Santo Domingo Restaurant Tips by alfredop

Restaurant Name: El Conuco

Come to "the countryside" (its English name) for the best-tasting and most authentic Dominican dishes in the capital. La Bahía may have better seafood, but otherwise this place is superb, if a bit corny. The waiters in costume will even dance a wicked merengue with you. Few restaurants have been as successful at commercializing the charms of rural Dominican life, and as such, it has attracted many of the country's sports and pop-music stars. You'll find it within an upscale residential neighborhood near the Malecón, close to the Jaragua Resort. Inside, you'll find hammocks, domino tables, colorful weavings.

Favorite Dish: Familiar menu items here include six kinds of steak, and chicken prepared with red wine, onions, and mushrooms. Only the venturesome dare try cow's foot stew. A specialty here is the Dominican flag, a traditional platter whose various colors derive from artfully arranged portions of white rice, beans, meat, fried bananas, and salad.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: Pata E' Palo

My favorite place in 7 months living there...

Part of Pata é Palo's charm derives from its location, overlooking the graceful arcades of the Alcazar de Colón, where amiable clusters of Dominican families promenade every night at dusk. During the 1500s, the building was a bistro under the supervision of a mysterious Dutch buccaneer known as Peg-Leg (Paté Palo), who's credited with establishing the first tavern in the New World.

In the late 1990s, another Dutchman and his four partners transformed the place into a gregarious and engaging bistro that on weekends is one of the most crowded and popular singles bars in the country. Tables are thick-topped wooden affairs, set either on the plaza outside or within the antique walls of the dark and shadowy interior.

Favorite Dish: The food is some of the best in the capital, and is usually accompanied by live guitar music every Thursday to Sunday from 6 to 10pm. Having dined here many times, we can highly recommend the sautéed shrimp in coconut-curry sauce. On festive occasions, ask for the brochette of mixed meats; the meat has been marinated in fresh spices and herbs and is artfully flambéed at your table. The sea bass with white-wine sauce is perfectly prepared, although the fancy Continental dishes such as charbroiled steak with onion sauce and a grilled rack of lamb might be more suited for the cold Alps.

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Theme: Other
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Address: La Atarazana 21, Zona Colonial
Website: www.patepalo.com