Wow! This came as a referral from a friend and it does not disappoint. The apps are so yummy. The…read morearancini are so good I could have eaten a dozen. The garlic bread was fine, not as good as the arancini. If you are hungry, get the chicken parm, my god it is the largest portion I have ever seen! I ate one of the 3 cutlets they served. Most times when a place gives a ton of food it is ok, well this was fabulous. Super thin, light breading that remained crispy and just the right amount of cheese and sauce. The pizza was good as well. For dessert we had a well portioned flowerless chocolate cake which was paired with some vanilla bean ice cream. Divine! We sat in the restaurant portion near the secret door to the speakeasy so take your pick on what vibe you prefer. The wait staff were super helpful and responsive. We bought the kitchen staff a round for fun. Great experience, I recommend swinging by if you are in the neighborhood.

Super impressed by this spot! We were SO happy that we got to sit in the speakeasy for dinner,…read morebecause it was exactly the kind of vibe we were looking for! The food was all delicious, and reasonably priced at huge portion sizes, particularly the chicken parm! The pasta was homemade and the sauces were so good. The weakest things were the burrata and the meatballs. Everything arrived to the table quickly, especially the drinks! We would totally come back on a future trip and will be recommending to others visiting the island.

I loved everything about this place. It is a classic family Italian restaurant like I haven't seen…read moresince I was a kid. Everything we had was absolutely delicious. I shared the 6 hour Neapolitan sauce and the pistachio pesto gnocchi. Both were wonderful. We had the eggplant parm appetizer and it was the best I have ever had and I have had many different eggplant parms.. For dessert we had pancetta and tiramisu. Both lived up to the standards the rest of the meal had set. I can't wait to come back to Puerto Rico so I can enjoy their delicious food again. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

We were celebrating our 46th wedding anniversary. Special night. Wrote it on the reservation. No…read moreacknowledgment of our celebration. You can definitely do better. We ordered a bottle of Fiano (a wine we really enjoy and was on the menu). They didn't have it. We settled for Chardonnay. It was good. We asked for bread. They didn't have any!!! (What? An Italian restaurant with no bread?) not a great start. Having said all that, the rest for our food was amazing! The arancini and the eggplant were exquisite. I ordered the steak (yeah I know) but it was amazing. The sauce, the potatoes. Just delicious. Our guests had the lasagna and my husband ordered the pizza. They were very satisfied with their meals. The ambiance is quaint. Old Italian. Clean. I would train servers to know what's available and what's not. Prevent from ordering and being disappointed. In addition, if you don't have bread and make pizza, you have bread. You can make it out of pizza dough in a pinch for those who ask. Italian red sauce without bread... it's a big miss. If your equipment is broken, buy the bread. I think they should have given us the dessert based on the misses. Nonetheless, the entrees were very good.

We went here with a group and sat at the upstairs outdoor patio. Our server was excellent and the…read morepizza was amazing. They were a bit crowded so we had a bit of a wait for a table but to the server's credit she didn't rush us. I got the vegetarian pizza and all the veggies were super fresh tasting and there were a lot of them on the pizza, no skimping here! The flavor was good and the crust was just the right amount of crispy and chewy. I highly recommend this place, it's probably the best service we had on the island along with a delightful pizza and the beautiful weather to sit outdoors!

We had a really nice dinner here although it was a last minute walk in…read more The service was excellent -- our waitress was attentive, friendly, and kept everything moving smoothly throughout the meal. One thing I appreciated was the drink menu. They have a surprisingly good selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. I ordered the zero-proof mango daiquiri, and honestly, it was incredible. Easily one of the best NA cocktails I've had in a while. My friend ordered an Aperol Spritz, which unfortunately fell a little flat by comparison. For appetizers, we shared the sampler basket. The absolute standouts were the fish empanadas and the crab croquettes. Both were packed with flavor and easily the best things we ate all night. For the main course, he ordered the tuna. It was good, but a bit overcooked for our taste. If you're coming here, see if you can snag a table upstairs. The space overlooks the Marriott and has a tropical, open-air vibe that feels very San Juan and really adds to the experience. Overall, I'd describe the food as good, with a few standout dishes (seriously, order the fish empanadas). The combination of solid food, great service, a fantastic mocktail program, and a beautiful atmosphere makes this a place worth visiting.

I've had mixed experiences here in the past, but my most recent was excellent. The buffalo…read moremozzarella appetizer (caprese style), chicken pillared, and the whole roasted Bronzino were excellent. The Bronzino itself was exceptional. As good as our food was, what made the experience was service. Tatiana was so amazing and friendly--they are lucky to have staff like this. Ambiance is modern and relaxed with comfortable seating inside and outside and an expansive bar. My only hope is they keep this level of consistency going forward.

I came here to celebrate my birthday because I wanted to try something different from the…read moretraditional Puerto Rican food. I was excited for the experience, but I do want to be honest. The place still look very fancy, but I've been fancier places... First, it is definitely on the pricey side. We ordered three pastas, three appetizers, three drinks, and 2 Fiji waters bottles -- and were also charged for the birthday cake. The total came out to almost $400, service fee of $50! which was surprising. While the staff was amazing, attentive, and very kind (I truly have no complaints about the service), the food unfortunately didn't match the price point. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't memorable or worth what we paid. Overall, great service -- but for the cost, I expected more from the food. Also be prepared cause they took over two hours to bring the food out and I had reservations as well

Tables are very close together. Service was good. Food was good, but portions are very small. We…read moreboth added chicken to our pasta dishes and it was maybe 2oz. each. Quaint atmosphere.

Il Bacaro Venezia is a solid choice for an upscale dinner. Small and intimate, the artwork is…read moredelightful, and so is the service. I ordered the Branzino, which was delicious. Hubby ordered the gnocchi, which he liked a lot.

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!

Via Appia was definitely the culinary highlight of our trip! I had the chicken involtini and…read morelinguini with oil & garlic! We went based on the "favorite restaurant on the island" recommendation from a lovely snowbird couple we met beachside. The patio was both lovely *and* lively. (Request it) And service / servers were part of the experience - I loved the way they seemed to have been doing this together for forever. Don't let "Deli" in the name fool you. Reserve a table now ! Via Appia was amazing!

We had an amazing meal with our amazing friends . Had clams posilippo and mussels , calamari fritte…read more, veal parmigiana, salads and several styles of pizza. Service was outstanding. Friendly , quick and a nice constant flow of food . The atmosphere was all about nice family eatery. Bar was fully patronized and everyone was having a good time. Smiles on everyone's faces ..

This Italian restaurant had good reviews so we decided to be heck it out for dinner. It was so…read moregood. The restaurant had some nice dinner lighting and tables that allowed cozy conversations. Service was excellent. Our server walked us through the specials and the menu to help us decide what to order. Husband went with carbonara and I chose the penne pasta. They were excellent choices as we shared our meals with each other. I loved the pink sauce on mine. It was a bit lighter than just red or white sauces. Portions were generous but not obscene in the amount of food. We shared the mixed green salad which was a great way to start the meal. The salad was huge! Splitting was a smart choice. They don't have glasses of wine on the menu but do have house options available. I had the cab and it was delicious. Husband wanted a nonalcoholic option which they didn't show in the menu. Instead, they asked if he wanted sweet or sour, and if there were any flavors he particularly enjoyed, and they created a unique mocktail for him. So fun. This was a great stop. We are so happy we found Ombra.

The food was great BUT…read more.. We made a reservation for 8:45, when we got there our table wasn't ready and they asked us to wait at the bar. No one greeted us. The "bartender" just kept walking by us, wish we could have waited 15 minutes with a drink. When we were finally set, our service was very dry. Not welcoming at all. He ran down the specials with no emotion or suggestions. Just another day at work. We got a glass of white wine, which was chilled and refreshing, but we had to ask for water since no one offered to fill our empty cups at the table. Decoration? Even though, we sat waiting for our food for about an hour.. we finished our glasses of wine. No one asked us for a refill. We started to ration our water to drink with our food. Sip by sip. We KNEW he wasn't coming back. We ordered two apps and two mains. So delicious!! The pasta was actually so good! The sauce was amazing and the wheel of cheese with the truffle, incredible! After our food was dropped off, NO ONE came by to make sure everything was ok, or if we needed anything else. No water, no wine, just pasta. We watched the other waiters bring waters and dessert to other guests, but we were just left forgotten in the middle. Everyone has a bad day. But we watched him take shots with other tables, clean up tables, walk past us a ton, until we finally made eye contact and he offered another drink. Ha! We just asked him for the check. By this point we were just disappointed. And he cleaned two more tables and finally brought us the check.. and now he got chatty. Ok. We were really wishing for a different experience. Specially for the style of restaurant they're portraying to be.

If you're walking by, this restaurant would be very easy to miss. The entrance looks like a doorway…read moreleading to a stairwell or service entrance, and I honestly didn't even notice a sign. Luckily, there was a gentleman outside directing people in, otherwise we may have walked right past it. Once you climb the two flights of stairs, you're rewarded with a beautiful dining space. The restaurant has a rustic, old-world charm with gorgeous décor and an Italian-inspired atmosphere. It immediately felt warm and inviting. There were four of us dining, and we started with two appetizers: the Setas Rellenas and the Chorizo al Vino. Both were excellent, but the Chorizo al Vino was my absolute favorite--absolutely delicious! For my entrée, I ordered the chicken lasagna. I expected chunks of chicken, but it was made with shredded chicken, and wow--it was incredible. The flavor was outstanding, and it ended up being one of my favorite meals of our trip. My husband ordered the beef lasagna, which was also made with shredded beef rather than traditional ground beef. He absolutely loved it. Our friends ordered the Milanesa de Berenjena and the Milanesa de Pollo with a side of gnocchi, and both raved about their meals as well. Since nearly every table seemed to be ordering pizza, we knew we had to try one. We ordered a small pizza for the table, and each of us had a slice. Now we understand why they're known for their pizza--it was fantastic! A special shoutout to our server, Rouil Rodz, who was attentive, friendly, and provided excellent service throughout the evening. Don't let the unassuming entrance fool you. This restaurant is a hidden gem with a beautiful atmosphere, outstanding food, and excellent service. If you're visiting Old San Juan, I highly recommend adding it to your list.

Killer pizza in an old school Puerto Rican spot. Kids loved…read morethe pizza. Wife smashed a sangria. I enjoyed a couple local beers.