Food is really terrific. Cocktails too. The smaller apps were all amazing. My pork chop entree maybe the best pork chop I've ever had, and everyone was super happy with everything else. Cod, lamb, a sticky rice bowl, filet, etc. One of the better meals I've had in the San Juan area. Only minor niggle was service a bit slow (for example ordered a bottle of wine and I think it took 20 minutes or so); waitress in general seemed un-thrilled to be there. (And, paper menus would be nice. Covid is over.) But would absolutely go again. read more

Delicious dinner! We travel A LOT and eat at a lot of fine dining restaurants. This experience was great! All the food was delicious and the service was very kind. The appetizers were all good, especially the special fish cracklings. The main course lamb confit was very good. I'm not a huge fan of warm water lobster (vs cold) but the lobster thermidor my husband got was good. The chocolate soufflé is definitely worth your time! Perfectly cooked- one of the best soufflés I've had. read more

Incredible cuisine, ambiance & service! Jesus, Israel, Hector and Mar were great! We went two nights in a row. Definitely recommend!

Don't go. Rice is burnt (they say style of the rice which I get but this was burnt burnt?) so are the carrots. Wines are 5 oz serves and the glaze on the carrots is like they're going for a Smokey feel but it's just so wrong. Cocktails are too sweet. The only good thing was the ambiance with live music and the hot sauce was good too. Meat was ok once added salt . Honestly a terrible dining experience. Would not go back. Also not cheap but service was really good. Too bad the things the server made sound so good were just...not. read more

By far the best restaurant in San Juan PR . If you are a fan of tapas this is your place. In addition to a wide variety on the menu there are a ton of daily off menu specials read more

Great recommendation from a local friend that truly satisfied any foodie. The crew on staff seemed to be a little confused about who was actually responsible for our table. Looking past all that though, I can honestly say that it was one of the best meals I have had in my many travels. The intro bread and chips that were offered were delicious and a nice touch to start. We had a handful of appetizers and a couple drinks while we waited for our main course. The group ordered both specials as well as the standard fish and I ordered the lamb. The meat literally melted in my mouth and it was one of the best offering of lamb that I have ever had. All five dishes were beyond good and from the flavors to the texture combinations everything worked perfectly. So many times you run into that one component that sticks out. But honestly, I couldn't find anything critical to say about the meal itself. Dessert was amazing as well. Opted for the special, as you have to order it at the beginning of the meal. With that and a cup of coffee, had it been my last meal on earth I would have died a happy man. Make sure to make reservations lean towards the special or the lamb and come hungry! read more

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Eric Ripert is correct. He lists this as one of his favorite restaurants in the Caribbean and I agree. I truly enjoyed this meal and wish the chef would open a spot in NYC. The small bites are amazing and take traditional Puerto Rican cuisine to another level. Definitely a must have at this place. Brussels sprout dish Also a must have. His signature sea bass also amazing. read more

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Perfect in every way! The food was exquisite. Each dish was special. My wife and I shared the Gouda croquettes ( very delicious) and the arugula salad ( amazing taste, best arugula salad we ever had) and the Pork chop. Again, best pork chop we ever had. I don't know how they cooked it but somehow they made the fat caramelize perfectly with the meat. The sauce on the chop was a perfect complement, elegant and rich.Finished with a good (but not remarkable) chocolate soufflé. Very wonderful meal. Go here! read more

Great place to eat would highly recommend. Service was excellent and everything was fantastic.

Beautiful restaurant with phenomenal staff and a great menu. We had the octopus & tacos for appetizers. Our main courses were the lobster tail and shrimp with their version of fried rice. We ordered the chocolate soufflé and coconut cake for dessert. I was wowed by everything we ate. Some dishes were salted heavily. But the flavor profiles of every dish were a home run!!! Their bread was excellent. This restaurant is a must do experience if you are in San Juan. read more

Very pricey! Very good! Service was great a bit shocked when the bill came. Would go back.

Don't COME HERE! I came here for my best friends dinner in hopes to experience fine dining at 4 star restaurant. The intro was like any other restaurant. However as we look at our menu i quickly saw lack of food options, friend had research the restaurant looking for specific food and it wasn't available due to " the website not being updated". WE WAITED 2 hours for our food to be done. I spoke to the manager to let him know our discomfort, he followed ip by saying he argued with me instead of making the experience better and said that "perfection takes patience" please save yourself trip don't go here. There were only 3 things i would recommend here The bread, palo de Mario and they cream de passion fruit. Other than that i had a poor experience Thank you for reading. read more

This place is amazing! Not only the food was top notch quality, their service was so good too. I left my purse there after dinner and thankfully they took care of the purse for me so that I got it back next day. Thank you so much! I will come back next time in Puerto Rico! read more

How this place isn't five stars is beyond me. My wife and I agree that this was one of the best meals we've ever had and we seek out a lot of great food whenever we travel so highly recommend. read more

Amazing food and service. The restaurant is really clean and with a nice decoration. The appetizers were extremely good and the portion size is perfect. I had the sea bass and was amazing. read more

Very elegant. Delicious food and excellent service. Seems favored by locals for special occasions. The bread they deliver upon seating was delicious as were the crab tacos! Much attention paid to every detail. read more

The location is perfect just off Ashford, beautiful interior, extremely clean and well kept. The service was the best we've had in San Juan. We ordered with crab tacos and baby arugula salad which were excellent. The crab tacos were very small, bite sized and delicious. For dinner we had the Black Sea bass and lamb. The lamb, which was recommended by our server, this was probably the best Iamb dish I've ever had! Even if your on the fence with lamb this was over the top! Strongly recommended! Great wine selection and an AMAZING desert topped off an exceptional experience! read more

When we first walked into the restaurant, the gentleman bartending was very friendly. We arrived early, and were told we could be seated at our table . The first server said he was filling in for our server who supposedly was on a break. I don't know if they were short handed that evening , our server was friendly enough, but clearly inexperienced. He asked about food allergies, and we explained a member of our party has nut allergies. He said a few of the desserts had nuts. Upon opening the menu, there were a number of dishes that contained nuts. Our table was ignored a number of times when wine glasses were empty. The manager walked right past our table a number of times without asking how our meal was. Just because someone isn't a regular customer isn't a reason to ignore a table.Very unprofessional. The evening was wrapped up with one of the desserts that was brought out was the wrong dessert. At that point, we were ready to pay the bill and leave. The food itself and presentation was excellent. Service and attitude by management was definitely subpar. read more

We tried he sea bass and the churrasco. The sea bass being the signature dish at this restaurant ($46), I expected it to be perfect and it actually was. Fish, sauce and majado should be tasted simultaneously. I did taste them simultaneously and it works marvelously. What a nice dish! The churrasco was fine. We also had the starters sampler, a great introduction to Pagan's cuisine if --like ourselves-- this restaurant is new to you. I'm not giving 5 stars because a) I'm an arrogant snob and b) the tartare's tostón (plantain fritter) was cold and bland and did't make justice to the rest of the sampler. Service is great and price is, if you consider the overall experience, surprisingly reasonable. Can't wait to go back and try the other stuff in the menu. read more

The stars are for the high quality and presentation of the dishes. However, the service was not anywhere near what one would expect from a high-end and high-priced restaurant, such as this one. My family of 4 was celebrating a birthday and looking forward to this meal as the perfect ending to our vacation in Puerto Rico. Instead, our experienced server was replaced mid-meal with an inexperienced server, who had no knowledge of wine, and did not acknowledge my wife twice--when taking the cocktail order and when refilling the wine glasses. The Manager came to our table twice and did not say a word to us--once when clearing off utensils and then at the end to collect the bill. He came across as rude and unfriendly. Needless to say, I came away unimpressed with this restaurant overall and will not recommend it anyone of my colleagues who regularly come to Puerto Rico on business. There are much better options. read more

This is a great place with such a friendly stuff. Our waiter ALBERTO was awesome.. his recommendations about the food was great. Such a great restaurant ... we loved it ... thank u so much read more

This restaurant was recommended by a coworker. We had dinner with a group of friends right after a 12 hour long day at work. The ambiance was sleek and modern. We were the only customers at the restaurant when we got there. The server wasn't the nicest person in the world. He even looked annoyed when we asked questions about the menu. That aside, we ordered a mix of appetizers that included bite-sized variations of typical Puerto Rican food like alcapurrias, bacalaitos, and tostones, among other things. They were very good. I had a pretty looking lavender cocktail and the beef filet with gnocchi. I am a gnocchi lover and these were one of the best I've ever had. They even made me forget about the not-so-nice waiter! The chocolate soufflé was the perfect ending to our night. read more

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Modern, bright decor where service and food are very good. Snapper was excellent, and skirt steak special was quite good (meat was fairly tender; sauce was interesting sweet). While the ingredients were good quality, we found they sometimes lacked seasoning. read more

Mario Pagan - Puerto Rican Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

I can't wait to go back! The menu has so many amazing things I want to try. Steak was delicious and the truffle mac & cheese was to die for. The duck was juicy & cooked perfectly. The soufflé was worth every last calorie. Update: we took friends who were visiting San Juan to eat here this past weekend and it was even more amazing then the first time (didn't think that was possible)! Our server, Ian, made the experience outstanding. His passion for the food and his personality just made our night. Between the delicious food and Ian's world-class service this place is hands down one of the best restaurants we have been to around the globe! Thanks for the memorable evening ! This time we had: Rabbit Ravioli - better than we have had in Italy Sea bass - easy to see why this is their signature dish. Steak - didn't need a knife to cut it, cooked perfectly. Soufflé - yum yum and yum....the only problem with the ice cream they served with it was that we needed to order more because it was too good. Oh and shout out to all the servers who responded like Ninja's when the people at the table next to us spilled a glass of wine and splashed a bit on my dress/purse. They jumped into action so fast that it was cleaned up before I even realized what was happening and my Fendi purse and dress were saved - thanks to their quick action which went unnoticed by many because they were so fast and quiet about attending to me and the spill. Mario Pagan's has managed to achieve the rare unicorn status of both phenomenal food and outstanding service. read more

Our dinner last night was our first time back to Mario Pagan after Hurricane Maria. We were a little concerned that given all the destruction by Maria that the restaurant would not be the same. Our concern was needless. The meal and the staff were superb. I had the Chilean Sea Bass and my wife the Chuleta. Both were excellently done. We capped the meal off with a Chocolate Soufflé and went back to our hotel sated and content. Kudos to the Chef and staff at Mario Pagan for not missing a beat. Their resilience and that of the people of Puerto Rico is inspiring. read more

The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is that the service was just very slow - everyone was really attentive when they did come to the table, but it all just took forever. The food & drinks were excellent. read more

We found this place by accident and I cannot say enough great things about the entire experience. We walked in around 7pm on a Saturday night with no reservations. The bar looked lovely so we asked to sit there. I HIGHLY recommend sitting at the bar! The bartenders Isreal & Jonathan were nothing less than spectacular!! They were pleasant, entertaining and they truly have a talent & knowledge behind the bar. We dined on a sampler of appetizers, all were delicious. The lamb confit and Chilean sea bass were unbelievably delicious!! We ended with the chocolate soufflé. You MUST eat here!! read more

Ordered from here on doordash, first they call me to say they no longer offer 2 of the items i ordered because they forgot to update their menu on the app, so i switched them for something else. After i spend an hour waiting for the food they just completely cancel my order instead. Ruined my friday night. read more

Good Choice. Excellent service and deliciously amazing food!!!!! Don't miss any appetizer, I can't mention one in specific, cause all are to die for. read more

You must go!!!! My boyfriend and I discovered Mario Pagan's on our first visit to PR by accident. A bad experience at another place had us wandering the streets looking for a good meal. The staff at Mario's squeezed us in on a very busy night and we proceeded to have an amazing meal with fabulous cocktails (smoky 18 rocks!). The Lamb confit and the Sea bass are to die for. Everything we put in our mouths here was delicious. Even the bread and flavored butter was on point. We have since moved to PR and are on our way to being regulars @ Mario's. I hear people saying the service is attentive but slow. This is not fast food, and this is PR. However, I have never once needed anything and could not get the staff's attention, although normally they have me taken care of before I realize I need something! Plus, it's dinner and I am out for a leisurely meal in PR. read more

Wish I could give this restaurant five stars because it would have otherwise. Was there for my wife's birthday with my parents. Service was good, and location nice. The food was very good minus the experience my wife had. She ordered the Filet Medium. When she took her second bite she found it to be quite rare. When she cut open the steak it was cooked rare. She sent it back as it was not cooked to her preference. Everyone else finished their meals by the time she got her steak back. To our surprise they just put both prices of meat back on the grill and charred it well beyond medium. At a restaurant of this caliber and price point of almost $400 for four people for lunch we expected much more accountability for their failures in the kitchen. Disappointing experience. read more

We went for our anniversary and it was delicious, the service , the food and the dessert was really good. Highly recommended!

Mixed messages, all the way. Elegant, sleek room. Service was great at first, then waned as the restaurant filled (20 minute wait for the check). Cod croquette appetizers--deliciously-crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside. Warm Brussels sprouts salad had great flavor, but WAY too salty (perhaps blanched in salted water, then not rinsed???), and the little diamonds of chilled beets were a great touch. Chilean bass couldn't have been better. The menu-listed and server-described "double-cut pork chop" turned out to be "single-cut," and requested "medium" somehow got translated into "medium well" before getting to the chef, which left it dry and leathery, without enough succulence to blend with the outstandingly-flavored rub on its outside. Overall, an interesting experience, but, at $146 for two, without drinks, should have had fewer flaws and more-consistent service. read more

The main reason I picked this place was that it seems like a fine restaurant that serve lunch. Waiter's service was good. The best food was the small free bread, today's daily soup was fine too. The rest are so so or not so good. The crabmeat taco tested like tuna with coleslaw sauce, my husband did not feel well after eating it. The warm Brussel sprouts was undercooked almost raw. Two main dishes were so-so. The worst part was the valet parking, the guy did not tell us anything in the first place but when we tried to give him a dollar tip, he asked for $10 in stead; after taking the money, instead of getting our car ready for us to drive out he tried to let us drive through a very narrow space that will damage our car for sure. He only moved the cars parked in front of ours when I objected. Consider the money-grabbing but no-service valet parking and the high cost but so-so quality food, I would never go back there again. read more

Enjoyed a beautiful dinner at "Mario Pagan Restaurant" while in vacation in PR... the restaurant and chef Pagan did not disappoint... the food was exquisite...The duck foie gras was excellent and featured a tasty Puerto Rican flair... drinks and wine was excellent, the atmosphere was great and the service was top notch! I will certainly visit again during the holiday season! read more

This is a new restaurant in the Condado area. When it was reviewed in the local news it drew my interest and decided to put it on my list. Well I wasn't disappointed. The decor and ambiance is simple but well done. Service was excellent and the food was perfect. We started with cocktails, my companion had the house cocktail which I believe was called "Magdalena", which was very nice, not sweet or over the top, as our waiter Ian described it "balanced". For a starter we shared the Brie croquets which were simply excellent. The portion is small, 4 mini croquets, but superb. For a main course I had the Chilean Sea Bass which was perfectly done with a root crop mash. My companion had the lamb with risotto which was also delicious. We skipped desert despite the tempting menu of sweets. I'd say that my only complaint was the $10 valet parking charge, many local Restaurants have free (tip only) valet parking. read more

What an absolute delight it was to enjoy the masterful delicacies of Chef Mario Pagan! Each dish was so full of flavor and so artistically plated, that we just had to share our experience. We ordered half the menu and of course, had to end the evening with the decedent chocolate soufflé. Each dish did not disappoint and we were thrilled to meet Chef Mario himself and hear of his passion for all things culinary. Thank you to the wonderful team at this brand new restaurant (special thanks to Ivan and Paola), and we look forward to returning for more fun with family, friends, and food in the near future! read more

My family and I selected this restaurant because of their reputation. They did not disappoint! We shared tastes and bites instead of ordering entrees and, like kings and queens, ate til our hearts' content. Their wine list does not disappoint. The bottom line is this: awesome food- fantastic wine- great service! Your visit to Puerto Rico will not be complete without dining here! read more

Just short of a year old opening and great location. I opted to discover their steak tartare and it was a mission to find here in PR AND NONE THE LESS ANGUS also the tuna amazing. However the only reason I did not rate 5 star it's because of the limited wine menu by the glass very disappointing read more

A lovely spot in an up and coming neighborhood. Great food. Good service. It should be a small thing, but the overhead music played the same six songs on repeat for our entire 3 course meal. It was really distracting. I wanted to focus on the meal but was disappointed by the atmosphere. read more