Pio Pio — Restaurant in San Juan

Listen, I’m not saying my girlfriend and I had a religious experience at PioPio our first night in San Juan… but I’m also not not saying that either. If this meal had ended with someone offering us robes and a spot in a flavor cult, we might’ve joined.

This place is tiny, intimate, and the chefs cook right in front of you. You sit at a counter, like a bougie hibachi minus the onion volcano, and just watch magic happen.

The meal started with not one but two appetizer courses—because apparently, one opener is for amateurs. First, a tart with black truffle and Parmesan cream that made us both go dead silent after the first bite. It was rich, delicate, and smelled like a luxurious forest in northern Italy. Next came a lobster roll that honestly didn’t need to follow the tart (the tart had already won), but was still delightful enough to make us seriously question whether this counted as a dinner date or a proposal.

The tortellini was where we fully lost it. Pillowy pasta soaked in a red wine and brown sugar reduction so good it should come with a legal warning. And just when you think it can’t get better—bam—the chef hits you with the most perfectly paired wine that somehow made everything taste even better. (If science can explain this, I don’t want to hear it. Let me believe in the magic.)

The porchetta main was juicy, crispy, and confidently straddled the line between rustic and refined—like it had grown up on a farm but summered in Tuscany.

Two desserts followed, because PioPio believes in abundance. I can’t recall every ingredient—I blacked out in a trance—but one had creamy textures and the other had fruit, and both made us make awkward noises that you really shouldn’t make in public.

And then—plot twist—a complimentary shot of pitorro, Puerto Rico’s sweet, boozy love letter in a glass. It was smooth, warm, and left us determined to smuggle bottles home like very polite pirates.

In conclusion: Go to PioPio. Go hungry. Go with someone you love (or someone you’d like to fall in love with). And when that tortellini hits, just nod solemnly at the chef like, “I get it now” and...

Pio Pio is a little slice of wine Nirvana! Laura has curated a beautiful, eclectic, and purposefully different wine list. Obviously Champagne is the star of the show and the list features some incredible “Grower Champagnes” which offer stellar value compared to the large Champagne houses we are all used to seeing in this country; but don’t sleep on the still wines: nudge out of your comfort zone and try a varietal you’ve never heard of (Jaquieres from Savoie, Teroldogo from Northern Italy). Trust Laura to find you a surprising and beautiful pairing. Speaking of pairing wine and food: the offerings coming out of the tiny kitchen are remarkable. We sat at the bar and watched the Chef Ciaran make miracles in the cramped corner of the bar with a couple of burners and a plancha. His background at world famous restaurant Per Se definitely shone through. Highlights included a creamy and perfect chicken liver mousse, and Wahoo Crudo: pleasantly thickly sliced yet melt in your mouth with a refreshing pop of lime citrus and a perfectly spiced Leche di tigre sauce. 5 stars all the way. It was wonderful to watch the small but professional and warm team all help each other out. The owner washed dishes, the sous chef / dishwasher brought out a dish and described it perfectly. No egos in this place despite some exceptional pedigree. The kind of local business you...

My spouse and I went for dinner and we had the tasting menu. The service was excellent: Each course was explained when arriving at the table, and the staff all made us feel welcome throughout the evening. The atmosphere was excellent: The space is small but not packed, quiet enough for close conversation but still with some liveliness given the chef's counter. Also, if you're used to places that offer a tasting menu being a bit "stuffy," don't worry about that here: The vibe is relaxed and inviting. The food was excellent: The tasting menu outshined other menus we have tried that cost triple the amount.

The highlight of the evening was that a vegetarian diet was fully accounted for on the tasting menu. Whereas other restaurants often just omit proteins or substitute proteins with a vegetarian item without much thought, Pio Pio had created whole separate dishes for the vegetarian in our party for most of the plates that we had. These dishes we just as excellent as the main dishes, and some even outshined their meat-based counterpart!

All in all, a delicious and memorable experience that we will be coming back for next time we are...