Weekends were made for brunching
Weekends are for brunching — chatting with friends, digging into a delicious stack of syrup-drizzled pancakes, lingering over a café con leche, zesty Bloody Mary or a fruity mimosa. Fortunately, Puerto Rico knows how to brunch, and there are a plethora of chic and cozy restaurants where the food is both delicious and highly Instagrammable.
Weekends are for brunching — chatting with friends, digging into a delicious stack of syrup-drizzled pancakes, lingering over a café con leche, zesty Bloody Mary or a fruity mimosa. Fortunately, Puerto Rico knows how to brunch, and there are a plethora of chic and cozy restaurants where the food is both delicious and highly Instagrammable.
Soda Estudio de Cocina is a charismatic and unique restaurant tucked away in Cuevillas St. in Miramar, just a few blocks from the Fine Arts Cinema Café. Its eclectic decor, laid-back atmosphere, unique charm, and great food touted as urban creole make it a perfect place to enjoy brunch and connect with friends.
Some of the best menu items include steak and eggs with a side of truffle fries; pastrami, Serrano ham, and mozzarella cheese; the egg breakfast pizza; asparagus-wrapped bacon with eggs and hollandaise sauce; the mac & bacon cheese omelet; or whatever your little heart hungry heart desires.
Combine these delicacies with Soda’s delicious mimosa mojito or watermelon Moscow mule to spice up your dining experience. Brunch hours are every weekend from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Looking for a seriously good brunch spot? Look no further and visit Choices Restaurant at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino in the Convention Center district. It’s sophisticated yet casual with live music and traditional brunch choices with a creative twist.
Try the crab cake Benedict, or the Brunch Burger prepared with sweet Mallorca bread rolls, bacon, cheese, topped with crispy onions and eggs, or the fantastic Guava pancakes, or the Boricua Omelet with pork, local white cheese, and tomato avocado salad topping. All are absolutely yummy! And all dishes come with a complimentary Mimosa. The brunch menu is available every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Over in the Condado, widely known as a chic tourist area with fabulous beaches, shops, and hotels in the heart of San Juan, there is a slice of brunch heaven called Blonda for those with pure food indulgence in mind.
This cozy and modern restaurant serves lobster frittata; doughnut sliders; chicken and waffles; pancakes with bananas, strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream or Nutella; ranchero eggs; salmon Eggs Benedict; and an incredible French toast prepared with thick-sliced bread topped with caramel sauce, strawberries, and vanilla or Nutella. Brunch hour is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
With the Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop, Ola Oceanfront Bistro at the sophisticated Condado Vanderbilt Hotel provides the exquisite and unique flavors of Puerto Rican fare.
Its Sunday buffet brunch with live entertainment is out of this world with dishes prepared with the freshest products.
Enjoy fluffy pancakes, frittatas, chicken escabeche or Paella del Campo made with chorizo, pork, ham, chickpeas and plantains accompanied by artisanal bread, fresh fruit, assorted fresh pastries, or bacon.
Combine these classic brunch favorites with bottomless mimosas or signature cocktails like the spicy Bloody Mary, Mai Tai, Old Fashioned, Perfect Martini or Dark and Stormy – made with dark rum, ginger beer, and lime. Sunday brunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
And you can never go wrong with the Boozy Brunch Party at Serafina San Juan every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy breakfast and lunch dishes like delicious orange-cinnamon brioche French toast, lemon ricotta pancakes, smoked salmon benedict and steak and fabulous eggs accompanied by a lively stream of Bloody Mary’s, mimosa’s and more.
Bring your friends and make an afternoon at Serafina as your new weekend kick-off tradition.
Looking for something different for brunch that is available all day, than Pannes in Condado may be a perfect option. When visiting ask for the “French Mess,” made with three fried eggs, bacon, melted cheese served between two French toasts with cream cheese. Mmmm what a delicious mess! Or try the Brunch Burger where a beef patty is topped off with bacon, onions and an egg or the famous Ashford Special Royal, which consists of French toast with Nutella and fresh fruit.
Fresh squeezed fruit nectar and Prosecco make for one refreshing brunch Bellini. But why not pair your morning feast with a glass of Sicily. It’s made with lime juice, simple syrup, Luxardo Maraschino Liquor, angostura bitters, and vodka. Or try the Julius Caesar cocktail with Cynar, Fernet Branca, red grapefruit, and vodka – all perfect concoctions to sip on while eating at Nonna Cucina Rustica.
This inviting restaurant located on San Jorge St. in Santurce has a similar vibe to Italian bistros found in NYC mostly due to its exquisite five-star cuisine.
Whether you’re looking for delicious steak and fried eggs; frittata with mushrooms; Eggs Benedict with red potatoes as a side; or flavorsome French toast made with homemade brioche bread overflowing with almonds and fruit than Cucina Rustica is the place to go. Sunday brunch hour is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Isla Verde boasts the best beaches and water sports in the metro area, but Bistro Café rules the brunch scene. Its menu is exceptional, and its options satisfy those with a sweet tooth or a salty side.
The Mendoza consists of scrambled eggs with longaniza and mixed veggies and the irresistible Romeo and Juliet, a French toast dish full of cream cheese, bacon, fruit, and Nutella. And you can’t forget to point out the 2 for 1 mimosas. Brunch hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There’s no doubt that San Juan’s plate is full of fresh brunch options and its restless chefs are turning the city into the nation’s breakfast capital.
There are way too many excellent places to have brunch especially in the artsy and hipster town of Santurce like Gallo Negro. The restaurant is famous for its mac and cheese prawns and French toast made with Mallorca bread and Barrilito rum.
Abracadabra Counter Café with the perennial brunch favorite of scrambled eggs with veggies and goat cheese, French toast made with brioche bread topped with fruits and whipped cream.
And there’s Tostado with its breakfast bowel cooked in a mini cauldron with spinach, mixed veggies, and goat cheese topped with two fried eggs.
Best in the West
Over on the west coast, famous for its beautiful beaches, stunning sunsets, tranquil turquoise waters and colorful reefs with active marine life, is the famous bakery Levain Artisan Breads in Aguadilla. This shop serves a no-frills brunch menu on Sundays full of traditional comfort foods at its next door Debut Cocina Rustica venue.
Here you will find the best lattes, breakfast sandwiches as well as the classic Eggs Benedict served with a side of home fries and greens, pan fried brioche with eggs and bacon and of course the all-time favorite Croque Madame sandwich made with three kinds of bread with ham, gruyere cheese, and béchamel sauce topped with a fried egg.
Uva Playa Restaurant in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico’s third largest city, is a casual and stylish eatery perfectly positioned at the water’s edge where you can enjoy an expansive view of the Atlantic Ocean through its large windows or outdoor terrace.
You can’t go wrong with ordering its simple brunch options perfect for the hungry or hung-over and make sure you order the passion fruit sangria or coconut mojitos which are dangerously delightful.
For those who love to eat, the English Rose in Rincon is one of the best places to get your brunch on. This lovely quaint restaurant located inside a country inn has a Caribbean feel with old English charm. Even though the venue is small, it makes up for its size with breathtaking panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea and its artistic menu.
A must-try is the Full Monty; a classic British breakfast combo made with bacon, homemade pork sausage, two eggs any style, oven-crisped potatoes with butter, caramelized onions, and cabbage with a slice of toast. Or opt for the Encore Eggs Benedict (poached eggs on an English muffin, Canadian bacon, and hollandaise) or the Benny Hill that substitutes the bacon for smoked salmon.
English Rose has an impressive menu and only opens for breakfast and brunch from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is often packed with people. If anything, take that as a marker of great food.
Southern Comfort
Ponce es Ponce (Ponce is Ponce), a simple yet telling Puerto Rican saying about the second oldest city of Puerto Rico. And Lola Eclectic Cuisine is simple and all about brunch.
If you’re hungry for more than just bites, La Plaza three-egg fluffy omelet is the way to go. It’s served with ham, bacon, Italian sausage, tomato, green peppers and American cheese. The French toast is made with Puerto Rican criollo bread. What can be more savory? After stuffing your tummy, a walk around the city of Ponce, known as the Pearl of the South, will make you feel the magic of this city with its elegant neoclassical and European style architecture.
At Melao Coffee Shop at the Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino, their all-day breakfast and brunch menu (from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) appeals to both the novice and foodie through classic comfort fare, all-encompassing a key ingredient, eggs.
Signature dishes include Mallorca bread filled with eggs, ham, and American cheese; the Melao Omelet with ham, bacon, Italian sausage, tomato, green peppers and American cheese with a side of sautéed potatoes; the classic scrambled eggs wrap; and the Spanish Florentine Omelet made with spinach, tomato, mushrooms, peppers, and muenster cheese.
Or try the sweet treats like a home-style French toast with loads of powdery white sugar, maple syrup, and fresh strawberries. The fluffy flapjacks or light waffles are perfect with Nutella, whipped cream and fresh fruit with a side of crispy bacon. But the headliner of this star-studded cast of multi-faceted delectables is the coffee.
The menu features a variety of hot beverage options like espresso, café Bombon (espresso with sweetened condensed milk), macchiato with a dash of milk, latte, American, American cappuccino, Italian cappuccino, chai latte, mocha latte, Mexican spiced cocoa, and hot chocolate. Also, house-crafted natural juices, smoothies, Acai bowls and more.
Over in Guanica, you can enjoy the shimmering coastline and swimming pool area of Copamarina Beach Resort and Spa while you tuck into a delicious pork sandwich on sweet Mallorca bread basted with garlic and pepper sauce, and Swiss cheese accompanied by corn fritters at Alexandra restaurant.
The delicious brunch menu (every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) offers bottomless mimosas and live music. Looking for an egg dish with a twist than try the steak and eggs with a side of fries or the smoked salmon and boiled eggs with purple onions, olives, and toast with a side of tomato and asparagus salad with lemon dressing. Buen Provecho.
Puerto Rico foodies flock to food truck heaven
Food trucks are popping up like mushrooms and are quickly gaining prominence on the island of enchantment. They draw everyone from hungry college students and office workers searching for quick meals to discerning foodies who know that sometimes the best food doesn’t always come from a fancy restaurant. San Juan has two popular food truck spots – Lote 23 and Miramar Food Truck Park.
The trend of dining at food trucks, seen across the U.S., is now increasingly popular in Puerto Rico especially in the hip and fashionable city of San Juan.
Food trucks are popping up like mushrooms and are quickly gaining prominence on the island of enchantment. They draw everyone from hungry college students and office workers searching for quick meals to discerning foodies who know that sometimes the best food doesn’t always come from a fancy restaurant. San Juan has two popular food truck spots – Lote 23 and Miramar Food Truck Park.
Lote 23 has turned a once abandoned lot, wedged between two building, into a culinary oasis located in the art and music district known as Santurce. With four terraces, a stage, and plenty of parking spaces, Lote 23 showcases a variety of kiosks and Airstream trailers serving tacos, pizza, donuts, burgers, popsicles, noodles, cocktails, coffee and more.
Large table umbrellas and overhead canopies, as well as outsized industrial fans, provide diners with plenty of shade and cool breezes. Culinary offerings provided by veteran as well as up and coming Puerto Rican chefs include:
Panka which serves Peruvian street food with a creative twist; noodles or rice bowl with meat and veggies made by Wok It!; Dorotea’s Pizza and it’s wood fired thin crust delights and homemade cocktails; Sr. Bigotes Mexican tacos; Pernileria Los Proceres serving roasted pork inspired options and craft beer; savory buttermilk dipped fried chicken at Hen House; Caneca a mobile cocktail house serving fresh juices and top shelf liquor; donuts by Do de Donas; El Joint Burger serving beef, lamb and salmon sliders with innovative toppings; espresso, specialty coffee, and experimental coffee drinks by Café Regina; Belgium-inspired fries at Bayard; La Alcapurria Quema’s Puerto Rican soul food; Poke bowls at El Jangiri; tasty desserts at La Postreria; lobster and salmon mac & cheese as well as variety of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches at Lolo’s Mac & Cheese; Croqueteria serves all types of gourmet croquettes; and Señor Paleta with its fresh fruit popsicles.
Lote 23 is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday it closes at midnight. Average price, depending on the kiosk, ranges from $9 to $12.
This facility hosts two weekly events. Cine 23 is held every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. where international, documentary and short films are shown on an outdoor screen. Santurce Yoga held every Sunday at 9 a.m. in collaboration with El Estudio. Also on weekends guests can expect to enjoy live music.
El Miramar Food Truck Park at Stop 15 is like its counterpart, transforming the palate of the Puerto Rican diner and adding much-needed entertainment thanks to the island’s Millennials.
The Meatball Company offers its customers a variety of delicious handcrafted meatballs made out of chicken, beef, pork, and lamb served up in sliders, subs, and gyros.
Yummy Dumplings makes an assortment of tasty dumplings filled with chicken, skirt steak, pork, sweet plantains, and malanga, among other combinations. Its sauces include peanut, ginger soy, and spicy mustard as well as Korean tacos.
Peru Rico has a variety of Peruvian treats, and its ceviche is to die for. The empanadas fried plantains, yucca fries, and fried mahi mahi are packed with savory depth.
Pa’l Pita’s specialty is yummy gyros filled with skirt steak, lamb, or chicken.
Que Toston serves a delicious twist on Puerto Rican classics like arroz con pollo (yellow rice with chicken), fried cheese and arepas (corn cakes), not to mention its canoas (sweet plantain canoes) and patacon (fried green plantains used as bread substitute) with plenty of delicious toppings.
Miramar Food Truck Park opens every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Average plate varies from $5 to $15. This venue holds activities such as Movie Nights, BBQs and BYOB.
Food trucks in Puerto Rico were only known to serve inexpensive food like hamburgers, hot dogs, and tripletas (a skirt steak, ham, and pork sandwich) and local staple foods like comida criolla consisting of rice, beans, stews, pork, and plantains.
This pattern changed in 2012 when a different breed of food trucks —pioneers Yummy Dumplings and El Ñaqui — began offering casual gourmet food like ribs, Korean style chicken, pulled pork, Asian style skirt steak, wings, salads, sides, and soup.
These food trucks threw the old and familiar menus out the window and started introducing innovative flavors to their customers. Both trucks quickly gathered a cult-like following and their success inspired others to take a chance and start up their own food trucks.
Today, there are around 80 food trucks all over the island, most are in the San Juan metro area but there are fantastic food trucks everywhere from Caguas to the popular beach towns of Aguadilla and Rincon — and the number grows monthly.
Diners now have everything in Caguas from Mexican food at La Chilanguita in Gurabo to El Churry (also located in the towns of Carolina, San Juan, Luquillo and Levittown) with its special tripletas on sobao sweet bread to Persian food at the Mill Urban Bistro to mofongo, plantain soup, nacho criollos and pasta at La Mancha de Platano. And FOK Brewery serves up craft beers and microbrews with unique flavors. Another food truck inspired by traditional Puerto Rican cuisine is Cosechas, which elevates its cooking with modern and innovative touches. Try the turnovers, skirt steak, fried pork, steak sandwich, fried plantains, soup of the day, sweet potato gnocchi and rice and beans. Absolutely delicious!
In Rincon, Fire Island Surf & Turf Co. in Rincon provides casual street grub from tacos and tosadas to kebabs and sandwiches and Jack’s Shack shines with its grilled tuna tacos, homemade veggie burgers, acai bowls and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
On the northwestern coast, there is yet another much-visited food truck park called the Aguadilla Food Truck Park. This casual gastronomic retreat features mouthwatering delights from Tako-G which features Japanese street food fare with everything from ramen noodles to pho; succulent gourmet burg ers at Bluefin; Tuk Tuk and its amazing Thai food; Ribs Smoke Shack with plenty of BBQ options; and Demitasse with its gourmet coffee and artisan ice cream.
The Aguadilla Food Truck Park opens from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Slowly but surely, these food trucks have done the unimaginable: reshape the Puerto Rican palate. Whether you are looking for a slice of pizza or a new gourmet creation, you will definitely find a food truck for your inner foodie in Puerto Rico.
Hotel kitchen artists at specialty restaurants serve up passion on a platter
Staying at one of Puerto Rico’s beachfront hotels doesn’t just mean that frolicking and taking refreshing ocean dips is your day job while in la Isla del Encanto. The dazzling premises are also full of sabor, with delectable meals served in sumptuous surroundings steps from the comfort of your hotel room or favorite beach chair.
Hotel kitchen artists at specialty restaurants serve up passion on a platter
Staying at one of Puerto Rico’s beachfront hotels doesn’t just mean that frolicking and taking refreshing ocean dips is your day job while in la Isla del Encanto. The dazzling premises are also full of sabor, with delectable meals served in sumptuous surroundings steps from the comfort of your hotel room or favorite beach chair.
Whether it is an opulent, haute cuisine French dinner inspired by Michelin Star Chef Jean-Georges, an exotic teppanyaki feast redolent of Japan, or an imaginative culinary spin on the island’s own cocina criolla, Puerto Rico’s hotels and resorts offer world-class fine dining regardless of what you are looking for.
Signature restaurants serving distinctive world cuisine or a fusion of culinary traditions can be found at major hostelries around the island, offering a wealth of options that will tempt even the most demanding palate. And if you crave seasonal food you are in luck because the farm-to-table movement is the biggest trend in Puerto Rico’s restaurants. You can’t get any fresher than eating a fish plucked from the sea a couple of hours before ending on a dish next to some crunchy greens and savory vegetables picked the day before from a beautiful tropical farm. Island agriculture is exploding with fresh organic produce and niche crops, energized by a new generation of farmers that have made for fresher, more pungent flavors wafting from restaurant kitchens.
Whether famous or about to be, the chef in your kitchen is an artist and might very well be a star. They are responsible for the exciting menus that day in and day out tantalize diners’ taste buds through gastronomic flights of fancy. These maestros of the kitchen are among Puerto Rico’s most creative people, bringing enthusiasm, passion, and versatility to the challenging task of preparing meals that will appeal to diners who hail from all over the world and have wildly different personal preferences when it comes to food.
A luminary is Angel Santiago, the executive chef of Lola Eclectic Cuisine at the Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino, famous for his personal motto: “Keep cooking.” Dubbed “the chef with the hands of gold,” he was a finalist in Master Chef Latino 2011, has competed with the Puerto Rico Culinary Team (taking gold, bronze, and Best Culinary Team award in 2012) and has appeared on TV shows like the 2015 Christmas special of “Ellas y Tus Noches” with Chef Marilyn Lopez.
Raul Correa, the creative talent behind Zest at the San Juan Water Beach Club hotel in Carolina, has earned a reputation as a chef, a manager, and a teacher over his 21-year career. Recently named Restaurateur of the Year 2016, he was included in the 2015 edition of “Where Chefs Eat: A Guide to Chefs’ Favorite Restaurants,” published by Phaidon Press. Correa at Zest serves a globally inspired casual menu influenced by iconic local dishes using hand-picked ingredients from Puerto Rico’s farming community. In 2014, he won a gold medal for Best Culinary Team in the Caribbean at the Taste of the Caribbean event.
Puerto Rico’s astonishing kitchen talent has made the island a vibrant culinary destination, with hotel restaurants some of the finest on the island, drawing both visitors from around the world and locals with discerning palates. Regardless of style, or the tradition they are working in, Puerto Rico’s culinary creators share a passion to ensure the highest quality of ingredients and a cutting-edge standard of excellence in their execution.
Based in a beautifully restored colonial building in Ponce’s historic downtown, Lola’s Eclectic Cuisine at the Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino has a decor that mixes modernity with Spain’s classic colonial elegance. Likewise, its menu is a fusion of classic dishes with Caribbean and Puerto Rican cuisine. Offerings include lamb, various cuts of meat, risotto and traditional mofongo,
Santiago initially planned a civil engineering career but quit to study at the Puerto Rico Hotel School in Isla Verde, going on to work at the Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde, the Radisson Ambassador Plaza in Condado, and Jajome Terrace restaurant in his mountain hometown of Cayey. A “careful but adventurous chef,” Santiago said the challenge of cooking is developing your own personal style and taste, maintaining it, and having people recognize it. “To be successful in this industry you need passion and the desire to learn every day,” he said. “You can learn something from every person you work with.”
Concentrating on the food might be a little hard at first if you dine at Zest, the San Juan Water Beach Club’s showcase restaurant. That’s because on top of fine dining you get an incredible sensory experience based on light and sound effects. For example, the ceiling simulates the surface of the ocean, the floors are illuminated with waves of light dancing on the walls, and a 60-foot wide cascade gurgles by the bar; enough to entertain you while you wait to be seated. The menu takes Puerto Rican and Latin America cuisine and gives it an international spin, paying homage to the island’s culinary heritage through the use of locally sourced products. Choices include an amuse-bouche (an appetizer) such as popcorn soup with truffle butter and rosemary or a lightly seasoned chicharron (fried pork skin), followed by a sea bass marinated in miso and accompanied by vegetables, eggplant foam, and green papaya compote, and topping off the meal, an extravagant version of Puerto Rico’s traditional tembleque: a coconut panacotta accompanied by pineapple sorbet, rum marinated raisins, and a crispy almond phyllo. For executive chef Correa, modern Puerto Rican cuisine is bold and innovative and “every single bite is absolutely delicious.”
Asiatic food is another popular trend in Puerto Rico these days so it is fitting that one of San Juan’s newest additions to the dining scene, SAK-I, is an Asian fusion restaurant. It boasts Puerto Rico’s only saki bar, serving 42 different brands of this famous Japanese liquor distilled from rice. Located in the InterContinental San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde, the restaurant features dishes based on Thai, Japanese, and Chinese cuisine with current menu favorites including Mongolian beef filet mignon, Kuntau chicken sautéed with peanuts, and lobster sushi. All vegetables, fruits, and some fish are purchased locally. “I always try for all menu proposals to be well balanced and I like to use what our land produces,” says executive chef Gabriel Rivera, who oversees two other restaurants in addition to SAK-I. A creative chef who likes simplicity, he stressed the value of consistency. “The gastronomic experience I seek to highlight is the fusion of local products with Asiatic ingredients adding preferences from Puerto Rico’s cuisine to create a new taste,” said Rivera, who studied cooking but credits his success on his 16 years of experience and support from influential mentors.
“If you want a menu to be liked you have to like cooking, you have to be inspired by cooking,” he said.
Saborea spreads the word about Puerto Rico’s culinary greatness
Over the past 10 years, Saborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza has grown from the best annual culinary festival in the Caribbean to one of the best in the world. Every spring, the magic unfolds beside the azure tropical Atlantic in the heart of San Juan— a flavor-packed weekend of food, drink, music, culture, and a whole lotta fun. The fabulous scenery, which includes a Spanish-colonial embattlement that rises above the festival grounds at San Juan’s Escambron Beach, mixes awesome food with positive vibrations for a fiesta of glorious proportions.
This year’s event promises to be even better than others as it celebrates its 10th year anniversary
Over the past 10 years, Saborea Puerto Rico: A Culinary Extravaganza has grown from the best annual culinary festival in the Caribbean to one of the best in the world. Every spring, the magic unfolds beside the azure tropical Atlantic in the heart of San Juan— a flavor-packed weekend of food, drink, music, culture, and a whole lotta fun. The fabulous scenery, which includes a Spanish-colonial embattlement that rises above the festival grounds at San Juan’s Escambron Beach, mixes awesome food with positive vibrations for a fiesta of glorious proportions.
Dozens of Puerto Rico’s best restaurants serve up sumptuous menu renditions in festival kiosks, while craft mixologists and tropical drink wizards are also on hand to create incredible libations, which also include fine wine, beer and coffee. The Puerto Rican rum bar is always a center of attention. Local culinary stars as well as international food personalities are on hand, often giving demonstrations from an on-site kitchen. There is also music and other entertainment.
Saborea is Puerto Rico’s most significant culinary festival and possibly in the Caribbean, which draws thousands of local fans and spectators from stateside and other international destinations. It also features some of the biggest culinary stars in the world, as well as the island’s own sizzling celebrity chefs.
Since its founding in 2009, Saborea has also cemented Puerto Rico’s reputation as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. The festival charts the expanding culinary horizons of the island’s cuisine, and the great foods of its major influences, from place like the U.S. mainland and Spain. So the festival will empower you to savor the soulful and exceptional flavors of local cuisine, as well as the world cuisines that most greatly influenced it. That flavorful experience is imbued with the unique party ambiance and idyllic surroundings that will substantially enhance your pleasure of the event, and extend the duration of your memories of the gastronomic extravaganza.
In 2014, Saborea received the “Tourism Excellence Award” by Spain’s Excellence Group, for making a difference to Puerto Rico’s tourism industry, in its social responsibility component, and for showcasing the island’s local gastronomy globally.
Saborea has been marked over its past 10 years by its ability to bring renowned international culinary stars of the moment to the island and foster collaboration between them and island kitchen artists in a festive, tropical ambiance that translates into fabulous flavors for guests.
From the start, Puerto Rico’s hottest chefs – masters including Alfredo Ayala, Giovanna Huyke, Raul Correa, Wilo Benet, Mario Pagan, and Roberto Treviño, as well as gifted executive chefs from the island’s hotels and resorts – have been an integral part of the food fest. Indeed, it’s been their interaction with the internationally renowned culinary stars that come to Puerto Rico for Saborea that gives this beachside food festival its distinctive, superlative flavor.
From the beginning, Saborea has shined with stars. Food Network Latin Flavor sensation Ingrid Hoffman kicked off the festival in 2009. The Simply Delicioso star that was raised in Colombia was perhaps the perfect choice to host the new festival, as the Miami-based flavor maven spent her career introducing Latin cuisine to a broad U.S. audience in delightful fashion. That’s basically been Saborea’s mission in spreading the word on Puerto Rico as a culinary destination, a place with its own extraordinary cuisine (comida criolla) but also a great host for international cuisine, and the glorious intermingling of island, regional, and world influences.
The festival has also drawn the likes of Iron Chefs Cat Cora (a cofounder of Chefs for Humanity) and Marc Forgione (whose love affair with Puerto Rico continues with his American Cut Bar & Grill at The Mall of San Juan).
Simon Majumdar, the world-renowned food critic and TV personality, gave Saborea a solid “thumbs up” during his visit, despite the reputation as a tough, no-nonsense judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and the Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen. “Saborea is incredible,” Majumdar said. “The setting, the food, the people – everything!”
The witty and hard to please Chopped Host Ted Allen also gushed about his Saborea experience when he traveled here. The festival has also attracted Next Food Network Star Susie Jimenez, who called Saborea “so much fun” and a “revelation,” as well as Nuevo Latino cuisine godfather Douglas Rodriguez and southern cooking guru Ben Vaughn.
Saborea 2017, like other years, takes place at the gorgeous Escambron Beach outside Old San Juan from May 18 – 21. A fabulous new oceanside bicycle and pedestrian path now connects the festival grounds in Puerta de Tierra with both the gorgeous historic seaside gem Old San Juan and the vibrant Condado beach district.
This year’s event, which promises to be even better than others since it marks its 10th anniversary, continues the flavorful mix of local and international cooking stars, and offers guests a delightful culinary festival by the beach. Beyond the food, there is live music, cooking exhibitions, and much more.
