Looking for an authentic PR dinner

[millermadness]

This will be my first visit to San Juan and my husband and I are looking for restaurant with authentic Puerta Rican food. We are interested in the Old San Juan area. Any advice?

[TOlson70]

Raices in Old San Juan has authentic PR food, very good, great staff. Barachina's is also very good, but if you want the authentic, go for Raices.

[septane]

I love La Bombonera (http://www.labombonerapr.com). They are within walking distance from the pier, they are a local tradition, over 100 years old, with great Puerto Rican food and amazing Mallorcas. When we were there, we were the only tourists (as far as we could tell). Check this review from Gourmet magazine: http://www.gourmet.com/travel/2008/09/la-bombonera

[crewsweeper]

You can start with this thread.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1429649&highlight=restaurants

 

La Fonda El Jibarito on Calle Sol in old San Juan has a very filling pork in plantain sauce with rice and beans, also Dragonfly on Calle Fortaleza gets rave reviews.

 

If you're willing to travel by taxi, on the way from old San Juan to the airport, before the Isla Verde resorts, is Casa Dante (39 Ave Isla Verde) has excellent mofongo and other foods. Mostly locals.

[Fourseventeen]

I really like a place only about 2 mins walk from the ship....Latin Roots. It looks like a nice place and not a little hole in the wall so that made us think it may not be authentic food but we were real surprised when we ordered our food and it landed in our mouths! This place was delicious! Awesome food, good service and great drinks! They are located right behind the hotel that is located across from the cruise ship terminal (I think terminal 3 where Carnival docks)

[FRANKM]

This will be my first visit to San Juan and my husband and I are looking for restaurant with authentic Puerta Rican food. We are interested in the Old San Juan area. Any advice?

 

 

All of the places listed are very good. If you want, just ask one of

the police officers in the area. There are plenty of them. Ask if they

can recommend a place and see what they say. They eat in the area

all the time so they know the good spots.

Most likely they will direct you to one listed.

[Fourseventeen]

Frank made a good suggestion. Police Officers eat out A LOT...trust me, I know! lol. So we always know the good places to eat in the area.

[crewsweeper]

Frank made a good suggestion. Police Officers eat out A LOT...trust me, I know! lol. So we always know the good places to eat in the area.

I agree it's a good suggestion, but caveat emptor, it might also be like the "best diners are where all the truckers stop" and most of them turn out to be "greasy spoons" with everything out of the can and cooked in cheap lard or boiled to death. But truckers stop there because it's cheap, fast and filling. Now policemen and local donut shops is a different story,:D.

[gitanamundo]

There is also a very good place, called Cafe Puerto Rico it is right in Plaza Colon. I wouldnt really recommend Raices, it is not bad but I find it very Touristic. Besides that the rest of places they have mentioned are pretty good. The monfongo at EL JIBARITO is really good.

[Ready 4 the next 1]

There are lots of good choices. My favorite it the Parrot Club which is also in Old San Juan.

[questions1]

Anyone have reviews of Punta de Vista?