What to Eat & Drink in Old San Juan
Raise your hand if you’ve been to Old San Juan! Okay okay, I know I can’t quite literally see you through the computer screen right now, BUT, if your hand isn’t up please grab your travel planner ASAP and get Puerto Rico on the books! More specifically, book your SpoonFood Tour of Old San Juan and enjoy a walking food & history tour of the Puerto Rican restaurants in this charming ocean-side town.
Quick side note (and not an ad or sponsored whatsoever, I just simply love this site), Scott’s Cheap Flights always has incredible steals on flights to SJU Airport (San Juan). For example, my flight was $290 round-trip via Southwest, add in my Southwest credit card points, wah-lah, a free flight!
Okay I know you didn’t come here to listen to me be a hype girl for Scott’s Cheap Flights, so let’s get on with it.
What's Included in the Spoonfood Walking Food Tour of Old San Juan?
A fully belly. No, really. This is not a gimmick food tour that will leave you hungry.
Don Ruiz coffee shop is surrounded by history, and has a story of it’s own to tell, too. The cafe is located in an old colorful Spanish barracks building from the 1800’s and lines an expansive courtyard now used for museum trips and cultural activities.
The coffee from Don Ruiz is locally grown in Yauco, at over 3,000 ft! Don Ruiz is a true family businesses, going on 4 generations since Don Ruiz himself began growing coffee in the late 1800’s.
Cozy, quaint, charming and staffed with friendly locals, Don Ruiz is perfect for a strong cuppa joe and sandwich made in-house. Don’t forget to explore the back room which features a coffee roaster and small museum of roasters past!
A craft beer haven amongst a sea of local Medalla, La Taberna Lupulo is your one-stop-shop for craft beer imported from all over the world and made locally, too.
We were treated to a beer mimosa upon arrival, fruitfully concocted with a local passion fruit beer from Ocean Lab Brewing, pineapple, and passionfruit juices — deelish! Of course, our hosts weren’t about to leave us hungry too.
Within minutes, Cubano sandwiches were served. Puerto Rico cuisine and culture is influenced by a few different areas from the world. Spain and the Caribbean to name a few. The Cubano sandwich was a package of savory goodness, overflowing out the edges of locally made sourdough bread. I’m not typically a pork person but the smoked pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles hit all the taste bud sensations, leaving me satisfied and hanger staved off, at least for now.
Hecho. En. Casa. What does that translate to in English? Homemade. And we both know, there’s nothing better than a home cooked meal. Did you ever long for a warm, home cooked meal that one year in the freshman dorms? Yeah, me too.
I loved Hecho En Casa because of it’s interior unique and colorful charm. The Old San Juan restaurant is known for it’s traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, especially the mofongo!
Let’s take a moment to talk about mofongo. Mofongo is EVERYWHERE in Puerto Rico and is not just one dish. What makes a meal mofongo, is the fried plantains as a base and the main ingredient. From there? Add on whatever you want! Chicken? Sure. Beef? Why not. Vegetarian option? Throw some veggies on top!
Hecho en Casa is a must see spot for your Puerto Rico vacation. Word on the street is their passion fruit sangria is the best in town!
After a filling stop at Hecho en Casa, our Spoonfood Tour guide, Pablo took us on a longer walk around the beautiful streets of Old San Juan. We strolled past Fortaleza Street, aka umbrella street in front of the Governor’s Palace. We also got to see the narrowest house, in the WORLD! Eventually we made it to the famous Senora Paleta – an all natural popsicle shop with flavors to die for! On a toasty Puerto Rican day, I opted for the refreshing mango flavor!
Senor Paleta started as a humble passion and has now grown to be a staple of San Juan with multiple locations. Be sure to try at least one when traveling in Puerto Rico!
Phone: 787-724-2337
Last, but most certainly not least, we wobbled our way down the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan to our final restaurant destination, Princesa Gastrobar. Enter through the front doors and you step into a fairytale jungle, with trees jutting up out of the floor and twinkle lights gracing their vines.
Princesa Gastrobar is proud to be the first gastrobar in Old San Juan and specializes in delectable local rums. We enjoyed a classic mojito while savoring the flavors of pan seared fresh grouper filet in a chickpea stew and white rice.
As all good things must come to an end, so did our Spoonfood historical walking food tour of Old San Juan. When we first decided to visit Puerto Rico, Spoonfood Tours was a MUST on my travel bucket list. Our adventure was so much more than the local cuisine. It was the history, the sights, the scenery and the beauty that brought it all together for us, a complete package.
Although this was a “tourist” activity in the literal sense, I felt as though we truly immersed and learned about Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Needless to say, we left with our minds, hearts, and of course, our bellies full.
Heading to Puerto Rico? Drop me a line in the comments below or shoot me an email! mountainchicmusings@gmail.com.
Also, be sure to check out my travel guide to Vieques; a must-see island just off the coast of Puerto Rico!
And if you’re saving trip ideas for the future, be sure to pin the image below to Pinterest so you don’t forget to book a Spoonfood Tours adventure of your own to learn for yourself about Puerto Rican cuisine!
Save it for later with Pinterest!
