One of the quiet advantages of staying in Condado is that you can eat extremely well without ever getting in a car. Highly rated restaurants and shops sit within walking distance of the villa, and the best food in San Juan is a few minutes further inland. Here is how we would spend a week of dinners.
Walk: Ashford Avenue and Condado
Ashford Avenue is the spine of the neighborhood, and it runs from casual to genuinely smart within a few blocks. You will find good ceviche, wood-fired pizza, proper cocktails and a handful of waterfront tables where the sound of the surf does half the work. This is your no-planning option, the one for the night you arrive tired and just want to eat.
Short ride: La Placita de Santurce
The best meal of your trip is probably here. La Placita is a 1910 market square, still a working produce market by day, ringed by the restaurants that made Santurce the most interesting place to eat in San Juan. Come around seven for whole fried snapper, mofongo with garlic shrimp or slow-braised pernil, at prices well below the waterfront. Weeknights are relaxed. Thursday to Saturday the square turns into a street party after nine, so eat earlier if you want a quiet table.
What to order at least once
- Mofongo — mashed green plantain with garlic and pork crackling, usually filled with shrimp or chicken. The dish people fly back for.
- Tostones and alcapurrias — the fried snacks that make a good first course.
- Arroz con gandules — rice with pigeon peas, the national side dish.
- A cold Medalla — the local beer, and the only correct thing to drink with any of the above.
Eating in
Some nights you will not want to leave the villa at all, and the back outdoor dining area and rooftop deck make a strong case for staying put. Booking direct means you can ask Michael to help arrange a private chef, so dinner arrives without anyone cooking or driving. See what we can arrange for your stay.
Tell Michael what your group likes when you book, and he will point you at the kitchens that are on form during your dates.
Check availability at City Beach Villa and send your dates straight to Michael.