Photo by John Shabe
Along narrow cobblestone streets, and tucked inside brightly-colored buildings, Old San Juan’s most interesting restaurants add to this Caribbean capital’s lively flavor. Here are some favorites from a recent visit.
Dragonfly, located at the head of Calle Fortaleza in the artsy SoFo district, serves up tapas-style, Latino-Asian fusion cuisine. The restaurant is part of the upscale Oof! restaurant group, which also includes the more well-known Parrot Cafe, situated practically across the street, and Aguaviva next door.
Dragonfly’s rich red walls and scant light from Asian paper lanterns make it feel more like an opium den than a restaurant, but the food didn’t disappoint. We used chopsticks to devour a generous plate of rare skirt steak marinated in mirin and covered in crispy wasabi fries. Szechuan baby back ribs tasted fall-off-the-bone good, and came with an inventive jicama slaw that could have stood alone.
Dragonfly has a fully-stocked bar (what self-respecting opium den wouldn’t?!) — our favorite was the house punch, which went down too easy. Four plates of appetizers, plus drinks, proved more than enough to satisfy us for dinner, and came in at just over $100 — a much better value than you would get at a resort.
If Dragonfly is nuevo Puerto Rican, then El Jibarito is old school all the way. This no-frills joint emphasizes island-style comfort food: roast pork, grilled fish, rice and beans, plantains. The enclosed two-story courtyard dining room is plastered with old political posters and prints by local artists. The plain-Jane tables, flatware and chunky dishes aren’t cafeteria chic — they’re cafeteria. I highly recommend this place for its location — near El Morro, the more than-400-year-old fort that is Old San Juan’s main attraction — and its affordability — lunch for two runs about $25.
Also near El Morro is Cuatro Estaciones, a simple green coffee kiosk on the northwest corner of the Plaza de Armas that’s a popular neighborhood “refueling” station. A cup of this strong Jose is all you need to brace yourself for bargain hunting at the Marshall’s department store on the south side of the square or power shopping in the nearby boutiques.
For something stronger, try Barrachina, the reputed birthplace of the pina colada (the plaque on Calle Fortaleza says so). The cozy courtyard bar still serves up refershing pina coladas in tall sundae-style glasses complete with a maraschino cherry and paper umbrella. A cocktail or two here makes for a satisfying way to wind up a day of walking— and eating — Old San Juan.
For more information, San Juan, Vieques & Culebra: Great Destinations Puerto Rico: A Complete Guide
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