Cafe Caleta — Restaurant in San Juan

This has potential, but it’s not there yet. Was looking for Champi originally but actually got pulled in here by a worker and decided to try anyway.

First and foremost a wine bar, and locals seem to come after work to sit outside with a bottle. Great atmosphere, decor and design in and out. Candlelight was lovely.

I ordered a sangria which was not on the menu, and they made anyway, but it wasn’t delicious. (What sangria has no fruit in it?)

The chef behind counter with white hair and glasses was in a foul mood all night- he poured himself wine and scrolled on his phone for 10 minutes as I waited for water and finally interrupted him to get some. I don’t think he smiled all night.

Sitting at the counter was so cool to watch the preparation- the meatballs with rice were delicious, and the spinach empanada was pretty good too. The sous chef/preparer was doing everything as chef scrolled on his phone and pinned up empanadas.

I’d come back if the service had been better or more welcoming. Worth a glass...

Racist!!! Had a terrible experience here. My party and I were treated poorly and I believe it was racially motivated. That was the only difference I saw between us and the other guest there at the time. We waited in line and while in line I saw the server/host leading people to tables and seating them. When our turn came the sever ignored us for over 5 minutes until we had to signal her over and then she spoke to us with an attitude and never let us know how to order. I had to ask the inside sever behind the window. By this time I was completely turned off from eating here but decided to get a coffee. I ordered a for my party and I. The server said we could stand to the side and she’d call me over when it was ready. We stood where she told us and she’d call never called us over. A random person in line tapped me and said “umm I think your drinks are ready”. I just took my drinks and walked off. This place is terrible and I don’t reccomend at all. This happened on 2/8/25...

Went last night as the power was off, again. Had the Empanada de Carne and Empanada de Espinacas, they were baked and were plebian. Then had the Cruido which was over salted and mostly liquid. Finally we had two cups of the house red, which was a Monastrell from Bodega Ponce, which as I recall is a 8 euro bottle in Madrid. It is not my favorite, at that price point the house could have gone with the bottom shelf Protos. The whole lot came to over $60 for two. The service was average the ambiance was nice being one of the few places in VSJ where you can sit outside. Overall both of us thought the experience was marginal for the value received. It is a real shame that the best restaurants in Puerto Rico are outside of Old San Juan, I see the same in other high tourist destinations where the restaurateurs seem to view their customer as a...