El Quenepo continues to be our favorite go-to restaurant and bar in Vieques. The food and cocktails are delicious, the ambiance is relaxed yet classy, and the team is the best. T rules, and this year we met Adam, who is also terrific. We would go there every night of our annual trip to Vieques if only it were open every night. read more

Amazing food and cocktails. Best we had on our trip in Puerto Rico. Great location and ambiance.

Upscale vibe, nice decor. Good service. Food was very good, although perhaps not as perfect as the prices would call for. Worth a special night out if you're in Vieques, if you're looking to splurge. read more

Great service, quality dining. The carrot cake was expectacular. I really love it. Five stars

Muy buen servicio y la calidad de la comida . Lleve $$ $ porque los platos son caros. El ambiente excelente ! read more

Make sure you get a reservation for a evening when there open. BEST meal we had on the island. Our waiter was excellent, and gave us suggestions. We had the grilled Octopus, duck liver pâté and for the main entree we shared, the Duck!!!! Sooo delicious! They also were very accommodating with the shared plate and plated our meal on 2 plates. Desert was a crème brûlée, yum! read more

El Quenepo - Crème brûlée - Caribbean Near Me - Vieques, Puerto Rico

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The nicest restaurant on the island, but a bit overdone and expensive. The serve was thorough, but not personable. It was my birthday, and we didn't get dessert there. I got the filet, no complaints. My partner got the Caribbean Spiny lobster--he said it wasn't good. Hard to eat. We are from Maine as well, so we have no problem eating lobster. read more

Amazing meal. Fine dining in a tropical locale. The tuna BLT was outrageously good! Drinks were delicious, food creatively presented. Best meal we've had on the island. read more

Perfect! Halibut and swordfish were excellent and the service was top notch Can't wait til next time read more

The quality of the gradients does not match the price at all and the taste of food is very unpleasant... read more

El Quenepo - Caribbean Near Me - Vieques, Puerto Rico

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Was lucky to wrangle a same-day reservation for 3 at 9pm. Tables turned slow that night so we had to wait about 20 minutes. Enough time to get a quick and cheap drink at the open air dance hall across the street. From the street El Quenepo looks beautiful. Felt special walking up to the front door. The dining room was a bit noisy but yeah, there's an open air dance hall across the street. Server was great - laid back, non-judgmental, and she recommended wine pairings throughout. The pulpo app was good, but a little crispier at the ends than I like. The shrimp pakora had a delicious harissa-type sauce on the plate. I got the swordfish, which was the simplest entree on the menu - no frills but still yummy. Also got to try the monkfish osso bucco, which was quite a treat. Came with some variety of ravioli and a whole langostino wearing a sort of caviar hat! All parts of the dish were fantastic, especially that tiny lobster's tail. I'd never seen a dish like that before. If it's on the menu when you're there, get it. Our third was our 8 year old who had filled up on pizza down the street at his usual dinner time. He was promised dessert if he'd hang with us at the fancy spot. He gave an enthusiastic thumbs up for the chocolate torte. He also liked the shrimp and swordfish, for the record. Server brought him a virgin cocktail on the house. Great experience overall. Hard to imagine how anyone but the fussiest patrons wouldn't have one too. read more

Probably the best restaurant in Esperanza. This is also one of the fanciest, and the prices reflect that. This is the only restaurant where we made a reservation, because we had a bio bay tour at 7 and wanted to make sure we could get in and out in time. For a place where things move slowly, I was impressed that we were able to get in and out in just over an hour! I had a Pinatini which was delicious - not strong, but I like it that way. We had the focaccia to start which was kind of like a small pizza - it had cheese and sliced vegetables on the top. It was good, but not exactly a traditional focaccia. For dinner, I had the deconstructed Yellowfin Tuna BLT - large pieces of seared tuna on a bed of lettuce with fresh tomatoes and bacon. It was delicious and plenty of food. My partner had the Swordfish - the best part of that dish in my opinion was the crab fritters that came with it. This restaurant has a very nice atmosphere and we had no issues with the wait staff. read more

This was next door to our rental house in Esperanza, so we tried it one night and it was good so we went back the next. The place looks nice, service was always great, and they have tasty mixed drinks. Food ranged from superb to just good. Their ceviche appetizer was great, as was the crab and corn chowder special they had one while we were there, as well as their mofongo entree special. The regular scallops entree was good, as was their shrimp entree. The lamb entree was good, but nothing special. Well worth a visit or two, read more

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Best meal on the island hands down of our of four nights and five days. Stumbled upon it around opening time (5:30pm) and were impressed by the elegant interior with a fine dining atmosphere. The menu is refreshingly limited in contrast to places with an overwhelming amount of choices. The focaccia bread was a delicious starter - perfectly warm and soft on the inside. The goat masala and pork chop was incredible!! Such rich flavors, and the service was relatively fast, we were very impressed. The lemon tart with passionfruit meringue dessert was nice as well. It is a bit pricey but well worth the cost for a memorable meal. read more

Best food and service on the island by far. We have been coming to Vieques on and off for 25 years + ( back when the Navy was still bombing it!). Suffice to say, most dining spots are ok. If you want something special, El Quenepo is the spot. We had a fabulous meal (perfect check- apps, entrees,dessert). All were spot on. Also, our server, Adam (originally from Baton Rouge) was exceptional. Yes, it's pricey, but it's worth it. Highly recommended. read more

Three nights on the island. First night had an absolutely awesome meal at Coqui Fire. Tonight at El Quenepo; not even close. Beautiful location, decor and service, but not one thing we had to drink or eat was outstanding. Plus it cost twice as much as our Coqui meal. Sorry... read more

What an unexpected jem. We sailed over to Vieques for visit from St Thomas. A friend had recommended this restaurant. It did not fail to deliver. Five of us all ate and drank more than we should have. Poke, Octopus, and Chaturie for apps. Goat, Ribeye, and Mofungo for entrees. A couple of deserts and an after dinner drink. Everything was perfect. Having spent the last twelve years living in the Caribbean and knowing what we all went through with the Hurricanes it is amazing what they have pulled off here. read more

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Fantastic food! I heard a buzz around Esperanza last week 'El Quenepo is reopening, El Quenepo is reopening" Curious, I made a tax for four of us. Food snobs all and Am Q killed it! Fabulous. Goat Masala. Amazing. Carrot cake like my Moms. Excellent service and vibe. Memorable!! read more

Sophisticated option in otherwise laid back and non fancy island. The swordfish was phenomenal.

The goat masala was the best meal I've eaten in my life. Tender, complex, savory. It's (hot) spicy, but well balanced, with fresh cheese, spinach and lentil dal taking the edge off the pleasing burn. I'm coming back to Vieques for the gorgeous sandy beaches, but mostly, I'm coming back to order another plate of that goat masala at El Quenepo. Hats off! read more

I think this is the best food in Esperanza. It's not deep fried, the choices are particularly well thought out with a variety of local favorite flavors. Loved the swordfish, octopus sauté, their attention to detail and the kindness. Incidentally they own an Airbnb upstairs which is a total winner. Every morning in a picnic basket, the continental breakfast and French press coffee in the room. How do you beat that? Last but not least, the restaurant carrot cake (my favorite dessert), is the best!! They actually take ginger and curl it on the top... To die for! I would give them six stars if I could! read more

The absolute best restaurant and service on the island. A must stop every visit! It's my favorite restaurant. Wished I lived closer

It was fun to get dressed up and have a fancy dinner in a fancy restaurant while on a casual laid back island vacation.

Was visiting Vieques with my wife, son, and parents We wanted a special meal on our last day and came to El Quenepo on Yelp. Service: Our server, Aaron, was excellent! There was some initial issue with which specials were still available but not surprising given how busy it was! Aaron was helpful, descriptive, and very friendly. Food: Wow Timbal: special appetizer. Local bitter greens, fresh avocado, spiny crab, and local pico de gallo surrounded by an excellent mustard sauce. Amazing. Light and refreshing, perfect appetizer on a hot Vieques night. Elk/duck/steak plate: special for the night. New York strip steak was good, duck was perfectly cooked in a sweet sauce, and elk (shot by the chef himself on a recent trip to Montana and shipped down) was well cooked and seasoned. Mashed potatoes were also great. Alaskan halibut with lobster ravioli: I had some of my parents' ravioli and it was excellent! Dessert: Spiced bread pudding: I love bread pudding and this one was magnificent. Perfect consistency, excellent warm flavors paired with a good gelato. Lemon goat cheese cheese cake: wonderful! Perfect consistency and the goat cheese was an excellent addition. I hope to visit Vieques again some day and definitely eat here again! read more

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All is bueno, though a bit pricey. The service and location is primo however. Worth it for the most part

It was overpriced and not as delicious as I was hoping. The portion sizes for what you get are small. Our waiter was completely inattentive although the female owner did follow up after we had a problem with our (very small) salad. We waited over an hour for food on a not so busy night and a different waiter, possibly the cook? Came to check on us and apologize for our long wait but our waiter never made any mention of it. The ambiance is great and I applaud their concept, I just wish the service was better. Plus side: the tamarind drink I had was delicious. The food was well seasoned but for the price tag, I was expecting more. read more

Excellent t quisine. Upscale ambiance. Server was marvelous. Higher priced but worth it. read more

El Quenepo - Ahi Tuna - Caribbean Near Me - Vieques, Puerto Rico

Our host told us about El Quenepo. Apparently, the chef used to cook for the governor of PR... interesting. We were wandering in Esparanza and decided to check it out. I believe it is one of the few high end restaurants in Vieques. Very cute restaurant, minimal decor, and a lively atmosphere. Our hostess was charming and adept at convincing us to eat there. We got a small cozy table in the back. It felt like our own private dining area even though there was a group of 8 sitting about 10 feet away from us (they weren't loud). We started off with mango martinis. Perfectly made. I was being the lady (what? sometimes I like to be old-fashioned) and let the man order. He ordered the conch fritters. Perfect amount of breading with a great touch of Caribbean spices. We devoured them in 2 minutes flat (not lady-like). The specials sounded fantastic. They even had Indian style lamb shank, complete with masala. Of course, I did not order that. Why would I eat Indian food at a restaurant where the chef's specialties are native Viequense? The man ordered mofongo for me, and a trigger fish dish for himself. Mofongo = mashed and deep fried plantain cup filled with spicy seafood in ceviche style; in this case, lobster and shrimp. Big chunks of lobster and shrimp perfectly spiced along with diced tomatoes, onions, and a hint of citrus. Absolutely divine. His trigger fish came with two pieces of grilled fish on linguine and mussels. He loved it. I tasted the broth and it was great. We ordered a goat cheese cheesecake and a blackberry chocolate cake for dessert. The cheesecake was absolutely fabulous. The chocolate cake was rich and decadent. Service was spot on. Our waitress was prompt with water refills and my martini glass was always full. A perfect way to end a great day in Vieques. read more

El Quenepo - Conch fritters - Caribbean Near Me - Vieques, Puerto Rico

Beautiful restaurant, white linen topped tables, and beautifully presented, fresh food. It's expensive though about $30-$35/entree so it's definitely a pricey meal, and the portions smaller. We started off with their arugula salad with papaya, avocado, almond and black cardamom dressing. It was nice to eat some fresh salad and fresh vegetables after days of BBQ meat and fried foods ;) It was small though, a fistful of greens. For the main dishes, I got their yellowfin tuna which was seared and served with a black sesame puree which was really delicious. It was served with seaweed salad, cucumber and radish, all fresh ingredients balancing out the dense fish. My husband got the mofongo which was pretty good I thought, served with lobster and shrimp. It's their own special mofongo made with a special yam and some breading. They fry it which makes it really good on the outside but didn't think the overall dish was particularly special. We ended the meal with waffle and butter pecan ice cream. The waffle was OK and they were so skimpy on the ice cream so I would perhaps try another dessert next time. The macerated peaches were delicious on this dish, super sweet. It's a nice, expensive restaurant with smaller dishes, but really good, fresh good with inventive ingredients. read more

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We started with the octopus, which was a small piece to begin with and once we cut it we only each got a bite. That being said it was very tasty and unique. I had the pork tenderloin wrapped in pancetta and it was amazing, very tender meat and tasty dish overall served with avocado and beans beneath the meat. We also had the half jerk chicken, which was fantastic and tasty, and the prawn shrimp in Thai sauce which was quite a bit spicy for the 2/4 stage. You can choose anywhere between 1 and 4 on the scale. Overall a fantastic experience the restaurant has just reopened in the last month (January 2019) since the hurricane and is totally redone and new on the inside. Our server, Christina, was fantastic and the owner/GM was walking around and greeting each guest personally. Said they're hoping to build a guest house above the restaurant soon. read more

On our recent trip to Vieques, this was the restaurant my husband and I ate at our first night on the recommendations of the owner of our guesthouse. It's probably about as fancy as it gets on this little island, and some seem to feel it's pricey (though honestly it didn't seem much out of the range of most other places on the Malecon, nor any of the moderately fancy places you're likely to have eaten), but given the experience and food quality, I'd say it was well worth it. We were warned in advance that the daily specials are always very expensive when dining at El Quenepo, so we stuck to the standard menu, but we were still spoiled for choice. The drinks from the bar (one sangria, one green tea infused vodka drink) were delicious and a wonderful accompaniment to our meal. The appetizer of conch fritters and grilled bananas in an island curry sauce were SO GOOD (I was tempted to lick the plate) and the portions were very generous. Unless you are starving, this is not one of those places where everyone needs to get their own starter. For our main dishes, my husband got a pork tenderloin with a tamarind sauce and samosas, while I got a pancetta-wrapped dorado over a seafood risotto. Both dishes were AMAZING and again, very generous. Although the food might be rather rich given the sultry weather, we really had no complaints. For dessert we had the sweet plantain flan with warm caramel sauce, which was a revelation. Creamy and supple, it took flan to a new level and left us delighted. All told, for two drinks, an app, two mains, and dessert our bill came to $120 including tip, which was completely fair given the feast we enjoyed. At first I wondered why some people having eaten here every night they stayed in Vieques, but now I completely understand. This was undoubtedly our best meal while in Puerto Rico, and certainly is up there with best meals of all time. Can't recommend it highly enough, and when you're on Vieques, this is restaurant you must visit. May not be traditional food, but damn it's good! read more

El Quenepo - pancetta wrapped dorado w/ seafood risotto - Caribbean Near Me - Vieques, Puerto Rico

On a recent visit to Vieques my husband and I went to dinner here. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. She explained the specials and made sure she wiped the puddles of condensation from our drinks often. I started with the octopus which was cooked well and tasty. But for the price I expected more that 1 piece of octopus. My husband got the wedge salad which was not a traditional wedge. It was more of a Japanese taste to it with miso, edamame and carrots. He enjoyed it. For our main dishes my husband got the whole fish and I got the tuna blt. The fish was beautifully presented. The tuna blt wasn't quite as impressive and for $32 I really expected more. The food was good, but not outstanding. For the cost I was hoping for more...but all in all a good experience. read more

El Quenepo - Whole fish special - Caribbean Near Me - Vieques, Puerto Rico

Absolutely the best seafood I've ever had, a lovely very romantic and charming restaurant

I hate to write a bad review but have to. My family went to the restaurant New Years Eve and ordered a variety of the dishes-- for appetizers, the crab and goat cheese wontons and the calamari, for main courses the chicken with carbonara pasta, the spiny lobster, and the seared tuna. Appetizers were decent. My daughter and son had bites of the chicken which were undercooked. Spiny lobster and tuna were good. Dessert was the worst. We got the creme brûlée which was covered in granulated sugar, not what you want on creme brûlée. You were basically eating pure sugar. Now, you may be wondering why I am giving this place 1 star. It's because exactly four hours after we left, my daughter came down with food poisoning, presumably from the chicken and is only recovering now after three days. My son, too, got food poisoning a few hours hater. Since the chicken is the one thing they both shared, and my daughter reported it seemed undercooked, that is why we believe it was the chicken. What we expected to be a pleasant dinner turned into a meal that ruined nearly half of our vacation. read more

We saved this place for our last night on the island and were disappointed. The location is just OK with cars going by not that far from the tables. The service was very good with one waitress handing a large number tables very well. But the food was not nearly the best we had on our trip. We both ordered the specials (seems like a safe bet) and my wife's grouper was just OK and my strip steak was tough and medium well instead of medium rare. Yes I could have sent it back but that has a way of also ruining the evening. What was most shocking were the sides - a complete mishmash of flavors and way too complicated. The plating seemed designed to impress and it just did not work. We will take it off our list on our next trip - we had better meals at Conuco and Next Course. read more

Nicest place in Vieques with excellent food, friendly service and the best ambience. I took away one star because it's too noisy ... depending on your table, sometimes you can barely carry on a conversation when the restaurant is full read more

The service and wine list were great. Dishes varied from great to disappointing l. Two standout apps were the ceviche and octopus.. The Spanish bass was also great. Expensive, but large portions and upscale atmosphere read more

Ridiculous upcharge for drinks. Food, while good, among the most expensive meals you can get in Vieques. Plenty of better places to go to.

Ordered Amarillo wrapped with Pork Tenderloin. It was very delicious. The source tastes very good and the pork is super tender. I could literally lick the plate. The ambience is very good. Recommend to everyone who pays a visit to Vieques. Definitely the place to dine in. Took a bite of the pork before taking the photo.. read more

El Quenepo - Caribbean Near Me - Vieques, Puerto Rico

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I would say El Quenepo is one of the two best restaurants in Vieques. We made reservations pretty late and when we arrived the restaurant was still full. Good start. Their cocktails were not that great. We ordered three appetizers and all three were excellent: ceviche, blue cheese salad, Mariscada martini. My husband had the octopus entree and loved it. I ordered the tuna poke and it was too sweet and the wasabi was too spicy. If the dish wasn't as sweet and if it had less wasabi it would've been a winner. The tuna was seared perfectly. We shared the deconstructed S'mores dessert, it was quite good. Our server was a bit weird, he kept forgetting to bring our drinks, our appetizers and then our entrees, but we forgive him, because the food was good and he is young, he has time to learn. We ordered too much food and the portions are quite large. read more