend, plenty of other restaurants that offer the same items with better service and shorter wait times.

Love Trifongo Taino the bartenders are amazing and the food is fresh and delicious! If you come to…read moreLa Placita you must make a stop at Trifongo Taino is right in front of Paraiso.