La Casa del Chef — Restaurant in Ponce

La casa del chef has been the hidden gem of my trip. First off, the safety of the establishment with a physical person standing at the entrance. Inside the atmosphere is warm with dim lights and local art framed all around the walls. The menu is easy to read with both English and Spanish. The staff was the highlight of the dinner - absolute 5 star hospitality standards: serving the ladies first and always from the left, while clearing from the right, as taught in European hospitality schools. The food was brillantly crafted and locally sourced. The black beans soup came with lard which was quickly exchanged for an outstanding onion soup to the French standard ( vegan customer). We had the cod fish and the veal chop - they were 5 stars, accompanied by truly homemade French fries and Tostones de Pana. The crown of the meal went to the coconut flan: sweet enough and dense perfectly with the right amount of eggs without a single taste of eggs - perfectly cooked. The experience left us speechless and eager to come Back for more. I thank the Maitre de Carré for his amazing service and the entire waiting staff, the chef and the cooking staff as well as the security man at the front. We hope to come back soon. If you are looking for a memorable dining experience, classy and elegant while clear and delicious -...

I still cannot figure out what happened. The reviews of this place are quite good and the hotel even recommended this place. We went early evening on a Sunday and there was plenty of servers but we were mostly ignored as we watched newer tables having water/drinks delivered, orders taken etc. We had to flag down a server to take our order, then waited about 40 minutes with no one stopping by to see how we were doing it if we wanted drinks. When our food arrived is was cold and over cooked - I had the Stuffed Sea Bass w/ Shrimp & Lobster - way overcooked, cold & tough. Husband's meal was not much better but the puzzling thing is that no one would even asked how our meal was, do we want drinks... I asked for the check because I knew it would take a really long time. The server grabbed our plates & did not ask if we wanted a box. All I wanted was one of those amazing meals that were posted on reviews & some coconut flan. I am still not sure why we were given the most horrible food I have eaten in over ten years and really horrible service. We were dressed accordingly so it's not that we showed up in grungy clothes. It's now Tuesday and I will probably never figure this out. This is the very first time in my life that I gave no tip. Yes, I am telling you it is that bad, both the food & the...

A nice traditional restaurant with a beautiful atmosphere and good service, but a little expensive.

Casa del Chef is a beautiful locale, with artwork on the walls, dim lights, and a cool environment.

The food is pretty good, enjoyable and nice in flavor. I would argue that most food here is pretty good. Nothing utterly mind-blowing, but good and enjoyable.

Service is pretty good, depending on your waiter.

On my first visit, I was tended to by an older man with gray hair, glasses, and a goatee. He seemed in a bad mood, and didn't seem like he wanted to take my order at all. Dry responses, and lack of eye contact, I wondered why was he so cranky. To my surprise when another set of customers came by (a medical doctor and his wife) he became all cheery and pleasing.

Did I look too poor for him? He seemed like a jerk to me.

Next visit was better, with two younger gentlemen being friendly and pleasant. Their service was way better.

And they say that this generation is rude, lol

Anyway, prices are high on some meals but decent on others. Fish is exorbitant, but chicken is decently priced.

Portions are pretty good, very big.

Generally, this is a pretty good restaurant. If you avoid the cranky old guy, of...