With the best nightlight and culinary scene in the Caribbean, San Juan unsurprisingly is home to several establishments that are places to drink and eat, mixing serious craft cocktail-making with cutting edge culinary creations that complement the libations on offer.
The city is full of tapas bars, gastropubs, speakeasies, taverns. Whatever you may want to call them. They have the soul of a bar, but formidable kitchens on par with the city’s finest. Many are dominated by prominent bars, and several have enchanting exterior spaces. These nightspots have making drinks in their DNA, and you can expect flavorful and inventive tapas and bar food, and in many cases full on dinner menus.
It’s not just San Juan either. You’ll find sophisticated spots to sip and savor flavorful high end bar food all across Puerto Rico, including in the tourist-centric West. Check out Timber and Blues in downtown Aguadilla, for some “prohibition era-inspired” cocktails and bar food (or after dinner desserts) that rambles in and around a renovated historic building a block from the city’s downtown harbor. La Jibarita, in Mayaguez, is a college bar known for its brunch and brick oven pizza, while wine (or live music) lovers may want to check the Set the Bar locale here or in Aguadilla. Rincon is not to be outdone with several options, but what is better than watching the sun go down at Marias Beach from the deck of Caddys Calypso Cafe, rum punch in hand and savory Caribbean smells wafting in the breeze?
Out East, way out on Vieques island, there’s the Mar Azul, right next to the ferry, an old school waterfront watering hole at heart with sumptuous food and views, while the dreamy Carambola restaurant at the Inn on the Blue Horizon has a gorgeous circular bar overlooking the south coast and fine Caribbean and seafood offerings.
You can find the gastropub experience across San Juan, but the city’s historic downtown districts of Miramar and Santurce have perfected the art of drinking and eating like nowhere else, including along the Loiza Street district by Ocean Park. No spot captures the neighborhood’s exuberance more than Loiza Roofyard, a rooftop bar and terrace with a wonderful menu of tapas and full dinners that overlooks the stretch of bars, boutiques, and restaurants of all stripes. There’s often live music and dancing.
Roofyard’s surrealism-inspired, arty interior bar mixes modern design elements with antique furnishings and chandeliers, and impactful murals and paintings. With a few stylish seating options, you feel like you are in an art gallery while enjoying a copper cup cocktail and the delicious mahi mahi ceviche or a Hawaiian pork belly slider.
The outside terrace is tropical minimalism at its finest, letting the sky, city views and tropical flora take center stage. You can get selection of fine Spanish meats and cheeses, or empanadas, for the table while enjoying a refreshing tinto de verano or the namesake house Roofyard cocktail, a mix of Banhez Mezcal Espadin with a passion fruit liqueur, Cointreau, and sauvignon blanc reduction. Other great finger food to help you power through your happy hours are garlic shrimp in roasted garlic parsley cream sauce or montaditos stuffed with Cuban shredded beef ropa vieja or codfish serenata.
The Roofyard also is a great spot for a full meal, with tasty salmon and churrasco entrees, among others. You can do it in the cool hipster interior or on the breezy patio. There’s always something going on at Roofyard, including art exhibits and live events.
San Juan’s T-Mobile District, the convention and entertainment center where Miramar meets Condado and Puerta de Tierra, is the city’s latest party scene where the art of drinking and eating have been taken to new heights – nowhere more so than at the fabulous Barullo Taberna Española, which provides a traditional Spanish tavern experience in sleek, modern surroundings at any time of day or night. Known for its self-serve “wine wall,” this emporium of Iberian pleasure has some of the finest vintage varieties on offer in Puerto Rico and a range of craft and classic cocktails, including the house specialty San Sebastián (a mix of gin, lime, and ginger beer) and inventive and flavorful spritzers and sangria blends.
Barullo is the spot whether you want a drink and snack before or after a show at the Coca Cola Music Hall or a full-on meal. It specializes in tapas, like patatas bravas or roasted eggplant, delectable cheese boards with fine Spanish meats and other toppings like infused honey, marinated olives and spiced nuts, and crispy Spanish flatbread pizzas. The paella, crafted with bomba rice, sofrito and pimentón, is specialty and a natural choice for a full meal, but certainly not the only one, with seared bacalao or salmon and grilled hanger steak also on offer.
You can also try Fideua, which is a Valencian dish like paella but crafted with noodles.
Barullo’s serves weekend brunch and delicious sandwiches, pastries, coffee, and smoothies from its Cafecito to-go bar. Try Spanish deli specialties like Cubano sandwiches and croquettes or the house version of avocado toast, with cilantro, red onion and radishes drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, which is unique and amazing.
Also in Miramar is Jamon Jamon, a wine and tapas bar that offers a delightful mix of Spanish and Italian food, a great wine list and effervescent craft drinks. This is a fun, lively spot with a big outdoor terrace overlooking downtown San Juan’s main avenue. Have a refreshing St. Germain spritz or the lemon zazzy ginger house cocktails while devouring traditional appetizers like tomato garlic bread or a meat and cheese board, or dig into the unique like risotto balls or mushrooms stuffed with sauteed veggies. The house shrimp with prosciutto, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and the oh so buttery and lemony pork scallopini.
The Santurce arts district, where urban art comes alive, is lined with buildings whose facades are the canvas for huge murals, and is another area proving San Juan is THE spot to eat and drink.
One of the better options, an arty spot-on Calle Cerra to savor the sounds and flavors of evening is Galería, which offers “sips & kitchen” to youthful night owls. Come here for the cutting-edge craft cocktails and the changing “pop up” culinary options and for the art exhibits and live music, and the thumping DJ dance music.
La Factoria, in Old San Juan, however, is not to be outdone. Its main entrance is on the old town’s party strip, San Sebastian Street, in the former Hijos del Borinquen bar, but a “secret passageway” wind through several historic buildings and through six distinct club zones, some with live music or DJ music and dance floors, and others offering neighborhood tavern ambience, including a wine bar with great bar food. Regularly voted one of the best 50 bars in the world and a recipient of the coveted James Beard Award, this is a spot for serious cocktailing. Creative concoctions include the cucumber splash and champagne floater, not to mention a whole menu of rum drinks.
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