INNATO — Restaurant in San Juan

Very sad to say that our experience at Innato became average because of the food :( We have been going by frequently and reviews looked good. Pictures online from the old version of the restaurant looked amazing. And my wife and my visit started well (although they were understaffed). Our cocktails were great! Fresh passion fruit mojito and traditional Daiquiri. We had a lovely window table right at the front. And the waiter/bartender quickly produced mosquito repellant when the mosquito factory (bromeliad "farm") on the tree in front of the restaurant unloaded on us. The food was a big disappointment! Ensalada Tropical was diced iceberg lettuce with blueberries and tomatoes. Pretty sure none of the ingredients actually can be grown in the tropics. Not what we were expecting and not very tasty. The chorizo en vino was very average. First two pieces I had contained gristle and bone/cartilage. It didn't look appetizing and while edible wasn't good. The Atun con vegetables was fair. Tuna was cold. And the risotto con Churrasco was very average. We both agreed it was unlikely we would go back. Maybe Wednesday night is B team chef night. ...

I left this same review on Yelp, but this place warrants a review in both places. My partner and I happened upon this place after not wanting to wait in line for Casita Miramar around the corner. The setting is intimate and cozy. The menu is limited, but the chefs create what they can cook best. The food was out of this world—and I’ve eaten all over the US and then some. This was some of the best and affordable gourmet food I’ve ever had. And of special note, the owner, Luis Nieves, is the hardest working person I’ve ever met. He ran the kitchen, bar, waited tables, everything all at once. We did have to wait a bit for our meal to come, but seeing Luis work so hard and the food being so delicious I didn’t even care that we waited. We were offered complimentary wine and dessert for our wait as well. Do check...

This was by far the worst experience I have ever had in my life. Before coming, I called to make sure we didn’t need reservations and I was told to come because they had space. I walked to the restaurant and was sat at a table where myself and my boyfriend ordered drinks and an appetizer. After that, our waiter NEVER came back to our table. For over an hour we waited to order until we got fed up and ordered an Uber to leave. Everything else in the area was closed by that point. We asked for the bill and Our Uber took 20 mins to come, yet the bill STILL was not there. I had to go to the bar to ask for the bill and still didn’t get it right away. Paid $20 for lemonade and an appetizer and still left hungry. No apologies were given. This is unacceptable. If you are so understaffed, you shouldn’t tell...