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Not all the culinary hot spots are in San Juan. In fact, people from the capital drive to Ponce or Guánica to see what's new on the horizon. Some of the more ambitious restaurants in this part of Puerto Rico are experimenting with Asian and Latin fusion cuisines, which means you might find pork with tamarind glaze or guava sauce
Not all the culinary hot spots are in San Juan. In fact, people from the capital drive to Ponce or Guánica to see what's new on the horizon. Some of the more ambitious restaurants in this part of Puerto Rico are experimenting with Asian and Latin fusion cuisines, which
Not all the culinary hot spots are in San Juan. In fact, people from the capital drive to Ponce or Guánica to see what's
Not all the culinary hot spots are in San Juan. In fact, people from the capital drive to Ponce or Guánica to see what's new on the horizon. Some of the more ambitious restaurants in this part of Puerto Rico are experimenting with Asian and Latin fusion cuisines, which means you might find pork with tamarind glaze or guava sauce, or snapper in a plantain crust. But what you'll mostly find are open-air eateries serving simple, filling fare. The southern coast is known for seafood, particularly Salinas and Ponce, both of which have a string of popular seaside restaurants. A 15%–20% tip is customary; most restaurants won't include it in the bill, but it's wise to check.
An institution since it opened in 1964, King's Cream Helados, across from Plaza de las Delicias, is the place for ice cream in Ponce. It serves...
An institution since it opened in 1964, King's Cream Helados, across from Plaza de las Delicias, is the place for ice cream in Ponce. It serves 12 varieties—from tamarind, peanut, and passion fruit to classics like chocolate and vanilla. A bench in the tiny storefront seats three, but most folks take their cups and cones across the street and stake out shady benches around the fountain. King's is open daily 9 am–midnight.
Families favor this laid-back restaurant at water's edge. Generous and affordable plates of fish, crab, and other fresh seafood come with tostones...
Families favor this laid-back restaurant at water's edge. Generous and affordable plates of fish, crab, and other fresh seafood come with tostones (fried plantains), french fries, and garlic bread. Try the shrimp in garlic sauce, salmon fillet with capers, or delectable mofongo stuffed with seafood, and finish with a fantastic flan. The piña coladas—with or without rum—are exceptional. The area needs improvement, but the views are worth it.
This mesón gastronómico, hidden among a string of oceanfront restaurants south of the center in the Playa de Salinas area, is one of the most...
This mesón gastronómico, hidden among a string of oceanfront restaurants south of the center in the Playa de Salinas area, is one of the most popular on Puerto Rico's southern coast. Sit in either the open-air patio or air-conditioned dining room and bar and sample specialties like mofongo relleno de mariscos (seafood-stuffed plantains) or the many preparations of mahimahi, red snapper, arrayao (mahogany snapper), octopus, lobster, or conch. The seafood paella is a house specialty.
Rte. 701, Playa de Salinas, n/a Puerto Rico, 00751, Puerto Rico
Here you can get a table on the terrace at the edge of the Caribbean. You'll find good Puerto Rican cuisine and lots of seafood,...
Here you can get a table on the terrace at the edge of the Caribbean. You'll find good Puerto Rican cuisine and lots of seafood, including lobster, red snapper, and mofongo. Be sure to sample one of the restaurant's daiquiris—there's a huge list from which to choose.
Rte. 3, Km 120.8, 9 PR-3, Patillas, n/a Puerto Rico, 00723, Puerto Rico
This Caribbean restaurant updates Puerto Rican favorites with contemporary touches, and the menu features a rotating cast of daily specials...
This Caribbean restaurant updates Puerto Rican favorites with contemporary touches, and the menu features a rotating cast of daily specials, which include octopus with saffron butter, shrimp stir-fry with coconut rice, and pork satay in peanut sauce.
Rte. 14, in front of El Monte Town Center, Ponce, 00780, Puerto Rico
As the name of the restaurant hints, the menu's protagonist is a Puerto Rican favorite; plantains. This is your chance to try island staples such...
As the name of the restaurant hints, the menu's protagonist is a Puerto Rican favorite; plantains. This is your chance to try island staples such as arañitas, mofongo, and more. Less common applications of the plantain are also found here, including a plantain-flavored flan. The unassuming restaurant sits high up on a hill, surrounded by—what else?—a field of plantain trees.
In operation since 1961, this restaurant is still considered one of the best in town. Don't be surprised to see flapping fish delivered straight off...
In operation since 1961, this restaurant is still considered one of the best in town. Don't be surprised to see flapping fish delivered straight off the boats and into the kitchen, where chefs prepare dishes like grouper fillet stuffed with seafood. The red snapper is delicious, and like all the fish on the menu it can be prepared fried, buttered, breaded, or with a vinaigrette. There's also a children's menu and a large selection of wines. Be prepared for the collection of fish mounted on the walls.
Rte. 701, Playa de Salinas, n/a Puerto Rico, 07751, Puerto Rico
This restaurant along La Parguera's main street has the biggest variety of beer on tap in the entire area. Food is a great mix of...
This restaurant along La Parguera's main street has the biggest variety of beer on tap in the entire area. Food is a great mix of Puerto Rican classics, along with a make-your-own burger menu that appeals to all visitors. The staff is incredibly friendly, and there's no shortage of great vibes and amazing eating.
Carr 304, Km 3.2, La Parguera, n/a Puerto Rico, 00667, Puerto Rico
The highway leading to Coamo is lined by dozens of fast-food restaurants. Luckily, there are a few worthwhile family-owned eateries, one of the best of...
The highway leading to Coamo is lined by dozens of fast-food restaurants. Luckily, there are a few worthwhile family-owned eateries, one of the best of which is this open-air cantina. You'll find the usual mofongo with chicken or beef, as well as some other typical Puerto Rican dishes like fried pork or red snapper stuffed with seafood. The menu features a variety of fish as well as lobster, shrimp, and octopus. If you are a fan of cheesecake, the chef makes eight different flavors (the pistachio is delicious). World-class margaritas are served at the bar.
Rte. 153, Km 12.8, Coamo, n/a Puerto Rico, 00769, Puerto Rico
This trendy bistro in the heart of downtown has an eclectic menu to match the decor. Grab a seat in a red-velvet booth, and start with the sampler...
This trendy bistro in the heart of downtown has an eclectic menu to match the decor. Grab a seat in a red-velvet booth, and start with the sampler of mahimahi nuggets, bruschetta, fried plantains, and egg rolls. The menu ranges from tuna steak to filet mignon to three-cheese risotto. Be sure to ask about the daily specials, which are always worth trying. This is a great place to admire work by local artists and sip on a Lolita Martini (grapefruit, cranberry, champagne, lime, and rum).
Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino, Calle Reina, at Calle Union, Ponce, 00730, Puerto Rico
Puerto Ricans drive for miles to reach this restaurant in the Copamarina Beach Resort. The kitchen takes traditional Puerto Rican dishes and turns them into...
Puerto Ricans drive for miles to reach this restaurant in the Copamarina Beach Resort. The kitchen takes traditional Puerto Rican dishes and turns them into something extra special, and the elegant dining room looks out onto well-tended gardens. If you want to get closer to the flora, ask for a table outside on the terrace. Foot traffic from the pool area can be a distraction.
Rte. 333, Km 6.5, Guánica, n/a Puerto Rico, 00653, Puerto Rico
The short menu of this alfresco dining spot allows the kitchen to focus on its specialties, which include tostones, ceviche, and skirt steak...
The short menu of this alfresco dining spot allows the kitchen to focus on its specialties, which include tostones, ceviche, and skirt steak. But even more than the food, many guests love the vibe of Sabor y Rumba, whose name alludes not only to its tasty flavors, but also its fun-loving spirit. Live music and dancing and free-flowing drinks set the scene, especially on weekends.
The only Greek restaurant in Ponce, this open-air establishment has successfully captured the cuisine and atmosphere of its namesake island...
The only Greek restaurant in Ponce, this open-air establishment has successfully captured the cuisine and atmosphere of its namesake island. Statues of goddesses line the pathway leading to a bilevel dining area, decorated with 1960s-era movie posters from Greece, and nearly every dish is bathed in olive oil and vinegar, including the salads and sandwiches. You'll also find plenty of Caribbean food and Spanish tapas like conch fritters and stuffed lobster hamburgers, but it's the grilled lobster that's the hands-down favorite. On Friday and Saturday, the bar is open late for drinks and dancing. Request a table on the lower deck, where water gently laps near your table, and bring bug repellent.
With perhaps the greatest view in all of Puerto Rico, this ambitious restaurant sits on the sixth and seventh floors of a building that overlooks...
With perhaps the greatest view in all of Puerto Rico, this ambitious restaurant sits on the sixth and seventh floors of a building that overlooks the Parque de Bombas and Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. The beautifully designed restaurant and lounge have quickly found their place among the hottest spots in Puerto Rico. Expect a chic crowd that's dressed to impress eating Puerto Rican fusion dishes as diverse as beer-battered mahi mahi, plantain-stuffed pork, or steak topped with lemon chimichurri. Live jazz on the terrace is scheduled on weekends, which pairs well with the renowned mojitos.
76 Calle Cristina, 6th Floor, Ponce, 00731, Puerto Rico
It's a bit out of the town center, but Ponce's newest mesón gastronómico (a national designation reserved for the highest level of traditional...
It's a bit out of the town center, but Ponce's newest mesón gastronómico (a national designation reserved for the highest level of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine) is worth the effort to reach. The intimate second-level restaurant above an X-ray center is one of the South's most creative and reliable. Chef Agnes Toledo-Rivera's menu changes seasonally, focusing on local, organic produce, meats, and seafoods when possible, though global influences are apparent in dishes such as Moroccan-style rib-eye as well as roasted chicken breast with yuca-cilantro mofongo and applewood-smoked bacon. There's a tapas menu for those who opt to sit at the bar and sample the extensive wine list. At this writing there was talk of relocating the restaurant closer to the beach, so give them a call before heading out.
The roots of this restaurant, bar, vineyard, and winery extend all the way back to Valencia, Spain, where the founder's father got his start, so...
The roots of this restaurant, bar, vineyard, and winery extend all the way back to Valencia, Spain, where the founder's father got his start, so it's little wonder that this casual eatery specializes in Spanish-style tapas and, of course, wine. While the vibe is trendy and more refined than the usual coastal seafood shacks, this isn't a white-tablecloth restaurant. In fact, ask for a table outside, near the dock that juts out into the Caribbean—the sunsets here are spectacular. Show up on a Sunday, and you might just be able to tour Puerto Rico's only vineyard.
Rte. 3116, Km. 2.6, Guánica, n/a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
On sweltering hot days, it takes a lot to make ponceños leave their homes. Yet they come out in droves to the tree-shaded courtyard of the...
On sweltering hot days, it takes a lot to make ponceños leave their homes. Yet they come out in droves to the tree-shaded courtyard of the Cubuqui. When a breeze shakes the flower-covered branches, things cool down considerably. And if nature doesn't cooperate, there are always the three air-conditioned dining rooms. The menu is extremely well traveled, stopping in Argentina (churrasco, or skirt steak, served with homemade chimichurri) and France (veal fillet in a red wine sauce) before heading back to Puerto Rico for such dishes as masitas de cerdo (chunks of perfectly seasoned pork). The wine list, which includes many bottles from Spain and Chile, is quite reasonable. There's always live music, whether it's a small band playing jazz or a single accordionist losing himself in a tango.
The so-called Little House isn't little at all—it's a sizable establishment that sits smack in the middle of the town's main road. Generous portions make...
The so-called Little House isn't little at all—it's a sizable establishment that sits smack in the middle of the town's main road. Generous portions make this family-run restaurant one of the town's favorites. Try the asopao, a stew made with shrimp, lobster, or other seafood. The mofongo with octopus in garlic sauce is very flavorful. You can take a table in the rather bland ground-floor dining room or on the second-floor terrace, which has a view of the water.
Rte. 304, Km 3.3, La Parguera, n/a Puerto Rico, 00667, Puerto Rico
787-899–1681
Known For
Seafood asopao
Mofongo with octopus in garlic sauce
Views from the terrace
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Wed., Credit cards accepted
Many restaurants in La Parguera sit beside the bay, but very few have an actual view. This elegant, second-floor dining room at the rear of...
Many restaurants in La Parguera sit beside the bay, but very few have an actual view. This elegant, second-floor dining room at the rear of Posada Porlamar overlooks a lovely stretch of coastline ringed by mangrove trees. The menu is the best in town, going well beyond traditional surf-and-turf offerings. There's the standard rack of lamb, for example, but here you'll find it topped with goat cheese. The lobster tail is as fresh as anywhere else on the strip, but it's topped with a tasty guanabana (soursop) sauce.
Posada Porlamar, Rte. 304, Km 3.3, La Parguera, 00667, Puerto Rico
Straight out of a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean , this place is a must for anyone with children. Housed inside a massive pirate ship...
Straight out of a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean, this place is a must for anyone with children. Housed inside a massive pirate ship, the restaurant is a cross between a carnival and dinner theater. Waiters dressed as swashbucklers serve hearty platters of steak, lobster, chicken, and fish. You can also get your mofongo fix here. From squawking parrots and mechanical bulls to pony rides and an archery range, this place has it all. Although the average plate will run you close to $60, each serves four to five people, making this place quite a bargain.
Ave. Pedro Albizu Campos, 1 mi off Rte. 52, Salinas, 00751, Puerto Rico
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