El Conuco — Restaurant in Santo Domingo

Stumbled upon this place on a short walk from hotel (Jaragua) I was staying at. When I walked it they were just opening and weren’t many people there. But by the time I left, just about every seat and table were filled. Loved everything from the food to the staff to the atmosphere. Food was flavorful and very traditional Dominican cuisine. I had the Salpicon de Pescado (Fish Salmagundi) as my appetizer and it was delicious. My main course I decided to try their buffet and I’m glad I did since I hadn’t eaten breakfast. The buffet includes just about everything beef, chicken, pork, salads, rice, beans, pastries, etc. The chicken was spectacular. By the way the Presidente’s are ice cold. The service was great as well. Staff was friendly courteous and very attentive. Rarely would someone past my table and not say hello or check if I needed something else. The atmosphere is lively and festive with staff dressed in traditional attire. I love the design and decor of the place as well. All in all, awesome place to go for lunch/dinner anytime you’re...

We went here as part of a large group. The atmosphere was charming, everything was set to look like a rustic farm yard (Conuco = farm), complete with corrugated tin and hanging laundry. The menu is filled with traditional Dominican fare. It’s a bit more expensive than you can find in most surrounding area spots, but it seems more targeted toward tourists or higher end clients, and it ends up being a pretty average US meal price.

The real treat was when we had gotten our food and were beginning to eat. The music got loud, and a guy and girl came into an open area and began dancing. They performed 2 different dances, and obviously knew what they were doing.

The food was fantastic, they were able to serve our rather large group pretty efficiently, the service was polite and professional, and the unexpected floor show was a delight. It’s not somewhere I would go looking for a quick or “local” meal, because I’m not sure how many Dominicans eat here on a regular basis, but for an idea of traditional culture and food, this is definitely a place...

My first impression, for the decoration and the waiters attire, was that the place was a tourist trap, but locals also went there, it is very reasonable priced, the food is good, typical Dominican fare so you should give it a try! Since at the moment of my visit I already have been some days in Santo Domingo, I had eaten my share of sancocho, mondongo and mangú, so I decide to try another thing. From my own experience, ASK if you need some change or how is a given dish is traditionally served! My choice was an “asopao” (a rice with broth, commonly with chicken in this case with shrimp), I ask the waiter if it could be offensive if I put inside some avocado. He said “that´s the way I like it, but you know the chefs”. So I got a side of Dominican avocado -really huge- and the whole dish was delicious! Also they made the coffee in your table with a sort of rudimentally coffee maker. I don´t know the method but the amount of water was excessive so, I ask the waiter for half of the...