Where to Eat in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | My Favorite Restaurants
- Naureen Chhipa
- Sep 12
- 7 min read
After eating at a handful of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic restaurants, we narrowed it down to the four best restaurants in Santo Domingo, offering delicious and authentic local food. It's no secret that I'm a big-time foodie; I love eating around the world and was ready to embark on an epic Caribbean foodie adventure. I combine local food, fine dining, and the island's best cocktails in this restaurant guide to Santo Domingo.
On this solo trip to Santo Domingo (the Dominican Republic's capital), I added a few restaurants to explore in La Zona Colonial and the city center. Some of these restaurants will require a short Uber ride, but the ones in the Colonial Zone are all within walking distance. Here's your ultimate guide on where to eat in Santo Domingo.
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I love eating around the world and was ready to embark on an epic Caribbean foodie adventure
Where to Eat in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
My Favorite Restaurants
Where to Eat in Santo Domingo at a Glance
Lila Modern Cuisine | Foodie Guide to Santo Domingo
Our first stop is Lila Restaurant. Lila offers modern Asian cuisine with a Dominican twist. I found Lila chic and contemporary in decor, with outdoor dining and fantastic food available. We ordered The Nachos (pork shoulder, guacamole, queso, jalapeño, tomato, and spicy gochujang sauce). Tiradito Pulpo Rocoto (Pulpo marinado en vinagreta de ahà amarillo rococo, aguacate y cilantro). Yellowtail Hamachi Tiradito (pescado hamachi, ponzu, puerro y tobiko). Lila restaurant has delicious seafood platters to share! It's the perfect lunch spot to get epic with amazing cocktails like the traditional pina colada, a refreshing Moscow mule, or the playful whiskey sour. You'll need to travel a bit to reach this restaurant, so I recommend visiting if you rent a car while exploring the island.
We also had a Dominican sushi roll topped with sweet plantains-- I love Maduros! This Dominican sushi roll's savory, crunchy, sweet mixture is pure perfection! Lila Restaurant is an excellent location if you're looking for where to eat traditional Dominican sushi. The combination of flavors with al fresco dining makes for an extraordinary lunch.
El Meson de la Cava | Foodie Guide to Santo Domingo
What are some great places to eat in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic? I vote for El Mesón de la Cava. El Meson de la Cava is a romantic, hidden-spot restaurant with delicious traditional Dominican cuisine, visited mainly by locals. What should you try while you're there? Well, I had a local goat stew meal that was so flavorful and took me back to the authentic taste of the old-time Dominican cuisine I grew up eating. So definitely get that! I love the ambiance and food of this restaurant and highly recommend a visit if you want to venture outside of La Zona Colonial and explore other restaurants in Santo Domingo. El Meson de la Cava has the perfect setting to unwind, sipping on an old-fashioned or Negroni and fine dining with a local, traditional meal. El Meson de la Cava is one of my favorite Santo Domingo restaurants, and this list of the best restaurants in Santo Domingo had to include this staple establishment, as it is a must-visit foodie spot!
Valiente Restaurante | Foodie Guide to Santo Domingo
Valiente Restaurante is sexy, trendy, and modern with an old-school flair. What's cool about a handful of these restaurants in La Zona Colonial is that some of the original colonial zone walls were kept and used in the modern architecture and design of the current restaurants/hotels. This wall, for example, is from the 1400s.
Valiente Restaurante is within walking distance of many hotels in La Zona Colonial. If you're looking for accommodations in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, check out my hotel crawl, where we stay at three beautiful hotels that won't break the bank.
Maraca | Foodie Guide to Santo Domingo
Maraca is currently the trendiest restaurant in La Zona Colonial. Everyone who walks in wants to take their Instagram photo in front of the epic painting at the entrance, so there's usually a line-- because, you know, you never take one picture for the gram; you take like 20!
After seeing this restaurant all over Instagram, I had to see for myself what all the hype was about. Maraca is a stunning restaurant with well-crafted cocktails and even better food!
The cuisine at Maraca is more modern and creative than traditional. Maraca is a Dominican Republic restaurant that is not afraid to push the envelope. One of my favorite appetizers was the Wagyu Beef Tartare topped with a Quail yolk marinated in soy sauce. Maraca is an amazing restaurant where you can share a few dishes with friends over live entertainment (on selected nights) and cocktails, and taste some of the best Dominican food.
Favorite Guided Food Experiences & Food Tours in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo Food
One of my favorite things to do in a country when I first visit is to take a food tour or a home culinary experience. They help you understand the country better by savoring the flavors and local cuisine. I've curated a few of my favorite guided food tours in Santo Domingo for you to explore! Here are my favorite ones to explore the best of Santo Domingo Cuisine:
This is by far one of my favorite hands-on food tours in Santo Domingo. You'll get invited to the home of a local Dominican Grandma (Rossy) and spend 3 hours together cooking and eating Dominican food! You'll learn some secret cooking skills to add more flavours to the dishes you make when you head home, and you'll impress all your friends at your next dinner party. Click here for more information and the latest prices.
The chocolate-making experience with the Colonial zone walking tour combo is excellent for those visiting Santo Domingo for the first time. The tour combines a chocolate-making class (the Dominican Republic is known for its delicious chocolate) and a walking tour of the Colonial zone (La Zona Colonial), so you get two great experiences for the price of one. Chocolate is one of the best foods to try when visiting the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is currently a world leader in the production of organic cocoa, and a bar of this delicious treat makes for a great souvenir to take back home and bring to friends. Click here for more information and for the latest prices.
Foods You Must Try in the Dominican Republic
What to Eat in the Dominican Republic
Mangu (Dominican Breakfast)
I have to say mangu is my favorite Dominican breakfast and a staple of Dominican cuisine. The traditional way of making mangu is by boiling green plantains, then mashing them when soft with some butter or olive oil. A trick I learned from my aunt, "Tia Margo," was to save some of the hot water from the boil and add it while creating the mash, which gives the mash a more silky texture. After you have your mashed green plantains, you top them off with some pickled red onions, fried eggs, cheese, and salami-- this topping is called "los tres golpes". There's also a variation to this; you can substitute the green plantains for yellow ones (my all-time favorite). The profile flavour of the yellow plantain is on the sweeter side, and for me, the combination of sweet and salty is out of this world!
La Bandera Dominican (The Dominican Flag)
The meal I grew up eating almost every day when I got back home from school was "Arroz, Habichuela, y Carne" (I grew up in a Dominican household). La bandera Dominicana, "Dominican Flag," is as typical as it gets! The plate consists of white rice, red beans, stewed chicken or beef, and a slice of avocado on a bed of shredded lettuce.
Pescado Frito y Tostones
Pecado frito y tostones is my all-time favorite dish whenever I'm visiting a beach in the Dominican Republic. It adds a special flavor to an epic beach adventure day!
More Restaurants in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Thanks for reading! Have you been to Santo Domingo? We want to hear from you. Let us know your favorite restaurants and bars, and we'll visit them next time!
If you go to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic:
Santo Domingo General Info:
Zona Colonial Self-Guided Walking Tour:
Restaurants On Our List | The Best 4 Restaurants in Santo Domingo:
Lila Modern Cuisine
El Meson de la Cava
Valiente Restaurante
Maraca
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