Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
The Cabarete area in particular—where all-inclusive resorts don't yet totally dominate the scene—has some fun, original restaurants, but these are often small places, so it's important that you make reservations in advance. Expat residents complain that the prices in this town have moved past the good-value-for-money mark. Also, more and more restaurants are insisting on cash only, be it pesos, dollars, or euros. The area has lovely fine-dining options .
With a setting as artistic as a gallery—befitting its location within Casa Colonial, a refined boutique hotel—and an ambitious Caribbean-fusion menu, Lucía is successful on all fronts. In a room with orchids galore, crisp white linens, and waiters in white guayabera shirts giving impeccable service, guests love the delicious appetizers and signature dessert, the molten chocolate volcano. When the digestif cart is rolled over, be daring with a Brunello grappa or the local Brugal Unico rum.
If you are looking for a rustic hideaway with great food, this may be your place. The "furniture" might be a tree stump, decoration a cow horn; tablecloths are raw burlap; the floor is dirt. Men sidle up to the bar, which looks like a western movie set, smoking Dominican cigars (bought here). The food, served up by chef-owner Juan Alberto, is why they come: flavorful and authentic, the seafood is always a star. Look for langoustines and lambi (conch), pulpo (octopus) and land crab, not to mention the freshest fish. Juan goes that extra mile in his preparations, far beyond the ubiquitous creole sauce you find in most Dominican fish joints. If you come with a group, Juan may even hire musicians to entertain.
This family-run restaurant is a local favorite among Cabarete and Sosúa expats. The food is good, if unimaginative, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The menu is varied including seafood, meats, and pastas with international influences and local flair. There are sure to be options to please everyone, even picky eaters. Families will love the children's zone where kids can play in a towering castle with slide within view of outdoor seating and select tables inside. The owners are often around and when you see how they interact with their regulars, it's not hard to figure out why it's so popular; here it feels like being part of an extended family. When busy, service can be slow, as in most places.
This restaurant has a diverse Caribbean-inspired menu, as well as direct access to a clean, semi-private beach. Try the Manchego cheese croquettes, fish tacos, or the grilled octopus. There are also vegetarian and gluten-free options. It can get crowded at night and on weekends.
