The Dominican Republic is a haven of Caribbean taste and style – and eating out is one of the pleasures of enjoying the culture on holiday. Many package tours now visit the Dominican Republic, but hotel complexes may offer all-inclusive board, which means having to use the hotel’s own restaurants – or dine from the all-inclusive buffet.
While this can be convenient, there is nothing to beat sampling the cuisine of a different culture in an independent restaurant for a perfect holiday memory.
Here are three top restaurants in the Dominican Republic to give your tastebuds a well earned holiday, too.
Puerto Plata
Lucia La Verandah
http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury-hotels/puerto-plata/casa-colonial-beach-and-spa
If you are holidaying in the Caribbean, then sampling some authenticCaribbean cuisine is a must. The 5-star hotelCasaColonialBeach and Spa is host to Lucia Verandah restaurant in Puerto Plata – and Lucia Verandah has a reputation as the best restaurant in town, offering Caribbean cooking at its finest, plus Asian fusion and Mediterrranean cuisine. There is an elegant indoor dining room with wooden floors, carpets and drapes, which overlooks the mangrove garden. There is also a wine cellar for private dining and an open air terrace with an ocean view which serves breakfast and lunch. Pricey, but perfect for a celebration dinner or special evening out on holiday
Santo Domingo
Sophia’s Bar & Grill
www.facebook.com/pages/Sofias-Bar-Grill/156978124358105
If you are tired of hotel fare, Sophia’s Bar & Grill at Plaza Espana in Santo Domingo offers fine dining and an international menu. Sophia’s is elegant and contemporary and would be perfect for a honeymoon or anniversary dinner. The menu is also very approachable, including dishes like rack of lamb and steak Caribbean-style, plus burgers, salads and seafood such as hake and sea bass. There is also a dancefloor, so you can whisk your other half off their feet after dinner or between courses – and the security at Sophia’s is reassuringly in evidence, too, so you can relax outside the confines of your hotel complex.
Punta Cana
Restaurants at Sivory Punta Cana
www.sivorypuntacana.com
Be clever on holiday – you get three great restaurants instead of one if you dine at the boutique hotel the Sivory Punta Cana in Playa Sivory. Diners have the choice of the Gourmand Restaurant, the Tau Restaurant and the Laveranda Restaurant (lunch and dinner). The Sivory Punta Cana is also recommended for honeymooners, so there is a fair amount of romance in the air, too. The menu utilises Caribbean flavours to their best effect, so lobster with banana and passion fruit should get your tastebuds excited. There are also Mediterranean-inspired dishes if you are more timid. The restaurants have a different ambience, but all serve gourmet-standard cuisine – and booking is advisable. A definite hot date if you need to escape from your hotel’s all-inclusive buffet.
Contracting illness in Dominican Republic isn’t difficult when tasting various cuisines in various restaurants where health and hygiene standards may be lacking or be not quite up to standard.
Peter Anderson – I love to blogging about holidays! Google+
3 Top Places To Eat Out In Dominican Republic
