Dan and I flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico at the end of August to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary(!). This was our 5th trip to San Juan and it was as fun and delicious as always. In light of the recent comments about Puerto Rico, now is a better time than ever to write about how much fun we had (and always have) in San Juan! This post details how we spent our long weekend, including what we did, where we stayed and what we ate and drank.
Colorful buildings of Old San Juan at night.
On our yearly 2024 vacation to San Juan, Puerto Rico, I scoured online reviews for the best new restaurants. Celeste kept showing up in my searches, and it was recommended to us by a foodie friend with family in Puerto Rico. We booked a dinner before leaving home, despite the menu being very seafood heavy (and us not being seafood people!). In the end, Celeste was absolutely FANTASTIC and our favorite meal in Puerto Rico! HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Dan at Celeste on our 7th wedding anniversary!
Celeste is a small wine and seafood bar located in San Juan’s Puerta de Tierra neighborhood (between Old San Juan and Condado). We walked to Celeste after drinks in Old San Juan, as it was our anniversary! The restaurant itself is quite small on a quiet street. The dining room is decorated in an airy fashion, with clean white tables and local art decorating the walls. We were given a warm welcome and promptly seated on arrival.
Celeste’s dining room.
Dan and I really enjoy our food and drink, and we think that Puerto Rico has some of the best in the United States! I’ve compiled a list of some of our old and new favorites – be sure to check them our if you find yourself in lovely Puerto Rico!
Old San Juan. In addition to good food, its also gorgeous!
Jose Enrique is certainly my and Dan’s absolute favorite restaurant in San Juan. I wrote about it at length here. I won’t rehash my entire post, but Jose Enrique is an excellent restaurant with upscale, delicious Puerto Rican dishes in the Condado area. Make a reservation in advance. Don’t miss it. You will thank me.
A recent meal at Jose Enrique.
Not the best picture, but the BEST fried steak! Circa 2013, but its still on the menu from time to time .
El Jabrito is a classic Puerto Rican restaurant in Old San Juan. If you read guide books, El Jabrito will likely come up. Nothing super fancy or expensive, just quality, local food. You will find tourists and locals here lining up for dinner (as there are no reservations). We’ve visited a couple times, most recently in April 2021, and will return. Definitely go with a Puerto Rican dish, and don’t forget the pitcher of sangria!
Beef turnovers made of fried plantain with local sauces!
Shrimp in garlic sauce!
Happy New Year to readers of this blog! I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2022 filled with travels near and far! I am starting this year’s blogging by sharing one of Dan and my favorite restaurants in the World – Jose Enrique in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico!
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Dan and I keep a running list of all of our favorite restaurants around the World, and Jose Enrique in San Juan, Puerto Rico always makes the list! Introduced to us by one of Dan’s college friends, we first dined at Jose Enrique in 2013. Still raving eight years later, Jose Enrique was just as good as we imagined, albeit in a new location! Now in swanky Condado, Jose Enrique is located in a somewhat unimpressive looking building without a sign (a carry over from before). Inside is pretty casual, with a few paintings scattered around.
Interior of Jose Enrique.
