Jessica & Matthew
Things To Do....Besides La Playa
Escambron Beach (Playa Escambron )
El Escambrón Beach is a public-access beach located in the San Juan Antiguo sub-district (subbarrio) of Puerta de Tierra, next to the Luis Muñoz Rivera Park in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Address: Balneario del Escambrón, San Juan, 00910, Puerto Rico
El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, and one of Puerto Rico's most beloved natural gems. The park has a very diverse ecosystem, with hundreds of unique plant and animal species, including Puerto Rico's famous coquí frog.
Santaella
Chic restaurant serving tapas, mains & creative cocktails in an industrial-style space.
Jose Enrique Puerto Rican restaurant
https://www.cntraveler.com/restaurants/jose-enrique
La Factoría
An Old San Juan stalwart since its opening in 2013, La Factoria has expanded in the years since into an institution, often appearing on the list of the World’s 50 Best Bars. It is still a go-to for its Lavender Mule, where lavender gives floral balance to a Moscow mule; the La Champeta, with Don Q Añejo rum, pineapple, and fermented ginger; and the Garibaldi Criollo, where Campari is infused with acerola, a Caribbean cherry. If wine is desired, Vino, right behind the main bar, provides a selection.
Mercado Agricola
Every Saturday morning by El Morro, a fort from the Spanish colonial times and a national park, a dozen or so vendors line up at this farmers’ market to sell not just locally grown produce, piques flavored with local fruits, giant tropical flowers, and vanilla beans, but plant-based milks, desserts, and vegan sushi. This is not to be missed for a glimpse at what agroecological farmers are growing, as well as ready-made foods for a walking breakfast while seeing the sights.
La Taberna Lúpulo
Beer bar Lúpulo is always blasting the best playlist and serving a wide array of beers on draft as well as in bottles and cans. Focus your drinking efforts on local breweries, such as those from Boxlab in Aguadilla on the island’s west coast or Zurc Brauhouse in Coamo. Everything pairs well with the bar food selection, including some truly wonderful French fries and an excellent Cubano.
Pio Pio Champagne Bar
Old San Juan’s Plaza de Armas bustles during the day as locals, visitors, and office workers descend on the area’s coffee kiosks. At night, though, it tends to quiet down. Here, far from the dives of Cristo and San Sebastían streets, wine bar Pío Pío serves a big menu of sparkling wine, paired with seasonal small plates like oysters Rockefeller; beef tartare; and a salad of chrysanthemum greens, silken tofu dressing, hazelnuts, and chayote. There’s even a Negroni piragua, a decidedly adult take on the local street cart treat of shaved ice and flavored syrup.
Deaverdura
In Old San Juan, Deaverdura is a staple of comida criolla, the Puerto Rican cuisine that blends local Taíno ingredients with Spanish and African influences. Pasteles, carne frita, tostones, and more create glorious smells wafting from the kitchen into the street, which explains why this corner stop is always drawing a crowd of locals and visitors alike. While the menu is meat-focused, there is seafood and they’re always able to do vegan and vegetarian dishes as well.
Spiga
Tiny but mighty, Spiga is a beloved Old San Juan gem that bakes its own sourdough loaves daily for sandwiches and toast, as well as chocolate chip walnut cookies no one leaves without. Breakfasts of scrambled eggs with tomato, spinach, and feta are simple, but made special by the bread; for lunch, there are daily house-made pastas, occasional lasagna, and satisfying salads.
Bodega Chic
This French bistro in Old San Juan is known for its weekend brunch, with mushroom and blue cheese quiche, but the dinner, too, lives up to the hype. Here, the classics are on offer, from duck confit to coq au vin to trout amandine, in a convivial atmosphere that will take you out of the touristic restaurant path just one block away.
El Vino Crudo
Natural wine bar El Vino Crudo operates in an expansive space in Old San Juan that maintains all the character of the old city while coming off beautifully minimalist and modern. It’s operating as both a shop and bar, so take the opportunity to pick up some bottles for the beach, especially since the importers are attuned to the hot weather, providing lots of light reds, rosés, and skin-contact wines. El Vino Crudo is a chill experience in a city where drinking spots tend to get rowdy, making it a respite to enjoy a glass with olives, artichokes, local cheeses, and other Italian snacks.
Celeste
Seafood bar meets wine bar at Celeste in Puerta de Tierra, an area nestled between Old San Juan and Condado. Chef and proprietor Sebastián Martínez Tully prepares elegant dishes inspired by Puerto Rico’s bounty. The squid ink ceviche, aged tuna with Meyer lemon, tamarind brown butter anchovy toast, and grilled sepia are not to be missed. The carefully curated wines come from small wineries.
Orujo, Taller de Gastronomía
Chef and owner Carlos Portela’s menu changes almost daily and is driven by the produce, fish, and meat available from his local purveyors. The prix fixe menu could be anywhere from 15 to 24 courses, and the experience can last up to five delectable hours. The wine pairings, chosen and poured by chef Portela himself, are equally impressive. Dining at Orujo is like going to a jazz concert and a symphony rolled into one, with bursts of improvisation and moments of exact precision.
Peko Peko
They don’t take reservations at this narrow Miramar ramen joint, so arrive early — though if you have to wait, it’s well worth it for their house-made noodles, intensely spicy vegan broth, various mazemen preparations, and katsu. The appetizers, such as fried trumpet mushrooms, potato croquettes, and edamame, are filling, so order accordingly. This is an excellent spot for those who don’t eat meat, as there are three vegan ramens to choose from.
Leña Eh
Chef Ruben Guzman’s superb cooking over an open fire makes the Miramar Food Truck Park a must visit destination in San Juan. Signature dishes include the choripán sandwich with chimichurri, roasted chicken thigh, and grilled catch of the day, often spearfished by chef Guzman himself. The grilled eggplant is a superb vegetarian option.
Cocina al Fondo
Chef Natalia Vallejo shut down her Miramar restaurant when the pandemic hit, and now she’s back in a brand-new, bigger space. A charming renovated house with an ample backyard provides a stunning setting for her updated, vegetable- and seafood-forward takes on Puerto Rican cuisine, skipping over well-known staples like mofongo to focus on deeper cuts. Vallejo serves a terrine of beet and goat cheese with toasted bread, pastelillos (or empanadas) filled with pumpkin, ají dulce (a local sweet pepper) fried tempura-style, buñuelos of mashed root vegetables, perfectly cooked catch of a day, a vegetarian pastelón, and much more on the newly expanded menu. Dessert, a cocktail list by Karla Z. Torres, and a thoughtful wine selection aren’t afterthoughts, but complementary to Vallejo’s cooking.
Los Guapos Taquería y Mercado Mexicano
Simply put, Mexican food in San Juan has never been great. But Los Guapos, from chefs Xavier Pacheco and Gaby Antúnez, is turning the tide with fresh ingredients and care. The burritos, chilaquiles, and micheladas are especially superb, making it a go-to for weekend lunch
Panoteca San Miguel
Diego San Miguel opened this bakery in Cupey, a San Juan suburb, and in a few months made it a destination where items sell out daily. Options include sourdough breads, a selection of wines, cheese, and other high-end pantry options, as well as some pastries and local sweet breads, such as Mallorcas. Thursday night pizza is a real draw, when the line extends into the parking lot for New York-style pies, often made by local guest chefs.
Mai Pen Rai
Chef Kelly Pirro has created a menu with a focus on Southeast Asia, which is a refreshing alternative to the abundant Chinese and Japanese restaurants. Thai curries, banh mi, a healing tom yum soup, and satisfying laab. This is also one of the most vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free-friendly restaurants in San Juan, making it a safe bet when one has a varied party to entertain.
Vianda
When the strictest local lockdown was lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic, chef Francis Guzmán started a pop-up series with many local chefs who were either out of work or running their own restaurants, giving them a chance to put together a prix fixe menu. Since then, the chef has hit an incredible stride, serving dishes both locally and globally inspired. The Raíces Locales appetizer, with beet and other root vegetables (the restaurant’s name refers to them), horseradish cream, and a dusting of fresh dill cannot be missed for its matching of earthiness and brightness. The wine list dips into surprising choices that don’t always abound locally, like a rosé Zweigelt with a dry punch that pairs beautifully with the locally sourced vegetable and seafood-focused menu.
Sur Barra Nikkei
After staging with chefs Gastón Ocurio and Rafael Osterling in Peru, chef Rafa Ubior returned to his native Puerto Rico to open Sur, a Nikkei spot in the heart of Santurce. Here, chef Ubior fuses classic Japanese and Peruvian cuisines with locally sourced ingredients and a strong focus on sustainably sourced fish. The raw bar doubles as a cocktail bar where you can sip on a superb Negroni or grape pisco sour, paired alongside a red snapper tiradito, ají amarillo ceviche, or octopus tempura sushi roll. High Kitchen, the sister restaurant and food pantry next door, serves the best fried chicken in town (weekdays, lunch only).
Tia Dora
After an inspiring month-long trip to Israel, chef Rául Correa opened Tía Dora alongside longtime friend and sous chef, Juan Lebrón. The duo plate up Mediterranean-inspired dishes that are a pleasant addition to San Juan’s dining scene. Dishes are meant to be shared. Start with any of the spectacular mezze, including labneh with confit tomatoes, followed by lamb kebab, pasta with local mushrooms and coconut ragu, and salmon with chermoula. Located in Ocean Park, Tía Dora is a great post-beach option.