Cocina Abierta

Great place in Condado to have non traditional Puerto Rican food. Everything on the menus sounded mouth watering. We had venison, Thai fired chicken, gnocchi, and a cucumber drink that was amazing. Definitely a spot worth checking out!

Seriously, every dish I tried was incredible. The salmon, scallops, and gnocchi were especially was out of this world.
If your in Condado, don’t miss this place. You’re in for a treat, I recommend (even for just two people) sharing multiple plates. You get to try a little bit of everything.

Great price, ambience, and quality of food! We had 6 plates, 2 alcoholic drinks each, and our bill came to only $ 160 including tax and tip!
Came here because it was rated #2 in tripadvisor for ALL restaurants in San Juan and it was in our hood so we thought we should check it out.
The place was mostly empty when we first got there but it was completely packed by the time we left. Their menu has 4 sections with the first 2 being lighter than the last 2 sections. I tried to take pictures but I didn’t use flash because I didn’t want to be obnoxious with a very bright flash in a very dim room.
1) arugala salad ⁵⁄₅ I enjoyed this one quite a bit, it was so refreshing and I loved the dates? figs? whatever that was that was in the salad, and those little dolops if creamy white cheese, and the dressing was a flavor explosion!
2) fried octopus ⁴⁄₅ very interesting how they prepared it (see picture) cooked perfectly but wished it had a little bit more flavour, but still delicious
3) squid ink risotto with prawns ⁴⁄₅ once again, delicious but would have liked a little bit more flavour
4) Caribbean bouillabase ²⁄₅ the broth was lukewarm, nothing special, tasted a bit bland
5) duck tacos ⁴⁄₅ great flavour (forgot to take a pic)
6) pork tenderloin 4.5÷5 wished for a bigger and thicker piece of grilled pineapple, coconut sauce was nice and creamy but wished for a bit more flavour
For drinks, the ginger and cucumber drinks were excellent!
Overall, the food was very good. If the prices were out of control would have probably given this place only 3 stars, but weighing in quality with price, definitely a solid 4. Definitely check this place out!

Excelente restaurante! Habíamos pedido 4 servicios y cuando llegó uno de los majados tenía un sabor amargo. Inmediatamente le comentamos al mesero y no titubeó. Se lo llevó y nos preguntó que queríamos. Volvió con un nuevo plato y nos dio la razón que el majado no estaba para consumo. Él nos dijo: «Todos en la cocina lo probaron, tenían razón… es algo que hacen para que no vuelva a suceder». Se disculparon y nos trataron como reyes! Definitivamente volvemos!!!

This was I think one of my favorite meals of my life, which is saying a hell of a lot. We only waited 15 minutes on a busy Fri night with no resos.
Everything about our meal was excellent. I had a ginger + vodka + grapefruit juice cocktail which was superb. The ginger flavor was strong and so refreshing. Delicious
The dishes:
Thai fried chicken: MUST GET. This reminded me of chicken karaage but with thai curry sauce and lychees. The coconut flavor was so strong. Loved it and we ate EVERY last bit.
Squid ink risotto with prawns: Also good and very flavorful but I think I liked the other dishes better. This tasted like standard risotto, though chewier with the squid ink. Very cheesy as well, with strands hanging off your fork as you dig in.
Cauliflower mash: DELICIOUS. Must get. Blend of mashed potatoes with cauliflowers and cheese. Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.
Duck tacos: amazing and must get as well. The tortillas were small but stuffed to the brim with juicy duck meat and dripping juices. So flavorful with lots of toppings. Delicious.
Roast pork: This one was very tender but didn’t strike me as that special compared to the other ones.
Too full for dessert but we’d like to come back
If you’re in Puerto Rico DO NOT miss this gem!

Really great food, excellent service. The tapas type menu provides larger than I expected portions so if you aren’t a hearty eater, I would expect 4 ‘acts’ to be too much. I got the arugula salad with beets, goat cheese, prosciutto wrapped figs as an app and shared it with my husband. We both got the petite beef Wellington with spinach and potatoes noisettes and everything was beyond delicious. Excellent service by Joaquin. Close to the Marriott.

Went here for my wife’s birthday and it was a big hit.
We shared the 4 courses and went with our server Giacomo’s suggestions each time. Everything he chose for us, including the wine pairings, was super delicious.

Tuve la oportunidad de visitar este lugar durante mis vacaciones y en resumen, me encantó! El menu es ecléctico y diferente, el ambiente relajante y romántico, muy buen servicio.
Del menu probé las croquetas de queso manchego, el filete mignon, ensalada de rucula que vino acompañada de datiles envueltos en prosciutto, queso de cabra, remolacha y almendras (simplemente divina y refrescante), y gnocchi de queso ricotta, todo estaba exquisito y la porciones eran suficientemente grandes para compartir entre 2 personas.
Parte de lo que me gusto del sitio tambien fue la carta de vinos, ademas de variada, de los sitios que visite fue el unico que ofrecia rose espumante en el menu y que adicion lo sirvio a la temperatura perfecta, ya que en la mayoria de los otros lugares el espumante fue servido casi a temperatura de ambiente.
En fin, buen lugar si desea ofrecer al paladar algo mas alla de la comida criolla, de tener oportunidad, volvería.

Cocina Abierta has an ambitious menu, but I’m not sure the kitchen is up to the challenge. Or at least not on my recent visit. I ordered three dishes. One was overcooked, another undercooked, and the third was technically fine but bland. Each of them sounded great on paper, but just didn’t pan out on the plate. I sent one dish back — scallops — and its replacement was better but not great. To the restaurant’s credit, they did not charge me for that dish, and they did try to fix it.
Drinks were excellent and interesting — the saving grace of the meal. I sat at the bar, and service was generally good.

This was the best restaurant we went to in San Juan. The menu is superb. We just ordered a little bit of everything, and there were several «bests» here. Best salmon I’ve ever had. Best Wellington ever. Also, you can’t go wrong with the Thai fried chicken, and the bouillabaisse was awesome. Great wine selection. A little pricey but in my opinion the food was well worth it.

Caro pero en Puerto Rico todo es caro tienen un concepto de platos chicos para que pruebes varias cosas lo mejor fue el pulpo y la costilla de puerco mucho mejores que el bacalao y el short rib.

We spent Christmas in Puerto Rico and had our Christmas dinner at this lovely restaurant.
The valet parking was around $ 5 and the modern interior made the place feel special but still casual.
The service was wonderful and attentive.
Now for the important part: the food was amazing. We decided to go the ‘tapas’ route and chose items from each «act» that sounded appealing. The 1^st dish was my favorite (Ripe Plantain Carpaccio Brulee With Tuna Tatake) — so flavorful and a great way to start the meal. Mushrooms Duxelle Stuffed Pacific Salmon was next — absolutely delicious. Squid Ink Risotto With Prawns was rich and tasted great, but not my favorite. We ended with Duck Confit Stuffed Monfongo and a side of grilled asparagus. That as my least favorite but it was still very good which says a lot about the earlier dishes. Dessert always equals chocolate in my book so we went with their chocolate option, which included chocolate mousse and biscotti — very rich but so delicious.
I would certainly recommend this restaurant for people in San Juan or wanting to visiting San Juan for a culinary experience. The dishes were altogether creative and really complex which we absolutely loved.

I really want to give this place ⁴⁄₅ stars, but our service was just so terrible that I have to give them 3 stars. However, the food was overall pretty great. We enjoyed some dishes so much that we came back the next day for lunch. That’s how much we enjoyed some of the food.
Great Dishes
1. Beef wellington — I’m pretty picky with steaks. I like them to be as tender as possible, and these did not disappoint. The steak inside the puff pastry was so tender inside and the puff pastry paired well with it. HOWEVER, they do NOT cook the dish the same. Dinner the night before, it was phenomenal. Lunch the next day, the steak was undercooked and wrapped in bacon (which wasn’t there the night before), and the bacon was UNDERcooked. I was still happy, but disappointed the next day.
2. Mushroom filled salmon w/​risotto — This dish was so flavorful. I’m not normally a fan of salmon, but this was cooked very well. It was overcooked for dinner the night before, but when we came back for lunch, it was perfect. It was first time having risotto, and I’m now a fan.
3. Duck tacos — These tacos were teeny, tiny. But the duck was very tender. My boyfriend isn’t a fan of duck, but he liked them.
Pass
1. Scallops w/​pumpkin smoked trout brandade — I absolutely love scallops, but these were a disappointment. Not very flavorful. I’d pass.
2. Thai fried chicken — Oh my. This dish was a waste of my money. It was basically a chicken fried chicken with a cucumber salad on top. The chicken was dry. I’m sad that we ordered this dish.
Service — ¹⁄₅
We came pretty late and the restaurant wasn’t too busy for dinner. But our waiter was TERRIBLE. By the end of our meal, I was just angry. We were left waiting a lot, and it took us about 15 minutes after finishing our last meal just to get the check. I would understand if the waiter was busy, but I could see him checking his phone on the other side of the restaurant. After getting the check, we waited another 20 minutes just for him to pick it up, which he DIDN’T. Instead, I had to get up and hand the check to someone at the checkout area, so we could pay our check and leave. I’ve never felt so neglected at a restaurant before, especially at an upscale restaurant. I think it was just this one waiter though. The waiter for the table next to us was attentive, They finished their meal after us, paid, and left before our waiter even came to pick up the check.
The next day for lunch, the new waitress needed more training. I felt like we were tricked into buying $ 6 water. We said we just wanted regular, still water, and she brought out this water in a glass bottle. I stopped her to make sure we were just getting regular water, and she said yes.
Overall, I obviously liked this place enough to return, but the staff needs more training. They were an overall huge disappointment. I thought we’d be treated before since we were returning customers, but I guess not.

Inventive, creative, adventurous — surprising & delicious. This place makes me want to place my trust in the chef to expand my horizons. For our first visit, my wife and I tried yellowtail snapper, grilled octopus, mushroom ceviche, and an eggplant … Dish. All were beautiful, aromatic, and delightful.
I am very impressed. We will be back soon.

We were very excited to try this clearly popular place and were not disappointed. The menu is large and interestingly set up in four «acts.» I enjoyed seeing the suggested wine pairings with each dish and was happy with the 20+ options of wine by the glass. Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly. Food service was a bit on the slow side… Not terrible, but it seemed the employee to guest ratio was not quite what it should’ve been.
We had the plantain carpaccio, carrot blinis, the Cambodian pork and Caribbean bouillabaisse, all of which we really enjoyed. Portions are larger than what I generally expect for tapas-​style places. The only dish we didn’t love was the sweetbreads. They tasted ok, but were quite salty and seemed a bit over-​cooked.

I split 4 dishes with my girlfriend. I will rank them from my least favorite to most favorite.
4. Mushroom Duxelle Salmon Risotto — A little underwhelming. Obviously, outstanding quality as far as ingredients and preparation, but it felt lacking in flavor. I would not order this again.
3. Yellowtail Tempura with Uni Beurre Blanc and Yucca Mash — As soon as I read this option on the menu, I had to try it. Very interesting take on tempura and the beurre blanc will leave you with a desire to lick the plate. But what really surprised me was the yucca mash. I fucking hate yucca. It’s kind of irrational, and I grew up with my mom cooking it, but, holy cow, I didn’t know yucca could be this good.
2. Petite Beef Wellington — I’ve never had a proper beef wellington, but I really liked this. I sort of wish you could taste the individual ingredients a little better (if I didn’t know from the menu, I wouldn’t even think any foie gras was involved), but every bite is comforting and satisfying. I forgot what the sauce involved was supposed to be, but it kicked this plate into 12^th gear.
1. SWEETBREADS — Every bite was absolutely divine.
Every staff member delivered 5 star quality service.

TL;DR: if you’re in San Juan for any amount of time, and you don’t stop at Cocina Abierta, you’re truly missing out. The staff here are world class and the food is the best on the island…
I’m rarely one to write reviews, but I feel compelled to write one about Cocina Abierta and its fantastic staff.
My first trip to Cocina Abierta was on the second night of my most recent trip to Puerto Rico. Having gotten caught in a massive rain storm while walking over, my friend and I arrived soaking wet.
However we were greeted warmly by the staff who showed us to the bar, and even went out of their way to offer us small towels to dry ourselves.
Our intention for this trip was to stay for drinks only before hopping elsewhere. The manager, Luis, did a stellar job of recommending cocktails for each of us, by first asking about our liquor and taste preferences.
The drinks were expertly prepared by the two bartenders, Roberto and Dan, who were working in tandem behind the bar. We were recommended by Luis some amazing ham and cheese croquettes to munch on while we waited for the drinks.
I’m not sure I have the words to express how great the drinks were, and the croquettes were simply divine. Combined with the atmosphere and the incredibly warm service, my friend and I immediately fell in love with Cocina Abierta and swore to return again.
A few nights later, we returned with the intention of having a full meal.
Recognizing us from before, Luis came over to walk us through the menu. He explained that the menu was divided into four «acts», each complete with its own characteristics and unique flavor pairings. He recommended dishes from each act, and my friend and I ultimately decided on the calamari and the mofongo.
Both were incredibly tasty. The calamari was fried perfectly — not greasy, but not overly crispy. It was paired with an excellent sauce that — to my untrained pallet — had some amazing Asian flavors.
The mofongo was out of this world. Stuffed with a super juicy serving of shredded duck and drizzled in a savory sauce, the mofongo was easily the best I’ve ever had.
Luis, remembering our drink preferences from a few nights previous, recommended some other cocktails after consulting with Dan and Roberto. Like the previous drinks, these were complex and matched both our personal taste and our dinner excellently.
During my week-​long trip, I decided to stop in for a third time — this time alone. With some writing to finish, I bellied up to the bar with a notebook.
I was greeted again by Roberto and Luis. In conversation, I mentioned that I really disliked gin. Roberto started chuckling saying that he was sure he could change my mind. I laughed back, trying to assure him that there was no way he could make me like it. But damn, was I wrong. He said «just trust me», and walked back to chat with Dan.
A few minutes later Dan walked up with a cucumber– and gin-​based cocktail, which, incredibly, changed me. I’ve never once anywhere liked gin, until this cocktail.
During this meal, I overheard a couple next to me, who were celebrating their 15^th anniversary. They were finishing their meal just as I was beginning mine, but were already talking of coming back two days later with a larger party.
Anyway, the bottom line is that, if you’re in San Juan for any amount of time, and you don’t stop at Cocina Abierta, you’re truly missing out. The restaurant is a Puerto Rican treasure that easily out-​competes anything Old San Juan or the city as a whole has to offer.
The only thing better than the food here is the staff.

What an experience! We sat on the outdoor patio, drank wine and ate some of the most delicious tapas I’ve ever had.
Tuna was unbelievable.
Beef Wellington and the burger were outstanding too. Service on point. Great location next to hotels and the beach. Definitely would recommend to anyone staying in San Juan

What an ambrosia of decadence in one’s pallet. A must experience if a tourist or local. Pricey but worth every single dollar along with every single bite.
I would recommend it to go with a good glass of their house Malbec as well.
Perfect place to begin your stay in Puerto Rico!

I was pretty mind blown by this place… Now, I’ve been coming to Puerto Rico my entire life at least 2x a year and last night was my first time dining at cocina abierta … It came highly recommended by my parents whom also travel here at least 2−3x/year… So… Being from New York. The hottest thing right now is tapas dining and sharing plates which I think is great… You get that perfect bite in a decent portion but the plus is you can get like 4 – 5 plates. It’s such a fun way to eat and I really felt like this place was fun. The ideas for the food and the marriage of flavors really show that they have put their heart into making foodies happy!!! This is def nouveau Puerto Rico mmm.
Had the ham and manchego cheese croquettes … OH MY GOD. A melted madness mixture of creamy manchego and Ham was like the best fancy mozzarella stick you have ever eaten on friggin steroids lol… And to top it the had a nice, sweet, plum tomato sauce mixture right on it. Amaze… The octopus… What a creative way to serve and even better tasting… I’ve been to Greece and have had fresh octopus right there at the condouni! And this octopus was BETTER. It’s served in a square shape which was very different with two sauces pesto and I forgot the other one. I was iffy on the sauces but I also felt like the octopus was so flavorful and succulent it did not need them. Cute, little, mini humus piles on the side of the dish was a nice Meditteranean touch .
Thai fried chicken! What a kick! I loved it! The only thing I could recommend would be that the fun, tasty, Thai mixture goes on the side. I felt like putting all of that on top of my chicken made it not as crunchy as the end pieces hanging out that were left exposed. Now those pieces had that crunch factor that you want! And the Cambodian style Pork was also phenomenal. Absolutely bursting with flavor, however, I felt like it was slightly over cooked… Still amazing tho and I would recommend it… And lastly, that caramel crème brûlée hit a grand slam for me… Take the best crème brûlée you’ve ever had… I bet this one is better. Light, creamy and sugar coat was perfectly caramelized with this nice cream cheese whip cream on top of it…
Bottom line. I was really wowed by this place and I highly recommend it. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the staff are very accommodating !

Pretty good food and service in Condado. I expected smaller portions but was surprised to see decently sized plates. This allowed our big party to try a little bit of everything from the menu. We tried the fried cheese balls, tuna tatake (yes, spelled with an E at the end hehe), calamari, snapper tempura, grilled octopus, duck confit mofongo, and braised short ribs. I was also lucky enough to try the skirt steak that our carnivore guests ordered. LOL! This was probably one of the best tasting steaks I’ve had in awhile.
My favorite was the octopus, perfectly braised and grilled… I could eat this everyday! Duck confit was good but the Mofongo was drowned in shiitake duck consummé, which ended up taking over the entire dish. I get it, Mofongo is usually served with a little broth to keep it moist, but it would’ve been great to have the consummé on the side and pour it in myself. Calamari was nothing special, snapper tempura was soggy, and everything else was average. Good flavors, just a few missteps with texture and execution.
Overall, 3.5 stars for creativity, attentive staff, quaint atmosphere, and decent tasting fusion cuisine. Would give it another try if we’re in the area!

Good, inventive food but in no way traditional or even authentic. Great spot if you like high-​maintenance fusion food that comes in small portions while you imbibe overly sweet alcoholic concoctions. In fact, perfect for you if you like pumpkin spice latte…
No matter how basic/​corny I find this place, I still thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The bouillabaisse was one of the best dishes I had on my trip.

Excelente. Toda la comida bien presentada, buen servicio, excelente e interesante el sabor.

Fenomenal!
Nuestro mesero Luis, fantástico
La comida, excelente
El ambiente muy bueno
No se vayan sin probar las croquetas, son otra cosa.

This is a place known to locals only. It’s a wood terrace and with. Nicely stock bar. No AC! It’s breeze enough for you to enjoy it. If your are looking for real puertorrican food this is the place to try. The price point is $ 8 – 20 and portions are big enough to share. location is not exactly on the tourist area but close enough. If going by taxi make sure to get a phone number to Call back. Try a mojito or a very cold local beer!
Enjoy!