Where to Eat and Drink in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan has enough fried food, meaty offerings, and boozy rum concoctions to bust any diet. Would you expect anything less from the birthplace of mofongo, cuchifritos, and piña coladas? Thankfully, such gluttony is tempered by an abundance of tropical fruit, legumes, and fresh fish, which pop up on many a plate. Another godsend of Puerto Rico’s Caribbean geography? Coffee. Most of the beans are harvested in the mountainous interior, which benefits from cool trade winds, highland rainforests, and rich soil. Drink it black or con leche throughout the day and you just might be able to power through this culinary cheat sheet to the colonial city.
Jessie Pascoe has always found traveling to be synonymous with great food and strong drinks. When she is not dreaming up future trips, she tries to jog off past ones in Brooklyn's Prospect Park.
1/14The Hot Newcomer: 1919 Restaurant
This oceanside spot serves up refined plates made from local ingredients. Showstoppers include chef Juan Jose Cuevas’ warm heirloom tomato broth spiked with chili and mellowed by shitake mushrooms and spinach, and a wild king salmon that's accompanied by an earthy pimentón sauce. 1919, 1055 Ashford Avenue; 787-724-1919; 1919restaurant.com (Credit: courtesy 1919 Restaurant)____
2/14The Tasting Menu: Marmalade
Though this Old San Juan restaurant receives many accolades for its haute cuisine, it doesn't mean chef Peter Schintler doesn't have fun with the menu. Opt for one of their prix-fix options to sample sushi paella, popcorn shrimp (grilled shrimp with ancho-chili spiced popcorn, pictured) and truffled tiny white bean soup. The lighthearted vibe continues with the “global warming” cocktail: a giant Earth-shaped ice cube infused with chili that slowly melts into a Corralejo Reposada Margarita, raising the heat bit by bit. 317 Calle Fortaleza; 787-724-3969; marmaladepr.com (Credit: courtesy Marmalade)
3/14The Leisurely Breakfast: Patio Del Nispero
In Old San Juan, there's no shortage of historic buildings with stunning interior courtyards. But the one inside of Hotel El Convento is home to Patio Del Nispero, a perfect place to enjoy a long breakfast. Named after the giant fruit-bearing tree (called nispero in Spanish) that's taken root in its center, Patio Del Nispero serves a daily morning repast of fresh fruit, juices, omelets, and crepes. With this gorgeous setting, you might just want to stay here for lunch. 100 Cristo Street; 787-723-9020; elconvento.com (Credit: courtesy Hotel El Convento)
4/14The Quick Lunch: El Jibarito
El Jibarito offers some of the best Puerto Rican comfort food, or cocina criolla, in San Juan. Named after the folklore Puerto Rican farmer who cultivates the land, El Jibarito’s menu serves up all the classics, from spicy alcapurrias, plantain tamales, yucca mofongo with a rich garlic sauce, meat stews, and even a Navidad rice special for those looking to celebrate Christmas year round. Just make sure to come here during the week; this place is packed on the weekends. 208 Calle Sol; 787-725-8375, no website (Credit: Flickr user BrentOzar)
5/14The Hole-in-the-Wall: Café Manolin
An Old San Juan establishment for decades, Café Manolin caters to those wanting a quick bite to eat before work or at lunch. The simple menu offers mofongo (mashed plantains fried with various fillings); meat pies, fried chicken—all of which come with rice, beans and the extra option of tostones (fried fritters) and plantains. Daily specials are also offered, like “Serenata de Bacalao con Viandas,” a cod dish that every Puerto Rican grandmother makes. 251 San Justo; 787-723-9743; cafemanolinoldsanjuan.com (Credit: courtesy Café Manolin)
6/14The Ethnic Standout: José Enrique
After being a James Beard semi-finalist last year, José Enrique is finally getting the recognition he deserves. And it's no wonder that the wait for a table at his eponymous restaurant can approach the two-hour mark: Prepare to be wowed with their house-made hot sauce, mignon empanado (yes, that’s filet mignon empanadillas), fried fish, carne guisada (beef stew with plantain tostadas), longaniza (homemade Spanish sausage), ensalada tropical, cangrejo (crab in fried pastry cups), coffee flan, tembleque (a Puerto Rican coconut pudding)...and pretty much everything else on the menu. 176 Calle Duffaut; 787-725-3518; joseenriquepr.com (Credit: courtesy Jose Enrique)
7/14The Old Standby: La Bombonera
Known for its pillowy mallorca bread, this 100-year coffee shop is an institution. Tourists and locals alike love the breakfast mallorca, stuffed with ham and dusted with powdered sugar. Though the bakery is closed for renovations at the moment, the construction is only temporary. It will reopen—the Grey Lady herself reports!—in no time short. 259 Calle de San Francisco; 787-722-0658, no website (Credit: Flickr user John Picken)
8/14The Midnight Snack: El Churry
Open well past midnight on most nights, the mobile El Churry satisfies with meaty sandwiches, wraps, hamburgers, quesadillas, soups, salads and frozen yogurt. Can’t decide? Go with their most popular menu item: a mixto sandwich of skirt steak and chicken. Roosevelt Avenue at Interamericana in Isla Verde; 787-525-2552; elchurry.com (Credit: courtesy El Churry)
9/14The Can't-Miss Street Cart: Farmer's Market at Park La Ventana al Mar
Held on the first Sunday of every month, this market in San Juan's Condado neighborhood is Puerto Rico's answer to Brooklyn's Smorgasburg. Aside from local produce, culinary products, and crafts, numerous street carts fry up their finest fritters, from bacalaitos (fried cod fritters) and alcapurrias to artisanal empanadas. The best part? Being able to wash down all the fried food with a fresh cocktail made on the spot (and served inside a pineapple). First Sunday of every month, 9am-5pm, Park La Ventana al Mar, Avenida Ashford at Calle Joffre; no website (Credit: Jessie Pascoe)
10/14The Wild Card: Vaca Brava
No, Vaca Brava isn’t Spanish for “heart attack,” though one look at their menu might suggest otherwise. Every dish at this BBQ spot comes super-sized—from the El Tendedero, a clothesline of various meats strung together, to the giant Brontosaurus ribs. And while not everyone’s this crazy of a carnivore, Vaca Brava must be doing something right: they recently expanded from their original location in the mountainous Barranquitas to this second spot in Old San Juan. 253 Recinto Sur; 787-723-3700; restaurantvacabrava.com (Credit: courtesy Vaca Brava/Facebook)
11/14The Shot-and-a-Beer Dive: La Taberna de Lúpulo
This is a beer geek’s dive. With 200 beers on tap and in bottles (including the local brew Medella, naturally), bartenders who know their hops from their malts, and a chill crowd, this low-lit spot is a must for anyone craving a dive atmosphere with something more than just Budweiser. 151 Calle San Sebastian; 787-721-3772; facebook.com/tabernalupulo
12/14The Mixologists’ Lab: The Mezzanine at St. Germain
An old world cocktail salon if there ever was one, The Mezzanine at St. Germain offers a bevy of freshly squeezed fruit cocktails, tasty tapas, and various local brews. But it's the unique “coffee cocktails” that reveal this hotspot's true wizardry. For the intrepid, there’s the Pharmaceutical Stimulant, an eye-opening mix of 100-percent agave premium tequila reposado, chocolate bitters, and espresso. Or, start the day right with the Morning Fizz, a boozy iced coffee complete with espresso, vodka and vanilla liqueurs. 156 Calle Sol, 787-724-4657l stgermainpr.com (Credit: The Mezzanine at St. Germain)
13/14The Great Cup of Coffee: Bici-Café
Puerto Rico may be blessed with great beans, but barista Daniel Rivera elevates them to perfection. A former national barista champion, Mr. Rivera has competed in the World Latte Art Championships and worked for Hacienda San Pedro, one of Puerto Rico's top coffee companies. Bici-Cafe, his latest project, finds him brewing coffee from a customized bike for small groups (he recently served coffee at West Elm) and to the public around town. Find out where he's been and where he’s going at facebook.com/Bici.Cafe (Credit: Karla M. Ortega)
14/14Sleep It Off: Hotel El Convento
A former 17th century nunnery, Hotel El Convento has been transformed into a jewelry box of a boutique hotel with 58 guest rooms, three restaurants (including the Patio Del Nispero courtyard), and a rooftop pool with magnificent views of the city. Its proximity to various bars and restaurants means you can easily stumble home after any epic culinary—or cocktail—crawl. 100 Calle del Cristo, 787-723-9020, elconvento.com (Credit: courtesy Hotel El Convento)
