Saturday Night in San Juan

[Pache]

Three of my friends and I are meeting in San Juan the evening before our cruise. Can someone recommend Saturday night activities? We'll probably be staying in Old San Juan. We aren't huge partiers, but we'd like to relax and have fun. I was thinking dinner and live music and dancing - something local and not overly touristy. What can the Cruise Critic masters recommend for us?

[skidawg79]

Three of my friends and I are meeting in San Juan the evening before our cruise. Can someone recommend Saturday night activities? We'll probably be staying in Old San Juan. We aren't huge partiers, but we'd like to relax and have fun. I was thinking dinner and live music and dancing - something local and not overly touristy. What can the Cruise Critic masters recommend for us?

 

Great question, if you don't mind me piggy backing off of your post, I am very curious to hear some answers myself as we will be staying in old San Juan the Saturday before our Cruise. While people are answering, can you recommend a nice restaurant in the old San Juan area? Any hidden gems? Looking for local(ish) type food.

[texancruzer]

Oh a Saturday night !!!! You guys are lucky as the weekend nights are when Old San Juan really comes alive……

 

This is our favorite place…..altho it is not fancy and could best be described as a little hole in the wall……… BUT it is where lots of locals go to salsa dance. They also have jazz sometimes but mostly salsa…… As you know salsa dancing was invented in osj and they really know how to do it.

 

The night we were there they had a 7 piece brass band and we just enjoyed watching them and the dancers on the dance floor…… altho we had taken lessons for a few months before our trip. We truly felt like amateurs compared to them !

 

The drinks are strong and not overpriced. If you really want to feel "old san Juan" stop in here for a bit but again, its not fancy ;)

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/san-juan/nightlife/235048

 

 

Hope this helps….

 

p.s. Do not confuse with the floating party boat named Rumba. This is a club in the heart of OSJ.

Edited March 30, 2014 by texancruzer
Add a p.s.

[rainforestgirl]

Oh a Saturday night !!!! You guys are lucky as the weekend nights are when Old San Juan really comes alive……

 

This is our favorite place…..altho it is not fancy and could best be described as a little hole in the wall……… BUT it is where lots of locals go to salsa dance. They also have jazz sometimes but mostly salsa…… As you know salsa dancing was invented in osj and they really know how to do it.

 

The night we were there they had a 7 piece brass band and we just enjoyed watching them and the dancers on the dance floor…… altho we had taken lessons for a few months before our trip. We truly felt like amateurs compared to them !

 

The drinks are strong and not overpriced. If you really want to feel "old san Juan" stop in here for a bit but again, its not fancy ;)

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/san-juan/nightlife/235048

 

 

Hope this helps….

 

p.s. Do not confuse with the floating party boat named Rumba. This is a club in the heart of OSJ.

 

When did you last go there? I am pretty sure that club has closed.

[texancruzer]

When did you last go there? I am pretty sure that club has closed.

 

Oh no !!!! It was a really neat place…….

 

What about Nuyorican Cafe ?

[geffric]

Following.. we arrive Sat and want to tour OSJ etc before we cruise on Sunday.

 

Tips? things to do? places to stay? I really want to kayak and see the fish light up.

[Life is Good Cruising]

These are all in old San Juan.

 

1) We've been here twice, Carli's Fine Bistro & Piano/ Cafe Carli Concierto , small place, good food, good jazz musicians, but no dancing.

 

Jazz pianist Carli Munoz, who has played with B.B. King, the Beach Boys and Les McCann, is not only the proprietor of Café Concierto but its main performer.

http://www.carlisworld.com/restaurant/

 

2) Rosa Triana, we had lunch here, enjoyed the food and would go back. It's a few doors down from Cafe Carli

http://www.rosadetrianapr.com/

 

3) Barrachina's has indoor and outdoor sitting, a flamenco show on Friday and Saturday. Love their fried grouper appetizer.

http://www.barrachina.com

 

4) Nuyorican Café, this one is down an alley, a little hard to find, gets very crowed, salsa music with a small dance floor., have not been there but friends had and enjoyed it.

http://www.nuyoricancafepr.com/

 

5) Senior Frogs, fun atmosphere

 

6) Aguaviva- we have not eaten here but friends did and said they had good seafood dishes.

http://www.oofrestaurants.com/

 

If interested, reservations should be made for some of these, for a Saturday night. There are so many good restaurants in old San Juan.

 

There's also a free hop on, hop off trolley in old San Juan on the waterfront. They are across the street from CVS, near Senior Frog and the Sheraton Hotel that travels up to Fort Morro. The trolley does have 3 different routes and on Saturday's, it runs from 9-7pm. It will give you a nice overview of old San Juan. If you do go up to the Fort, check out the cemetery there, what a view!!

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/free-trolley-old-san-juan/

 

If interested in free Don Q rum tasting, they are located next door to the visitors center. You can easily miss this place on Calle Marina, near CVS and Senior Frog. We had our tasting, gave them a tip, made our purchase and they poured us another one.

 

The trolley stop would be across the street from Don Q.

 

Someone asked about Hotels, where do you want to stay, old San Juan, Condado, Isla Verde?

[sippican]

Here's another vote for Carlis! We have reservations for Friday night. The Mojitos there are the very best ever!

Also Rosa Triana - as mentioned by Life is Good.

I believe Rosa Triana is up the hill across from El Convemto, and Carlis is a block or two from the waterfront area. Still, both are easily walkable from almost any area of the Old City.

And if you are looking for something truly different you may want to consider this Spoon Food Tour:

http://www.spoonfoodtours.com/project/sip-and-savor-drinking-tour/

[Dajbman22]

Does anyone have any recomendations for good hole-in-the-wall/street food in the OSJ area to accompany some Saturday night fun? I'll also be in on a Saturday night before a Sunday cruise. I'm staying out by Isla Verde, but plan on spending the late afternoon through night over in OSJ and taking a cab back.

[Life is Good Cruising]

I do recall several times on a Saturday night in OSJ, on the waterfront they had a festival with music and plenty of street food.

 

You can also try calling the Puerto Rico tourism toll free # 800-866-7827 with your exact date and they will tell you if anything special is going on in the streets of OSJ with music and food venders.

 

http://www.seepuertorico.com/

[sippican]

These are all in old San Juan.

2) Rosa Triana, we had lunch here, enjoyed the food and would go back. It's a few doors down from Cafe Carli

http://www.rosadetrianapr.com/

 

If interested in free Don Q rum tasting, they are located next door to the visitors center. You can easily miss this place on Calle Marina, near CVS and Senior Frog?

 

Also Rosa Triana - as mentioned by Life is Good.

I believe Rosa Triana is up the hill across from El Convemto, and Carlis is a block or two from the waterfront area.

 

Update - we walked around a lot today.

There is Rosa Triana, right across from El Convento

We saw another restaurant called Triana down near the waterfront. A bit confusing.

And the Don Q on the waterfront is all closed up - gone! :(

[Life is Good Cruising]

Update - we walked around a lot today.

There is Rosa Triana, right across from El Convento

We saw another restaurant called Triana down near the waterfront. A bit confusing.

And the Don Q on the waterfront is all closed up - gone! :(

 

 

Thank you for both updates. It was Triana's we ate at which was on a corner, near the Waterfront and Carli's place. We did enjoy lunch there @ Triana's and would go back.

 

Sorry to hear Don Q has closed, it must have been recently as we were there this past December. We'll be back to PR in May and I'll check to see if they reopened Don Q.

[Tugboatbob]

We always head down to the waterfront .... there's dancing, street vendors selling food, drinks, crafts etc . There are also street entertainers who were very good. It's very popular with the locals with quite a few tourists as well. It's happening on Friday and Saturday evenings with a smaller version on Sundays.

Lots of fun and you don't have to spend anything.

[Stinger-pr]

Update - we walked around a lot today.

There is Rosa Triana, right across from El Convento

We saw another restaurant called Triana down near the waterfront. A bit confusing.

And the Don Q on the waterfront is all closed up - gone! :(

Could you be mistaking the one on the waterfront for Tijuana's (mexican food)??

[sippican]

Could you be mistaking the one on the waterfront for Tijuana's (mexican food)??

 

I am not familiar with Tijuanas.

I was commenting on the reference in Life is Good Cruising's post. In #2 Rosa Triana is said to be close to Carlis. There is Rosa de Triana across from El Convento, up near the Cathedral, than there is Triana near Carlis at Recento Sur 251 (not on the waterfront, but a block or so up). They are different places with similar names.

Just trying to clear up the confusion between the two.