La Mallorquina

I am shocked that there is not more buzz about La Mallorquina! We spent a week eating in San Juan, using the Fodor's reviews as a guide, and La Mallorquina is the match of any. The atmosphere is charming and old world. We were treated like royalty on a busy Saturday night. Everything was splendid, even the simple rice and cod; others in our party had the mahi filet, and the flank steak, all delicious. The flan, a standard in San Juan and often very under-par, was perfect here. A very nice wine list with many good selections in the $25-35 range, again unlike so many other spots in the old city. A real find!

La Mallorquina is no doubt an old and established restaurant in Old San Juan. It was quite a destination whan I lived there thirty years ago. Even though it is (apparently) run by the same family, it has gne down in quality a lot and mostly caters to the tourist trade. The atmosphere is quite pleasant and speaks of the Old San Juan you would expect.
The food is quite a different story! We sampled a lot of th menu, the bean soups could not be blander, the asopao was very ho-hum (read very little flavor!), the plantains were good but lacked the saltiness expected to contrast the sweetness of the green banana, the "amarillos" (sweet fried bananas) we got two since they had run out of them (go figure!). The prices are on the high side for what you get. I have not tried it, but I'd give The Bombonera around the corner a try before I go back here.

This restaurant is like entering the past. What Old San Juan was really like. Beautiful atmosphere. Really good local food. Priced reasonably. Very romantic.