Marcella Restaurant by Jose Sanchez — Restaurant in San Juan

If you’re looking for a culinary experience that effortlessly blends Puerto Rican tradition with modern sophistication, Marcella is a must-visit. Nestled in the heart of San Juan, this gem of a restaurant offers a menu that’s both inventive and rooted in the island’s rich flavors but one dish stands out as a true masterpiece: the Alcapurria Tartar.

Let me start by saying this: if you think you know alcapurrias, Marcella will make you fall in love all over again. The Alcapurria Tartar is a brilliant reimagining of a Puerto Rican classic. They’ve taken the crispy, savory goodness of a traditional alcapurria and elevated it into a stunning, textural delight. The tartar topping fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned brings a cool, melt-in-your-mouth contrast that complements the earthiness of the yucca-based fritter beneath. Every bite is a dance of crunch, creaminess, spice, and soul. It’s nostalgic yet completely new.

The presentation is elegant without being pretentious, and the service matches the standard of the food warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely proud of what they’re serving.

Marcella doesn’t just serve food; it tells a story. And the Alcapurria Tartar? It’s the highlight of the narrative. Do yourself a favor: go hungry, and don’t leave without ordering it. You’ll be dreaming about it long after...

We were really disappointed with our experience here. My husband and I booked this dinner through OpenTable to celebrate our anniversary, but the night fell completely flat due to poor service. The staff seemed entirely preoccupied with a large party of 15+, and we were left waiting 90 minutes with no drink/cocktail/wine refills, no communication, and minimal acknowledgment from our server. In fact, the only reason he eventually checked in was because a bartender noticed our frustration and motioned him over.

By the time they remembered us we had lost our appetite and ended up leaving without having our meal we waited for. Also, Despite noting our anniversary both on the reservation and when we were seated, there was no acknowledgment from the restaurant—not even a simple “happy anniversary.” The lack of attention made what should have been a special evening feel completely disregarded.

While the food was creative and decent, it was overpriced and did not make up for the lackluster service. We travel to Puerto Rico often with family and I manage a travel food vlog, and am always looking for great spots to recommend—unfortunately, this won’t be one of them…super bummed. Was really looking forward to this place, couldn’t stop talking about it with my husband, just to be very...

This is one of the best restaurants I’ve eaten in PR, and I’ve been to a lot of good restaurants. I went here a few days ago and ordered basically every appetizer. Everything was not just good, it was amazing. Every dish had a very good flavor and was cooked perfectly, it’s hard to choose a favorite dish, but I think my favorite one was the Bobata. The goat cheese had a very soft texture and it was seasoned to perfection, it was served with a bread that was very warm and soft. The rest of the appetizers were also great, I recommend every single one of them. For my main dish I ordered the Pastelón de Cordero, the mix between savory and sweet in that dish was something I’ve never eaten before, it was that good, it was topped with their goat cheese too which was the cherry on top. For dessert I ordered the Corn Bread and the chocolate gnocchi, and they were just as good as the other dishes. The service was also great, they were very attentive and they even lit a candle for my birthday. Long story short, this place is VERY underrated and I highly recommend it if you are...