Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    La Dulce Vida

    4.0 (60 reviews)
    Open 1:30 pm - 2:30 am (Next day)

    La Dulce Vida Photos

    LA DULCE VIDA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - La Dulce Vida

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Menu (one side)
    Nigel T.

    Great late evening find. Hit the spot after a long day at the beach. We had burgers and tacos and everything was good. A little language barrier, with some of us not speaking Spanish but it all worked out and our server was pleasant. Like most of the Ashford Ave restaurants, the music was a little loud but nothing that was off putting.

    Denice L.

    The guy outside stopped us as we were walking by so we decided to give it a try. We were the only customers so all the attention was given to us. We ordered Pina coladas and they did not disappoint. Food was veggie Mofongo and calamari. We were pleased and enjoyed the server.

    Que B.

    This place is located down the block from the beach was convenient to order some alcapurrias after being out in the sun. There was two per order. Really enjoyed their hot sauce that came with it. Item was made to order so there was a wait period. Place wasn't packed but I enjoyed my food. Place was clean and staff very nice.

    Crab mofongo

    The pork was overcooked and mofongo was hard, dry and bland. The crab mofongo was extremely fishy and also bland and dry. The pineapple drink was great though and the servers were nice. 20% gratuity was added to our ticket, which not terrible, but for the quality of the food not worth it. There are cheaper and better tasting restaurants to try local foods. The pork mofongo did upset my stomach.

    Gordon L.

    Great place. Food was fantastic. Service was good and waiter was super helpful. Close to everything downtown.

    Assortment of vegetarian dishes!
    Linni T.

    This is one of our go to restaurants every time we come. Lots of vegetarian options! Highly recommend. Service is great. Ambiance is casual and good. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

    shrimp mofongo
    Sam M.

    Located in San Juan, this is a great spot to try authentic local cuisine. It was my first time having mofongo, and I chose the shrimp version--the flavors were delicious! The staff was super helpful, taking the time to chat with us and offer recommendations. I didn't try the frozen margaritas, but they looked amazing in the dispenser. The music was lively and a bit loud, which adds to the energetic atmosphere if you're in the mood for it. Overall, the vibe and decor were great, making this a fun place to experience Puerto Rican flavors..

    Elvin M.

    Great little place here in El Condado San Juan. The food was delicious and made to order. I had the carne guisada and it was so tender!! The service was a little slow but the servers were very attentive and made sure we had what we needed while we waited. Overall a very nice experience!

    Churrasco Steak with arroz congri
    Ry M.

    The people here are so friendly, helpful and personable. My gf loved the oxtail I loved the churrasco steak! And it's topped with chimichurri. Highly recommend arroz congri.. so much flavor. Way better than just ordering "rice and beans" which will get you plain jasmine rice and a side of stewed (pinto?) beans.

    Sandra T.

    We were in the mood for sushi so we decided to check this place out. We ordered two of their Latin sushi options, which were definitely strange at first but still very tasty. Worth trying but very different from your standard rolls that you'll find in other restaurant. Our waiter offered us samples of all their frozen drink options from the machines and their pina colada was one of the best I've had. It was very smooth and coconut-heavy, but it was obvious they did not skimp on the alcohol content. They were able to make me a fresh virgin Miami vice (pina colada/strawberry daiquiri) at my request. The drinks and fried cheese were so good we came back another night to have them again. Both times we came it was almost completely empty inside and the service was fast. Inside they play lots of Latin music and it seems like a fun place to go with a group. It was a bit pricey though.

    Grossly overcharged water and Pina!

    Do Not eat here! Terrible experience! Waiter charged us 5.50 for bottles of water that he didn't even tell us were going to cost. We thought we ordered complimentary cups of water with our meals but nope he served Walmart bottles that he overcharged for. He also charged 18 dollars each for virgin Pina Coladas! WTF! So 47 dollars in drinks alone before any food. The food was mediocre at best. Waiter took our drink order and then went and sat in front on a personal phone call for over ten minutes never even acknowledging us. We ate our whole meal and were never checked on. I would recommend staying far away from this place! Mandatory gratuity was added to the bill so I couldn't even tip according to the crappy service we received. I hope our experience serves as a warning to others. Can't see this place being open for too long with how shady they are! I'll never be back!

    Fortaleza Roll
    Dee C.

    Um... I thought the sushi in PR would be amazing because of its proximity to fresh seafood. The pictures from this place convinced me to try it out. The bartender was sooo engrossed in her conversation that it took forever to get her attention. There was only one other couple in the entire place when I ordered my food. Another couple came in, was seated, ordered and was served before I go my food. As a matter of fact, they were leaving as my three maki rolls came out. I don't know. Maybe the sushi chef was off that night. Next time I'll just get mofongo. I did appreciate all the fans.

    Homemade Empanadas beef trio
    Rebekah C.

    The staff was really friendly and our orders came quick. The empanadas were good. The sauce gave it some more moisture to pair with the meal

    Ceviche puertorriqueño

    See all

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Emanuel B.

    Emanuel B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Food was great. Service was great. We enjoyed our evening immensely. The weather cooperated and the restaurant was in a nice location.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Emanuel B.

    Emanuel B.

    Thank you so much, it was such a pleasure serving having you.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Emanuel B.

    Emanuel B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Great food & service ! Great music while you eat. Drinks are also very good. Sushi was amazing!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Emanuel B.

    Emanuel B.

    Appreciate it so much

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    great Latin style sushi, pork chops was excelente and the mofongo

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 2 of 2

    La Dulce Vida Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - La Dulce Vida

    The service was a little slow but the servers were very attentive and made sure we had what we needed while we waited.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    La Cueva del Mar - Mofongo with Ropa Vieja

    La Cueva del Mar

    4.4(524 reviews)
    1.6 km
    $$

    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!

    We visited La Cueva del Mar for my wife's birthday dinner during our family trip to Puerto Rico,…read moreand despite a few minor issues, the meal itself was absolutely outstanding. The service was a little confusing at first. We were seated and expected to access the menu through a QR code, which wasn't immediately explained to us. We initially expected traditional menus, so there was a bit of uncertainty before we realized how the ordering process worked. We were also seated near one of the air conditioning units, which made some members of our party feel a bit cold during the meal. However, once the food arrived, all of those concerns quickly disappeared. The food was incredible. Rich, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, every dish at the table was delicious. The arroz con pollo was honestly the best I have ever had in my life. It was perfectly seasoned, comforting, and packed with flavor. Every bite felt like authentic Puerto Rican cooking at its best. Our family thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and it made for a wonderful birthday dinner for my wife. While the service experience could be a little clearer and some seating areas may be colder than others, the quality of the food more than makes up for those minor issues. I would absolutely return on a future visit to Puerto Rico.

    Photos
    La Cueva del Mar - Inside

    Inside

    La Cueva del Mar - Fish tacos & Sangria

    Fish tacos & Sangria

    La Cueva del Mar - The bar area

    See all

    The bar area

    Casita Miramar - Arroz con Mariscos (seafood paella) and Churrasco (steak); Follow me @RimyEats on Instagram

    Casita Miramar

    4.5(1.7k reviews)
    1.4 km
    $$$

    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!!

    For my last night in Puerto Rico, I wanted to go all out, and I ended up somewhere pretty special…read more Casita Miramar sits in a gorgeous old villa in the Miramar neighborhood, all hanging plants, twinkle lights, and vintage furniture, and the décor and ambiance alone had me sold before the food even showed up. I sat at the bar, and the staff absolutely made the night. Insanely nice and receptive, they talked with me the entire time, made recommendations, walked me through the dishes and the culture behind them, and kept the strong drinks coming, which I will never complain about. That kind of hospitality is rare and I can't say enough about it. Now for my one nitpick, and this is a me problem more than a them problem: I don't totally love Puerto Rican food. This is authentic comida criolla, which pulls from Caribbean, Latin American, and Spanish influences all at once, and my picky palate keeps asking what exactly it's trying to be. But the vibes, the people, and the setting made the whole experience more than worth it. Come for the criollo cooking, stay for one of the warmest rooms in San Juan.

    Photos
    Casita Miramar - Indoor Dining Room

    Indoor Dining Room

    Casita Miramar - Pastelón - Delicious thick Caribbean soft meat and plantain taste and texture

    Pastelón - Delicious thick Caribbean soft meat and plantain taste and texture

    Casita Miramar - Amazing chocolate Fudge Cake delivered to restaurant (Cakes by Glorimar in PR). Staff sang and added candle

    See all

    Amazing chocolate Fudge Cake delivered to restaurant (Cakes by Glorimar in PR). Staff sang and added candle

    Cayo Caribe - Shrimp mafongo

    Cayo Caribe

    3.8(440 reviews)
    0.7 km
    $$

    I am a big fan of this place. The food is excellent, not over priced at all and the staff is…read morefriendly and attentive. I come here every time I'm in Puerto Rico. This time I made it a point to get a Airbnb next to this restaurant and so far I've been there three times in 4 days. I'll be baaack!

    While having a delicious "Miami Vice" at the lobby bar inside the Marriott Resort, the cool…read morebartender told me to check out Cayo Caribe if I liked fresh fish. He said it was about a 10 minute walk and that I would not be disappointed.. Bet! The next day, while she was working, I took my little walk to Cayo Caribe and I'm sure glad that I did! It's a cool indoor/outdoor restaurant, with a nice sized bar and island decor. I ordered the Red Snapper and the server promptly came over with two for me to pick from before they cooked it to my liking. I chose grilled over fried. It took a little while for them to prepare it but it was well worth the wait. That snapper was freakin delicious!! So much so, I convinced her the next day to check out Cayo Caribe instead of Sushi. We started off with a couple drinks and calamari. She chose the grilled red snapper and I chose fried snapper this time. Honestly, mine was fried a bit too long, so I regreted not going with grilled again :( Cayo Caribe is must go for anyone that's visiting PR and loves fish. I thorougly enjoyed myself but definitely go for the grilled..lol!

    Photos
    Cayo Caribe - Inside view

    Inside view

    Cayo Caribe - Fresh fried red snapper rice and beans

    Fresh fried red snapper rice and beans

    Cayo Caribe - Monfongo with crab, shrimp rice, fettuccine

    See all

    Monfongo with crab, shrimp rice, fettuccine

    Mar Del Caribe - Variedad de mariscos. The best seafood in town!!

    Mar Del Caribe

    4.4(70 reviews)
    3.6 km

    This little hole in the hell yeah! will leaving you feeling like island royalty. In the mood for…read moresuper fresh, well-prepared seafood? Want a little white tablecloth treatment? Do you enjoy being waited on with the utmost care and attention to detail? This is the spot!! The service here is impeccable! I mean I have never seen food and drinks come so seamlessly while plates and silverware were cleared by the invisible man. The ceviche was an abundant pile of gloriously fresh fish. I asked for more bread to finish it off. I also had the Lobster Thermidor. It was as big as my head and delicious down to the last bite. My margaretes were strong and tasty. Treat yourself to this adorable, authentic place.

    We selected Mar Del Caribe from internet reviews for a Tuesday evening dinner as we were heading…read moreback to the Isla Verde area after visiting Old San Juan. My wish that night was to find a place offering fried whole snapper and it was on their menu - and I even called ahead to be sure it was available that night. So I was hyped to try their snapper version, and it didn't disappoint. The vibe of the restaurant was that of a friendly neighborhood joint, possibly a bit retro time-wise. Service was prompt and informative. We both had cocktails, and Paige said it was one of the best whisky sours she's had. With the snapper - which was HUGE - I had an order of mamposeao, a rice and bean stew that was amazing. My wife's chicken parm also got a great review from her. We parked in the small lot directly in front of the restaurant, and there was an attendant to help with parking.

    Photos
    Mar Del Caribe - At Mar del Caribe

    At Mar del Caribe

    Mar Del Caribe - The best food in San Juan

    The best food in San Juan

    Mar Del Caribe - Storefront for Mar del Caribe

    See all

    Storefront for Mar del Caribe

    Santaella - FILETE DE SALMÓN ORIENTAL

    Santaella

    4.3(693 reviews)
    0.7 km
    $$$

    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!

    Photos
    Santaella - Dinning room area

    Dinning room area

    Santaella - Tomatoes with Parmesan Cheese Ice Cream

    Tomatoes with Parmesan Cheese Ice Cream

    Santaella - Pulpo Parrilla

    See all

    Pulpo Parrilla

    Cocina Abierta - Second Course

    Cocina Abierta

    4.4(743 reviews)
    0.2 km
    $$$$

    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!

    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.

    Photos
    Cocina Abierta - Bar

    Bar

    Cocina Abierta - Snook

    Snook

    Cocina Abierta - FRESH LOCAL CATCH CEVICHE - Leche de tigre | avocado chips

    See all

    FRESH LOCAL CATCH CEVICHE - Leche de tigre | avocado chips

    La Dulce Vida - latin - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...