El Dieciocho — Restaurant in Las Terrenas

A true gem in the middle of mediocre competition

We had dinner at El Dieciocho twice last week while staying at the Sublime Samana resort. While we mostly ate off campus during our stay, many restaurants ended up in the 'they tried but somewhat failed' category. Not at El Dieciocho.

Phil and his team 100% know what they are doing - creating a laid back atmosphere for their guests (with and without kids), an amazing service attitude, spectacular food and this special touch the overall experience only true connoisseurs will be able to provide.

Phil doesn't see this restaurant as a primary source of income but one where he can share his dedication to a great culinary experience with his guests.

We went there with our three kids, all with very different tastes and we all loved it so much that I begged Phil to come back to the Tristate area where he learned his trade. His wine list is small but does the trick, his cocktails are amazing, hands down.

Now for the food - we ordered pretty much all starters he offers and loved them all. Just perfect, ideal to share at the table, tapas style. His chefs also didn't let us down with the mains.

Did I ever think I would have Osso Bucco in the Caribbean? Well, thank god I did as it was one of the best I ever had. My son's Filet Mignon - spot on! Pasta, fish, meat...whatever we ordered was top shelf. Desserts anyone? Oh yes, of course.....homemade Banana ice cream so perfect in terms of natural taste and its consistency that I ordered an extra scoop of it....

Anyway - you get my drift.....amazing restaurant, run by very nice human beings who care more about you than their profits, treat their staff very well and also know how to price their menu.

I am so grateful we found these guys, turned out to be the icing on the cake, literally! Otherwise I would have thought that Las Terrenas is not a place for foodies......Phil - I...

We've been going to El Dieciocho restaurant for many years. I took my wife here for her birthday. It was a special occasion. She ordered fish, I ordered the filet with peppercorn sauce. Almost always excellent service and good wine options. At about 1am I woke up in bed and ran to the bathroom. Diarrhea and I vomited some. This went/on/on until about 7am when I ran to the bathroom and missed the toilet. It was a disaster. My whole dinner came out on the bathroom floor. Was the beef not stored correctly? Unsanitary conditions in the kitchen? Leftover old meat? Kitchen workers not cleaning their hands after restroom use? Are the ingredients picked daily? The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday. We ate on a Tuesday evening. My wife had ordered a side dish of veggies and she had commented that they had looked/tasted unusually old. On my second day of recovery, I needed a doctor. IV fluids and medications were administered. We're definitely never coming back. Food safety is too important for us. (Note: We never received an apology from the owner even after providing documentation/proof of...

Update: This review appears to be one of the first displayed for El Dieciocho, so I wanted to add that this review was based on a meal there in 2021, when the restaurant was owned and operated by Chef Philip Martin, not the current owners.

My husband and I recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. While there are lots of restaurants in Las Terrenas that we love, we were looking for something special for our celebration dinner. When we started asking around for recommendations, many names were mentioned, but the only one that EVERYONE mentioned was El Dieciocho. I am so glad we chose to have our dinner there! It was hands-down the best meal we've had in LT!

The food—from appetizers to desserts—was phenomenal! The service was excellent, attentive without hovering. Philip, the owner, welcomed us to the restaurant and checked in with us a few times throughout the meal to make sure we were satisfied with everything. El Dieciocho will now be our go-to restaurant for special dinners or when we deserve a...