The standard-bearer for contemporary Puerto Rican cuisine, Jose Enriqué is located in a converted house with no signage in La Placita.

You never know what the menu of Jose Enriqué will feature, but you can count on fresh interpretations of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine like picadillo, carne guisado or fried snapper. Reservations are not accepted, so be prepared to wait as long as an hour or more to get in. But you get a beeper, so you can wander around La Placita and find a place to have a pre-dinner drink or two.

• Price: Blowout

Google Rating: 4.5/5.0

Address 1045 Av Ashford Kanddo Santurkesan Juan, AT 009071128
Phone: (787) 936-7317
Hours: 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Los Pinos, located on the Pork Highway (technically, Highway 184 near Guavate), specializes in whole roasted pigs as well as a variety of local delights such as green banana salad and pasteles.

Many lechoneras (restaurants that specialize in roasted pigs from a spit) have abandoned this practice, but Los Pinos continues to do so, and the result is delicious. On weekends, you can also expect live music and dancing to accompany your meal.

• Price: Bargain

The name gives the game away. A modern restaurant right out of a carnivore's fantasies. If you come across a restaurant called The Meat Market, you're probably going to make a quick decision.

The very mention of such an establishment, a steakhouse with a twist that offers up some of the best cuts in Puerto Rico, will make meat enthusiasts salivate. The 16-ounce ribeye is a piece of beauty, both aesthetically and in terms of flavor, and the entire establishment exudes refined charm.

• Price: Average

Google Rating: 3.9/5.0

Address: 6063 Av. Isla Verde, Carolina, 00979, Puerto Rico

Phone: +17872532007

Website: http://meatmarketmiamipr.com/

Lote 23, located in Santurce and surrounded by high-rise office buildings, is a modern twist on Puerto Rico's street food kiosk tradition, with over a dozen food vendors representing some of San Juan's most innovative, young chefs.

From specialty drinks to doughnuts, there's something for everyone, but don't miss Pernilera Los Próceres' pulled pork sandwich served from an Airstream trailer. You can also see a movie or listen to live music if you attend at the correct time.

• Price: Bargain

Google Rating: 4.6/5.0

Address:1552 PR-25, San Juan, 00909, Puerto Rico

Website: http://www.lote23.com/

La Guardarraya is the home of chuleta can-can, a famous Puerto Rican meal that combines a pork chop with spare ribs and chicharrónes in a single large piece of meat.

La Guardarraya is a charming, traditional-style restaurant in an old-fashioned wooden structure set within a pretty corner of tropical forest, and it's the only place you'll be sure to get a properly prepared chuleta can-can. Best of all, the meal is delicious and inexpensive.

• Price: Bargain

Google Rating: 4.2/5.0

Address: 127 Carr. (Old Road From Yauco to, 00656, Puerto Rico

Website:https://www.laguardarraya.com/

Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar is a romantic, sophisticated restaurant in Old San Juan that serves a menu of largely small plates that combine flavors from around the world and is lighted for maximum effect and draped in swaths of jewel-toned silk organza.

Small dishes of kale pasta in a white bean alfredo sauce, pan roasted foie gras with warm blackberry sauce, and braised rabbit in a black olive-basil pesto can be found here, as well as excellent cocktails created with fresh juices, herbs, and edible flowers. Order à la carte or choose for the six-course tasting menu with wine pairings.

• Price: Blowout

Google Rating: 4.8/5.0

Address: 317 C. de la Fortaleza, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico

Website: http://www.marmaladepr.com/

The small, crowded dining rooms of this Casita Miramar restaurant known for its traditional Puerto Rican cuisine are infused with a touch of romance thanks to potted palms and twinkle lights.

Sometimes you don't want to try new things with old dishes. Sometimes you just want the real thing, the kind that your abuelas (grandmothers!) used to prepare. You'll find downhome arroz con pollo, mofongo, rice and beans, and maduros here. Begin with a drink of passion fruit sangria and end with tres leches cake loaded with fruit.

Google Rating: 4.6/5.0

Address: 00907, 605 Av. Miramar, San Juan, 00907, Puerto Rico