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.

I stopped in to have a drink and ended up ordering the fried mozzarella. I was by myself and the…read moreportion was so large that I shared some with my neighbors at the bar. They were so delicious but it can really be shared with 3-4 people! Although I forgot her name, the bartender provided excellent service. There was a water issue in the area that caused the bathrooms to be out of service. I would have stayed longer and drank more had their been bathrooms.

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.

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!

4.5 stars. Cocina Abierta was one of the better meals of our trip. The food was excellent overall,…read morewith the lone exception being the empanadas, which were simply too salty. Everything else was very well done. The two of us split one order of the five-course tasting menu plus an additional starter, and it ended up being a nice light meal. Had we each ordered our own tasting menu, it would have been far more food than we wanted...something we found to be a fairly common theme with portion sizes throughout Puerto Rico. The standout of the evening was the Criollo Duck Mofongo, which was absolutely exquisite and easily the best mofongo we had on our trip by far. The cocktails were tasty and unique, but a bit small for the price. This definitely isn't an every-night kind of restaurant...the prices are on the higher side. But if you're looking to splurge a little, it's a fun place to do it.

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 ..

Highly recommend... The food was amazing!! We stumbled upon Ombra from doing a search for Italian…read morefood for our dinner... so glad we chose to go there! We are planning to return before our vacation is over!

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.

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.