Princesa - Cocina Cultura — Restaurant in San Juan

Alright, so I write very few reviews. This is my first day in Puerto Rico and have had great interactions with people from the island thus far. Well, it was great til I got to this restaurant. I will be upfront about everything--I think it is fair to praise them where they do well and constructively criticize where needed. I picked to eat here because of the great reviews I saw. Also, I was in the service industry for a long while and know the importance of customer service.

The atmosphere is nice and very pretty on the outside and inside. I arrived with my mom, they were not busy and were able to seat us right away--great! The table we got was dirty, with crumbs all over, and grease stains on it, so we picked up our waters and sat at the table next to it, informing staff that the table was dirty. Waiter apologized, all good 👌

The appetizer we got was a supposed to be a sort of root vegetable (yautía) mixed with Gouda cheese--it was interesting though I tasted no cheese and wouldn't order it again. I asked some questions about the entrees, waiter seemed knowledgeable and friendly.

I ordered fried fish with tostones--the fish was maaaaybe barely flash fried and super dry. My mom ordered the fish fillet with yautía, some of them were hard and undercooked. The waiter never came back to ask how it was--though he filled my water multiple times...from the dry throat I had...from their fish. I couldn't finish my plate and neither could my mom, so we asked for the check.

He still didn't ask me how it was or anything, so I let him know that the fish was super dry and some of the yautía undercooked, politely. He made no eye contact, said nothing, just took the receipt and left. I did not leave a tip after his blank stare with no sort of apology or understanding. As I was leaving, the busgirl glared at us as though trying to show her disdain. Why? What was the point of that? You lost a customer long ago, but with that, gained a reviewer.

Oh well, this place, gets a 1 from me. I hope that they can get their staff in check and put out some delicious food because it is a prime location and has...

Embarking on a vacation to Puerto Rico, our hearts were set on experiencing the vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and of course, indulging in the local culinary delights. Little did we know that our quest for the perfect getaway would lead us to the doorstep of Princesa - Cocina Cultura, located in the picturesque Paseo la Princesa of San Juan.

Having savored what we believed to be the pinnacle of mojito perfection in St. Maarten, our expectations were high as we stepped into this culinary haven. While our primary goal wasn’t necessarily to find the ultimate mojito, fate had other plans in store for us.

As we settled into our seats, we were greeted by the affable bartender, Carlos aka “Cruben”, whose warmth and expertise instantly put us at ease. While our taste buds were initially geared towards exploring the broader culinary spectrum, fate had something else in store for us.

Without hesitation, we found ourselves entranced by the allure of Princesa - Cocina Cultura’s renowned passion fruit mojito. With each sip, it became abundantly clear that we had stumbled upon a revelation. The harmonious blend of flavors transported us to a state of pure bliss, transcending our expectations and leaving an indelible mark on our palates.

Though our journey began with aspirations beyond the realm of cocktails, our serendipitous encounter with Princesa - Cocina Cultura’s mojito masterpiece proved to be an unexpected highlight of our vacation. It serves as a testament to the serendipitous nature of travel, where the most unforgettable experiences often unfold when least expected.

In retrospect, while our quest may not have initially been focused on finding the perfect mojito, fate had a way of guiding us to Princesa - Cocina Cultura, where we discovered a taste of paradise in every sip. Cheers to the serendipitous moments that make travel so unforgettable, and to Princesa - Cocina Cultura for delivering an experience beyond compare.

Gracias...

Outstanding in every respect with one small hiccup and one area of improvement. Great atmosphere. Attentive service.

What a meal! I started with the barlovento. (berry juice, watermelon, Don Q...) Creative and not too sweet. I moved on to the octopus, and I love octopus, and this was very very good in terms of flavor. The puree surrounding the octopus was surprising. Really on point. I don't think I would have chosen this pairing, so it was, again, a surprise and quite good. Here is the one area of improvement. The octopus was a little tough. I enjoy octopus that is simply melting away with no effort required to slice, and this was a tad chewy. Not super chewy, and some bites were delicious, but a few bites were chewier than I hoped. I paired this dish with the salad with the soursop dressing. I love soursop, and if I could put this dressing on everything... I would. What a well-balanced dressing. The server even brought me extra, as I took most the salad home. (I did not realize the octopus would be so filling). My partner and my teen son had the Caribbean risotto. I tasted it, but they only let me have a little sample, as they were so impressed with the flavor profile and softness. My daughter is a pescetarian and had the dorado filet and it was very good. Wish we left room for dessert. We live in a town that boasts a "localvore" community and sources a lot of local farms for their ingredients. Close friends own farms. We have a CSA. We really enjoy supporting local, and we are happy that Princesa shares those values. The slight hiccup I mentioned earlier is that though the server was very attentive throughout the meal, when we needed the check it was hard to find her. Overall, an...