The Best Restaurant in El Yunque and the Northeast, Puerto Rico

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Some restaurants carry the tourist board's meson gastronómico designation. Such establishments specialize in typical island food. The eastern region has both formal restaurants, where reservations are necessary, and casual beachside eateries, where you can walk in unannounced in beach attire and have a fine meal of fresh fish. Bills generally don't include service charges, so a 15% tip is customary and expected. Most restaurants are open for dinner from late afternoon until about 10 pm.

Palio

$$$$

Northern Italian dishes—such as veal marsala or fillet of beef with a caramelized shallot Barolo reduction—are the star attractions at this top-notch restaurant, where the staff is attentive and amiable. The dining room, with its black-and-white checkerboard floor and dark-wood paneling, is elegant and refined. Before sunset, you can catch a glimpse of the sea through dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. After dinner, specialty coffees are served in mugs engulfed in blue flames, a showstopper that has people at neighboring tables applauding.

6000 Río Mar Blvd., Río Grande, 00745, Puerto Rico
787-888–6000
Known For
  • Caesar salad prepared tableside
  • Great ocean views, particularly at sunset
  • Attentive service
Restaurant Details
No lunch
Reservations essential

Something incorrect in this review?