Restaurant Puerto Rico - The 10 best restaurants Puerto Rico in 2024

Practical information : Eating out Puerto Rico

Timetable

In the so-called "gastronomic" restaurants, it is customary to reserve your table. For some establishments, it is even necessary to make a reservation several days in advance, as they are so coveted! These restaurants often have a reservation system on their website. On Sundays, for brunch or lunch after mass, Puerto Ricans like to meet up with family or friends at the restaurant. Weekend days are generally very busy, so it is best to plan ahead. Closing times and days may vary from one establishment to another. Some gourmet restaurants only welcome their customers for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday.

Budget & Tips

San Juan is the place for gourmet pleasures at all prices. Bars, kiosks, popular restaurants or good restaurants: the neighborhood has the widest range of proposals to eat both local and at all prices. Smaller budgets will be able to satisfy themselves without resorting to fast food. From breakfast to dinner, from a gourmet break to a quick snack, you can indulge in the Puerto Rican way of eating at any time. Outside of San Juan, you'll find kiosks in all the coastal towns (Luquillo has about 60 family-owned kiosk businesses of all kinds!) and good restaurants here and there. Considering the prices of many establishments (10 US$ for a sandwich or 3 US$ for a coffee), kiosks are often the most economical solution for impromptu snacks. You will find coffees for 1.50 US$, soups or empanadas for 3 US$ and pastries for the same price

What costs extra

If for Europeans, service is included in the salary, this is not the case in the United States or in Puerto Rico. It is in restaurants that it is unavoidable, sometimes included in the bill for 15% to 20% of the total price. If it is not, you are usually expected to add it. Be careful not to include taxes when calculating your tip. Not tipping would mean that the service was very poor. In hotels of a certain standard, the cleaning staff usually leaves an envelope on the desk in the room to slip in a few dollars. In general, it is welcome to leave a tip for any service rendered (cabs, tourist guides...) except for shops. In the capital, some needy people sometimes offer to watch the car once parked. Attached to a specific area (around a fancy restaurant for example), these self-proclaimed guards are generally safe and their surveillance is not very expensive. Count 2 to 5 US$ for the price of the security.

The local way

The clichés related to gastronomy are rarely the first ones that come to mind when we evoke the Caribbean. However, the latter is the great surprise of Puerto Rico. Although a large majority of the typical dishes offered by Puerto Ricans are fried, there is an Afro-Caribbean cuisine, with Hispanic influences, which is extremely rich, both in terms of flavors and variety of dishes (and in quantity!), to which is added a creative international cuisine of quality. And for good reason, many chefs based in the big American cities, such as Boston, New York, Chicago or Los Angeles, have their own little restaurant in the sun, here in Puerto Rico. This is a great way to make your trip more enjoyable by making your taste buds dance

Smokers

Puerto Ricans are not heavy smokers. Only 13% of adults smoke. The law prohibits smoking in enclosed public places (bars, restaurants, discotheques, hotels...).

The best restaurants Puerto Rico

COCINA AL FONDO

BRUMAS BAR & GRILL

EL FOGON DE LA CURVA

JUANITA BANANAS

SWEET & SPICY

CHARLEY’S BURGER

LA DULCE ESPERANZA

EL JIBARITO

TITO BLOQUE

LA TAVERNA

TOPACIO

RICHARD’S CAFE

TAPAS CAFE

BONSAI

VISTA AL MAR

RESTAURANT EL CORAL

EL PESCADOR

SONIA RICAN

LOS ALMADROS

CAFETERIA DI ARTE

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