Triana Tapas & Flamenco — Restaurant in San Juan

We were so excited to try the Triana Paella...but ended up leaving before finishing our drinks. We ordered 2 drinks, the paella and a side of mofongo. Our waiter brought the drinks and a basket with 2 pieces of bread. My husband (we were on our honeymoon) started perusing the wine list when our waiter seats a party of 3. He takes their order and I overhear one of them order the same paella. He leaves and returns to their table with a bottle of champagne that he opens for them. As he opens their champagne, another gentleman who seemed to be either a chef or owner because he wasn't dressed like the waiter, brings a basket of bread and a few appetizers. They had been there less the five minutes and were already enjoying their food while we still just had our first drinks. My husband didn't even like his tarragon margarita, so we decided to just pay for the drinks and eat somewhere else. We went to the bar to pay and the waiter asked about the paella. We told him we didn't want it and we just wanted to pay for the drinks. We are then approached by a woman who said she was the "owner" of the restaurant. She said we had ordered paella that was "in the process of being made" and if we didn't take it they "would be losing money". So I told her if she would like to know why we were leaving without even finishing our drinks I could tell her. When I told her that there is a party who arrived after us and are already eating she said "I don't know if the waiter told you but paella takes 45 minutes". Now, there is a group of employees surrounding us watching and I told her he did not tell us about the 45 minute paella and he could've at least brought the side of mofongo if we were going to have to wait 45 minutes for our entré. She did apologize and offer to feed us for free if we came back but unfortunately this restaurant left a bad taste in our mouths (pun intended). BEWARE THE TRIANA PAELLA...

We searched for a local place in Old San Juan offering a dinner and flamenco show. Triana's was the only place we could find. My first impression was that the place was very run down and in need of renovations/upgrades. We were shown to a rickety table up front, but we had a nice view of the performers. Our waiter wasn't overly friendly or patient. I wish he had been more helpful making food suggestions and telling us how much to order from the menu as it shows 1, 2, 3, main dish, etc., giving the impression that you should order from every section. The name says "tapas" - which to me means small plates - but everything we ordered was huge! So unless you are extremely hungry or want leftovers, don't order too many dishes. (Note: We loved the chickpea/sausage/shrimp tapa, and Lamb chops entree with side of beans and rice. DELICIOUS! Also, be aware that if you want water, they only serve pricey bottled water). As for the show, Juan Carlos was incredible. It was a real treat to see him perform on his guitar, although some of his humor decidedly wasn't funny and missed the mark. The 2 (younger) dancers who first accompanied Juan were okay but not great; however the third (older) flamenco dancer was PHENOMENAL!! Absolutely incredible footwork and energy...a real professional. When she and Juan performed together at the end of the show it was electric! Definitely the highlight of the evening. Overall, we enjoyed the food and show and were glad we visited Triana's but felt the experience could be improved with better ambiance, furnishings,...

We popped into this place with no expectations aside from wanting some seafood. They sat us immediately on a Saturday which surprised us. We were led to a table in what seemed like the back next to a small stage with a single chair. The table cloths and ambience weren't particularly fancy, but nice. Then came the drinks. They came quickly and the passionfruit mojitos were excellent. The bread was warm and sweet which is always appreciated. The ceviche mixto was fairly good as well, and the main course, a seafood platter, had an excellent array of seafood in a yellow curry like sauce that filled both my wife and I. We ordered a few more drinks and then got the bill to leave. As we signed the check, an unassuming gentleman took the stage and started playing the guitar. His fingers slid along the strings effortlessly in a manner I've never seen before. Just his guitar playing is captivating, but then he was joined by several flamenco dancers whose talent and engaging personalities drew the crowd into their performance. Juan Carlos' larger than life story telling and jokes flowed seamlessly between english and spanish and brought frequent laughter to everyone in the diverse audience. We ended up staying through the entire performance and enjoyed every minute. We consider ourselves lucky to stumble across such a rare gem and recommend any visitors and locals alike enjoy an evening at Triana Tapas and Flamenco. You'll enjoy the food, but you'll never forget the...