An unexpected stop for lunch during a cruise stop in Old San Juan, PR, the Istanbul Restaurant was…read morea combination of Turkish dishes along with dishes native to Puerto Rico. My brother and I tried dishes from both menus, and found it to be quite good. As we were walking past, a small sign for 'Grandma's Kitchen' caught our eye. My brother had been encouraging me to try Puerto Rico's national dish: Mofongo - mashed fried plantains. Unfortunately, restaurants were just packed with long waits and I wasn't in the mood to wait outside in the sun for a long time. The door next to the sign stated that it was a restaurant called 'Istanbul'. We peaked inside, and was welcomed warmly by a host, who let us know that the restaurant was both Grandma's Kitchen/Istanbul. There was nobody else dining inside, which was weird considering how every other restaurant in the area was packed. The dishes are made to order, so took a bit of time for it to come out one at a time. Mixed Seafood Stuffed Mofongo ($25) - served in a wooden pilon, the tall and narrow neck was stuffed with the mashed plantains, topped with a seafood blend of clams, dense fish pieces, octopus, and squid. The sauce was really well done, not too rich, but buttery enough to accentuate the seafood. I have to believe the seafood was prepared from frozen, but it tasted really good: a definite notch up from the seafood I've been having on the cruise boats. It was the first time having mofongo, and I liked it. This version had fried plantain chips, mixed with the mash of more plantains. I don't think this version had pork skin rinds, and I didn't miss it. It's extremely dense, so ended up eating maybe a third of it while finishing the seafood. It's a solid alternative to rice, though definitely can't eat too much of it. Doner Kebab ($18) - from the Istanbul portion of the menu, this dish was tasty, though the meat was cooked on a flat top grill like a burger patty, instead of on a vertical rotisserie. The lamb/beef patty was loosely formed and well seasoned, with the accompanying tzatziki sauce being a good add-on. Both dishes were cooked very well, the back kitchen has some skills. Service was friendly throughout. Water is not offered, but guessing they will give to you if asked. Payment was provided after the meal, and they do stick on a mandatory 15% gratuity for all party sizes.

I love to use Yelp to find local spots when traveling; however I can't get on board with the high…read morereviews of this spot in old San Juan. The falafels were doughy and undercooked and the chicken kabobs very tough. Service was good, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. It's a little dark but clean.

Love the decor! The servers were all very nice and the mezze, homemade pita & falafel were all…read moredelicious! Tucked away in a non touristy area. A little hidden gem!

Awesome vegan-friendly spot! We were only hungry for a snack, so we got a platter of 3 mezze…read more(babaganoush, pumpkin hummus, and regular hummus). All three were great although the star of the show was the homemade whole wheat pita. Insanely fresh. Fluffy and pillowy on the inside and crusty and crunchy on the outside. Loved it.

We have been here a bunch of times when we lived in Condado. Absolutely the best Mediterranean…read moreFood around. The hummas and Naan are a must and the chicken curry dish is delicious. Always very consistent.

I stopped in for dinner 2 nights ago and had a fantastic mealm I started with a bottle of water and…read morethe hummus. The hummus was so good especially with the fresh baked bread they serve with it. I then had the falafel plate which came with rice, cold potato salad and a carrot/cabbage salad. I really enjoyed everything and the service was great.

We came to the area from California, and I was headed to Tostado, which is next door. They had a…read morewait, so hubby decided to go to Bogetta to have a drink at the bar. The rest was history! We met Victor and ended up eating at Bogetta. The brunch was amazing, and Victor was the best server ever. He made our experience a complete 100%. The dates stuffed with sausage were wrapped in bacon and provided the perfect sweet and unexpected savory. We loved it! Hubby ordered the lemon pancakes. Amazing!!! The lemon zest was infused into the light and fluffy pancakes, set off by the light and refreshing lemon cream that was on top of the pancake. The edible fresh flowers and strawberries were a delightful and unexpected touch. I had the huveas sol and wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! The avocados were fresh and tender. The vegetable puree was a wonderful explosion of flavor in my mouth when combined with the perfectly cook sunny side up eggs. Everything we ate was a win! I hope to come back before we head back to California. Today is day one, and it has exceeded our expectations thus far.

We were waitlisted elsewhere, which ended up getting cancelled. So, we decided to come here for…read moredinner and drinks. Food was okay, but there were a few items that caught my eye. The Oysters were fresh, and very reasonably priced. The Tomate and Avocado Salad (not pictured) was also fresh and light- it was my second choice bc they didn't have the Beets & Goat Cheese Salad. I tried the Bolognese and thought it was a bit boring. The drinks were boozy, but I did find the Paloma too sweet/tart. Overall, it was a great time- nice outdoor space. The service was attentive and friendly.

Super delicious Persian food! It was the perfect option for us since we don't eat pork, and many…read morerestaurants here serve pork. Everything we ordered was fresh and flavorful. One tip: I'd recommend calling before you go because they sometimes close earlier than their posted 10 PM closing time. The server/manager was incredibly kind and welcoming. She was patient, answered all of our questions, and made sure we had a great experience. Also place was super clean, but super cold inside. I'd recommend bringing a jacket if you get cold easily lol. Definitely recommend this place, and we'll be back!

stopped by Kasa Kabob and tried the meat platter with steak, chicken, and the cooked tomatoes --…read moreeverything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The portions were solid and the meats were tender, especially the chicken. Service was fast and friendly, and the food came out way quicker than I expected. Overall, a great spot if you're craving something hearty and well-made. Highly recommend. Nice easy going ambiance.

I don't even know where to begin…read more.. 1) I was with a large party of ~18 people and we were doing the Valentine's Day prefix menu (79$ pp) so I can understand if servers mess up orders or food takes long but they messed up not once but twice. So imagine everyone had to go down the line and say their orders twice 2) There were two loud speakers playing music right by us, the music was so loud it was vibrating the floor and hurting our ears. We asked to turn it down 3 times and were ignored and had to suffer through it. 3) the servers were pouring bottled water like their life depended on it and afterwards I knew why because we ended up paying over 100$ of bottled water. They did not ask us if we wanted more bottles but just kept filling our water nonstop 4) the food took sooo long to come out, we were there for 4 hours from first order to dessert. Everything was very small portions and average at best. It was also soo salty at times I couldn't taste anything besides salt on my tongue. So disappointing for how long the wait was and definitely not worth 79$ id rather have gone to McDonald's. This place did not care about its customers and food was mediocre, I would never come back and you should save your money.

We ended up at Jacinta in La Placita because it had good reviews and an available reservation. At…read morefirst it seemed like a great choice. The space is beautiful with chic interiors, trendy lighting, and a calmer atmosphere than most of the other spots around the plaza. I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, everything went downhill from there. The cocktail I ordered was extremely bitter and not enjoyable, but the real problem was the food. My cod came out rancid and my cousin's lamb was spoiled too. I asked the waitress to take a look and she immediately recoiled, admitted it was bad, and took it away. What upset me even more was that when I asked why it had been served at all, the explanation was that it "wasn't fully rancid, it had just started to ferment." That is no different and absolutely a food safety hazard. I ended up so sick that I vomited in the restaurant trying to get it out of my stomach, and everyone at the table has had horrendous food poisoning since. Two out of four dishes being rotten is unacceptable at any restaurant, let alone one presenting itself as high-end. The setting may be stylish, but none of that matters if the kitchen is serving food that is unsafe to eat. I left feeling disgusted and honestly concerned for anyone else who eats here.

This place is absolutely exquisite. Every dish stands out, not just because everything tastes…read moreamazing, but because each plate is full of flavor and beautifully presented with so much attention to detail. Even the white rice was incredible, perfectly cooked and honestly one of the best I've had. Reminded me of my grandma The service was very friendly and attentive throughout the entire experience. Everyone was welcoming, helpful, and always ready to assist with a smile. The atmosphere is warm, elegant, and timeless, with a classic décor that makes the space feel relaxing and inviting. No matter the time of day, you immediately feel comfortable and welcomed here. Definitely a place worth visiting.

What a great place to try! It batted a thousand. It's beautiful setting makes a strong first…read moreimpression. Everyone on staff was courteous and smiled. Our table was by the window and it was great. We were never rushed to finish and we ended up with about a 3-hour lunch. We started out with the manchego croquettes with a delightful sauce. So yummy. I heard the harvest soup was delicious. I ordered the burger which was delicious! The fries were one of a kind. A must try, impossible to describe. The eggplant salad was amazing as well. To top it off, we had the tarta vasca for dessert. Save space for that!!!

Food was different and delicious. Service was excellent very attentive and provided suggestions…read more Ambiance takes you to Cairo from the entrance and decor inside. The only complaint was the dessert, the baklava was not fresh. It was kind of hard and cold. Thank you.

On our way to another restaurant for lunch, we saw the sign and front facade of El Cairo and…read morechanged our plans to go inside. The menu offers plenty of choices. I was curious and ordered their lamb lunch box with rice, hummus, and salad. The box looked exactly as good as in the menu picture. While I did not love the salad, the rice, lamb, and hummus were delicious. For dessert, a strong coffee and baklava! The service was just okay. If you are a Yelper and get excited about the 10% discount for your first check-in, they did not honor it.