Barú

We had dinner for 5, without reservations, on Sunday night. Luis was our server and we were seated in the courtyard. Dinner was spectacular. We ordered course by course as he guided, and shared everything. The goat cheese, tuna carpaccio and the shrimp skewers were all spectacular, as was the beef dish. The sangria was the best we've had anywhere. Our server made the last night, spent with a new bride and groom in the family, just wonderful and special.

My girlfriend and I had spent a week bouncing from Old San Juan to the rainforest to the mountains and back to OSJ before sadly heading back to Boston.
On our next to last night we decided to bounce from well-reviewed restaraunt to well-reviewed restaraunt.
We bumped into an American ex-pat on the street and he reccomended this great and relatively new place on San Sabastian called Baru. After glancing over the menu on the street we thought it looked good. Not until we sat down did we realize--actually were were told by the server after being seated--this was a tapas menu. I was floored by the prices of the "medium-sized" portions. Hoping that a $20 plate of rissotto would blow us away, we ordered it up. Unfortunately it fell way short. The flavors were ok, but disconnected and out of sync. The drinks were pleasant, but for $11 I'd expect fresh lime juice in a Bombay gimlet to be the default (not Rosie's). The almond crusted goat cheese with yucca chips were ok, but not worth the $15. The sultry, Euro-spanish ambience--particularly in the alfresco dining room with base-lit waterfountains--was definitively inviting, and the service staff inarguably attentive, but at the end of the day, it's the food that brings me back. The chef's pallet has me wary of ever returning. I guess the word that came to me as we were leaving was pretentious. I'll take the pig on a spit in Cayey over this type of place anyday.

Great food and little pricey and not flawless as it should have been for the price. But the ambiance was worth it great romantic patio where we impromptu danced but the waiter ditched us to 'go on break' and our service then was terrible....Worth it tho

I was reluctant about traveling to an offbeat location in Old San Juan. Baru was definitely worth the trip. The Tapas was moderately priced, best Sangria, and a great Latino Vibe. We had a party of eight, and sharing is a must. We started with several appetizers and I highly recommend the Shrimp Pinchos with Yucafongo? This dish was so good, we ordered a second serving. We also ordered several main dishes. The Seafood Risotto, and the Filet Mignon with horseradish mashed potatoes and wine sauce were outstanding. Everything we tasted was delicious. I also have to mention Kelly, our beautiful waitress, who was attentive and provided outstanding service. Thanks Cosmo for a great dinner and many laughs. We had a marvelous dining experience and I cannot wait to go back to Baru.