Marisquería Jíbara Restaurant — Restaurant in San Sebastián

I feel compelled to write a REAL review for this wonderful restaurant (which I don’t often take the time to do) after dining here Sunday evening. Marisqueria Jibara is my favorite Seafood restaurant in all of Puerto Rico. If you live in San Sebastián then you already know about this hidden gem. This review is mainly for everyone else who is traveling here. This is what makes it so special: The ambiance makes it feel like intimate fine dining. We always make a reservation. We like to dress nice for the occasion but not too formal. We love the comfortable seating, the table cloths, the linen napkins as well as the decor. The waiters are dressed as a throw back to the era of fine dining with the resemblance of a Maître D. We appreciate the exceptional service we received from Michael and Graham as well as all professional waiters over the years. They’re attentively waiting to take your order, make sure your water is filled and make you feel welcomed. If you need another cocktail or any request, so much as a mere gesture they immediately attend to you to enhance your dinning experience. Finally, the food is delicious… they offer a wonderful variety of the freshest seafood. The menu changes daily/weekly so there’s always something new to try. Our favorite appetizer is the pulpo a la feira which is so tender and cooked to perfection. We always order the Paella which takes a little longer (it’s prepared fresh to order) but is worth the wait. You can ask for bread and butter while you’re waiting. It includes a side of tostones with garlic sauce which is delicious too. Everything is fantastic from Soup to Dessert. Overall, we highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic dining experience, family group, birthday dinner, Friday or Saturday night out or a regular Sunday lunch or evening dinner. The price is adequate due to the Chef’s attention to detail and for the service you receive from all of the professional waiters. The Owner will periodically stop at the table to check on you too. We dine here multiple times a year and we can’t wait to go back...

I read the reviews about this restaurant and I was super excited to take my family of five for a divine experience. I made a reservation after two attempts and when I got there I was told that I could not be seated because of my dress code. No where within the Marisqueria Jibara does it say anything about the dress code. Furthermore, I was not told about the dress code when I made the reservation the second time. Didn’t have a chance to try the food, but I can say that the service is not up to level to any normal restaurant.

Mario Guerrero

After writing the above review, I was contacted by the owner through txt msg. Very unprofessionally he apologized for me not meeting the category or level to be at his restaurant. Here is the txt msg I received from him:

“ Saludos sr mario le escribe Ramon Soto el propietario de la marisqueria jibara y disculpe que le escriba por este medio y no publico como usted.Pues mire usted nosotros somos un poco mas conservador cuando se trata de un cliente. Pero fijese La marisqueria Jibara tiene su codigo de vestimenta tal como todos los restaurantes de todo el mundo. Unos de una forma y otros de otra pero nada todo cliente que nos visita o tiene planeado visitarnos tienen en conciensia que esto no es un chinchorro o una barra de bajura esto es un lugar donde vienen comensales a disfrutar de una buena velada y disfrutar de una buena cena no a ver las estremidades de ortras personas. Yo lamento mucho que su categoria no este a este nivel. Pero si usted mira su reseña vs las demas deve saber que es bien insignificativa.”

This says a lot about him and the...

When you come to Puerto Rico. I don’t care where you stay you must make the trip to San Sebastian to visit this spectacular fresh seafood restaurant. We had reservations for a early dinner on Friday. The place is very quaint and elegant. The owner and staff go above and beyond to make sure you enjoy your experience.

The Food OMG!!! We were lucky and honored to have the owner and chef make recommendations. We ordered everything he suggested. The seafood is the freshest I’ve had in a long time. The chef did an excellent job preparing the dishes as the fresh seasonings or sauces did not rob the main course of its essence. The appetizers, main courses and dessert score 5 stars with us. Oh! The wine and spirit selections are top notch.

Don’t...