Cafetería El Conde de Peñalba — Restaurant in Santo Domingo

I’ve visited Café El Conde multiple times, and it’s my go-to place when I’m in Santo Domingo. Here’s my take after numerous visits:

Location: 4/5 Hands down, one of the best locations in La Zona Colonial. It’s right in the middle of everything and in front of the cathedral. However, there’s no air conditioning, which can be a drawback, especially on hot days. There are fans inside, but it’s not the same. Despite that, it’s very centrally located.

Atmosphere: 5/5 The atmosphere is fantastic with all the commotion and happenings around. Sitting there and watching the outdoors is pretty cool. The ambiance is definitely a highlight.

Food: 3/5 Food is not their strong suit. They offer a wide menu, but nothing stands out or is particularly impressive. It’s just standard café food without any wow factor.

Service: 4/5 The service is a mixed bag. The waitresses are super cool and provide good service, but the counter staff is often very rude. It’s a puzzling inconsistency.

Price: 3/5 Considering the mediocre food and the mixed service, the prices are fair but not great. They’re not outrageous, but you have to understand you’re not getting the best value for your money.

Overall: 3/5 After visiting multiple times, it seems the place is in decline. There have been no remodels or updates to the menu and service, yet the prices continue to rise, probably due to the prime location. I wish I could give this place at least a four, but based on all the factors above, a three is more realistic. I hope the owners take this as constructive criticism, though I’m not sure they care much.

Café El Conde has potential, but it needs some serious attention and updates to live up to its prime location and keep up with its nearby...

My grilled steak was cooked in a frying pan on March 10th Saturday at 5:30 PM. When I refused to eat it the restaurant did change out my meal but I got attitude from the server the entire rest of the meal. I then got ripped off on money conversion when I went to pay the bill and the restaurant LIED and said they had no U.S currency to give me change. Tourist eat there all day and your telling me you didn't have $12 us dollars. When I argued about them ripping me off the manager just walked away. If your a tourist and you see this just do yourself a favor and walk about 50 steps to another restaurant. I travel frequently and when I return to the Dominican republic in 6 weeks or so i wont be eating here and i will tell every tourist in the hotel I'm staying at about my experience. The manager didn't seem to care when I told him I was writing a negative review. He will care when his main source of income...

This place is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I visit Santo Domingo often. Sometimes I come alone and other times with friends and family. I'm an American school teacher so I love going out to dine where the ambiance is nice, the people are friendly, the food is good, and the staff treats you well.

The owner, I call her La Reina, is a very nice woman who eats there a lot, and she is very friendly and welcoming to the patrons. La Reina's daughters work there in the morning, and they are some of the NICEST PEOPLE you will ever meet. The food comes out quickly, its hot and the waiters and bartenders are the most efficient, hardworking people I've ever met. I LOVE THIS PLACE!

You will love it too! Juan Carlos and a couple other waiters speak English. If you can't tell them what you need in Spanish, use your google translator app and make sure to leave a nice tip for the workers because they...