Dining in Dominican

Dining

If you take all your meals at an all-inclusive hotel, you’ll get little sense of how Dominicans eat and drink; the “international” buffet fare on offer at these resorts can’t compete with the delicious, no-nonsense cooking at the many mom-and-pop restaurants just outside their walls. Dominicans call their cuisine “comida criolla”, and it’s a delicious - if often a bit greasy - blend of Spanish, African and Taíno elements, with interesting regional variants across the island. Dishes usually include rice and beans - referred to locally as la bandera dominicana (the Dominican flag) - using either habichuelas (red beans) or the tiny black peas known as morros. Most often the rice is supplemented with chicken, either fried, grilled or served asopao (in a rich, soupy sauce). Invariably main courses come with plátanos (deep-fried green plantains, which locals often inundate with ketchup), and a small coleslaw salad. Outside of the major cities, vegetarians will often have to stick to rice and beans.

SANTO DOMINGO

Zona Colonial

Caribbean Blue Hostos and El Conde tel 809/682-1238. Best restaurant in the city, set in a sixteenth-century mansion but with very modern décor; all food is cooked in the restored 1520 brick oven. Try the sushi, the shrimp risotto, the great Caesar’s salad and a trufa mágica for dessert.

La Cafetería El Conde 253. Best of the cafés along El Conde and a hangout for local artists. Delicious breakfasts with fresh orange juice and café con leche.

Plaza Toledo Isabela la Católica and Luperón. Beautiful outdoor courtyard featuring linguini with shrimp or criolla sauce and delicious dessert crepes.

Malecon

Fogarate Malecón 517. Some of the best Dominican food in the city, doled out in a fun atmosphere full of multi-coloured thatched roofs. Try the traditional asopao rice with chicken dish served in a battered tin bowl.

Vesuvio Malecón 521. Most renowned restaurant in the city, deservedly so for its vast array of delicious, if expensive, pastas. Next door they have a more downscale dining room for pizza, sandwiches and crepes.

Gazcue

Don Pepe Pasteur 41 and Santiago tel 809/686-8481. This is the place to go if you’ve budgeted for one big splurge. The menu is a display of fresh seafood on ice, including lobster and an assortment of fish.

La Mezquita Independencia 407. Outstanding little seafood restaurant with a cozy dining room and a loyal local following. Specialities include mero (criolla or al orégano), octopus, and lambí.

El Provocón 4to Santiago and José Pérez, with other locations throughout the city. Outdoor patio offering heaping portions of grilled chicken, rice-and-beans and salad. Open 24 hours.

Outer districts

Lumi’s Park Av Lincoln 809 just north of 27 de Febrero. Fun outdoor, tropical garden atmosphere in which you can enjoy home-style Dominican mofongo and grilled steaks.

Tacos del Sol Av Lincoln 609 and Locutores. Popular outdoor Mexican joint with tacos, burritos and fajitas, though the frozen daiquiris and pleasant outdoor plaza are what attract the crowds.

Puerto Plata

Most of Puerto Plata’s restaurants are scattered within the Old City and along the Malecón, the latter also lined with cheap food shacks.

Barco’s Malecón 6. A great people-watching spot on the Malecón with a sidewalk patio and a second-floor terrace. They serve good pizzas, lamb and goat dishes.

Cafe Cito Sosúa Highway, km4 tel 809/586-7923. The best restaurant in town has recently moved and is now situated 500m west of Playa Dorada. Great food - try the filet mignon - and jazz music make for a memorable night out.

Jardin Suizo Malecón. Top-end international fare in a smart but relaxed building close to the water’s edge. Seafood specials including excellent tuna steaks.

Sam’s Bar & Grill Ariza 34. Established meeting place for fellow travellers, with good-value daily specials. The American breakfasts and philly cheesesteak are highly recommended.