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In cosmopolitan San Juan, European, Asian, Middle Eastern, and chic fusion eateries vie for your attention, with family-owned restaurants specializing in seafood or comida criolla (creole cooking, or local Puerto Rican food). U.S. chains such as McDonald's and Subway compete with chains like Pollo Tropical and El Mesón, which specialize in local cuisine. Many of the most innovative chefs here have restaurants in the city's large hotels, but don't be shy about venturing into stand-alone establishments—many concentrated in Condado and along Calles Fortaleza and San Sebastián in Old San Juan. Old San Juan is also home to a number of notable new restaurants and cafés, offering more artisanal-style cuisine—crop-to-cup coffee, rustic homemade pizzas, and creative vegetarian food—at affordable prices. There’s a radiant pride in what the local land can provide, and these enthusiastic young restaurateurs are redefining what Puerto Rican food is, bite by tasty bite.
The dress code varies greatly from place to place, although a restaurant's price category can be taken as a good indication. For less expensive places anything but beachwear is fine; ritzier spots will expect collared shirts and long pants for men ("jacket and tie" requirements are rare) and chic attire for women. When in doubt, do as the Puerto Ricans often do and dress up.
For breakfast outside of your hotel, cafés or panaderías (local bakeries) are your best bets. It's rare for such establishments to close between breakfast and lunch; it's slightly more common for restaurants to close between lunch and dinner. Although some places don't accept reservations, it's always a good idea to make them for dinner whenever possible. This is especially true during the busy season from November through April and on weekends at any time of the year.
Widely lauded as some of the best burgers in town, the secret sauce of Burger & Mayo Lab's success is the broad selection of mayonnaise flavors, from mayo aioli with parsley, lime, and garlic to the E=mc², with horseradish, dijon mustard, and honey. They serve their specialty drinks in beakers with dry ice and sauces in a syringe in keeping with the laboratory theme.
Located inside Distrito T-Mobile, La Burguesía is an elevated take on the classic burgers and fries concept. They have an innovative menu with massive servings and outside-the-box flavor combinations. The "El Capataz," for instance, is a burger topped with truffle goat cheese, crispy bacon, and caramelized plantains. They also offer indulgent milk shakes like a double chocolate option wittily titled "Wonka Kong."
