La Cucina di Ivo

From the atmosphere of the outdoor seating and music to the outstanding service, the experience is excellent from the moment you arrive. And the food… the food is fantastic. The salon carpaccio is a perfect start. The servers have a list of specials memorized and presented beautiful. All of this is out done by the amazing main course of pasta and gnocchi. This is a must stop place to eat.

Best meal we had in Puerto Rico! The Food was perfectly prepared, served piping hot, and was excellent. Lunch for 2, with no alcohol was 88.00 including tax, but well worth every penny! Limited menu, but tbey had quite a few daily specials. The filet with a truffle sauce was flat out incredible. Charming atmosphere, great service, and incredible food.

Nice atmosphere, really good food and desserts. The service was great and the kitchen very flexible with adjusting the dishes to our preferences. They also held a broad selection of wines in a wide price range. Overall a strong 4.

This was our first time here and we found it through Unilocal.I was initially a little bit worried since the staff was not there yet so the place couldn’t open. The waitress come in late and we seat immediately. Everybody was very apologetic because of the delay in opening!
Every dish we ordered was just amazing! We really liked the surrounding and I totally recommend to seat outside. It is a small, rustic place, it you are expecting fancy dishes this will not be for you. Also, be prepared to wait.

We started with the fried Ravioli appetizer, It was unique and fantastic! Nothing like any Italian food we have had before. We wanted to get the Gnocchi, however they had a busy day and had run out off the home made Gnocchi and had only store bought ones, So we passed on that. We ordered the salmon, penne primavera pomodoro pasta and angel hair pomodoro pasta they write very average. Watch out the quantities are very big! One order of pasta is good for two people.

The Best Italian Food ever and I have had in my life. I have travelled around the world and Italy was by far the best but this lovely restaurant beats them all!!!

Two salmon dishes nicely prepared: one for the six year old seared with lemon juice and the other for his mommy in a white sauce with capers — mommy’s was especially scrumptious. All the sides were fresh and delicious. Older 9yr old had a steak that he devoured and said was the best he ever tasted — Dad sampled it and it was cooked well and flavorful. Risotto with red wine, beef and mushrooms came in a very generous portion, tasted pretty good but could have been smoother in texture. Great service from all the staff.

Amazing food, ambiance and most specialy, outstanding service! I recommend the House Risotto, awesome flavor and very filling. The staff is attentive and very friendly. Perfect experience overall.

Delightful little romantic place on the west side of OSJ. You know you have good feelings about a restaurant when, as you’re being seating, people who have finished their meals are looking for the chef to thank him. Probably top two local places we have been to in our several days here in OSJ.
We started with the fried ravioli appetizer, and although it was good, I don’t necessarily think I’d order it again. The ravioli were delightfully puffy and crisp, and the pink sauce served along with it was so good. If I were to go back, I’d probably start with the gnocchi (I’m a gnocchi snob!) in that same pink sauce.
Then to the main courses. My husband got the chicken of the house, which is chicken in an alfredo sauce with proscuitto and peas. If you’re interested in surfing my reviews, check out the one for Pellegrino’s, our favorite restaurant in the city. Pellegrino’s serves our standard for Italian food. Well, this chicken dish was debatable as good as that Pellegrino’s dish.
I got the Mahi Mahi in a lemon, white white butter sauce with capers (think piccata). Holy sweet tiny baby jesus was it good. The problem with a sauce like that is to keep it light and bright instead of too heavy. This sauce was amazing.
I was a little skeptical because someone posted 18 hours before we went that she had bland pasta. We’re staying a little farther away from here and so we had traveled by a closer Italian place. I’m so glad we passed that place and went to La Cucina.

Nope, can’t recommend this restaurant.
Recommendations; Sofia’s (Old San Juan), Melanzana (in nearby Miramar).

I feel bad for writing this review because everyone at this restaurant seemed really nice, but the food here was the worst Italian food I’ve had at a restaurant (including chains like Olive Garden and pasta pomodoro). We ordered spaghetti bolognese and linguini di Mare (seafood). The pasta was not made from scratch, I guess I expected that given their prices are so high and it was really advertised as a fancy dining experience, their pasta would be house made. Tasted just like boxed. The pasta was bland and tasteless, and the sauces were nothing special. Needed heaps of salt and Parmesan to make it edible. I am really picky as we live in SF where we have some of the best food, and have also travelled to Italy for authentic pasta there, but I don’t see why people are raving about restaurant claiming this is the best Italian they’ve ever had… Wish they would make portions smaller and focus more on the taste.
We wanted to come here to take a break from Caribbean food, but I totally regret it. Should have just saved our money and went to a local spot for more skirt steak and mofongo…

Simply amazing. your wallet will bleed, but you will walk away very happy about it! There is no reason, having grown up in NYC, that the best Italian I have ever eaten was here in Old San Juan.
Here you will find a bare menu with some staple dishes, but the magic is in the creativity. You will be walked through each of the ways in which you can alter your dish by a small staff of the happiest and warmest staff you can ask for!
The outdoor seating is super cozy with a fountain and large plants surrounding you. You have to walk under the arch of a historic building to reach the court-​style seating. Nothing short of amazing!
You must try the fried ravioli!
P. S. the sun was setting/​super low in the sky so it was right into the camera.

Best Italian I’ve had in a long time, if not ever (and in PR of all places!).
Ditto’s on the fried ravioli!
Very impressed with the incredible servers!
The location was great as well and the setting was very romantic.

We make it a point to eat at La Cucina di Ivo every time we are in San Juan. The food is not only excellent and fresh, it is plentiful. If you don’t have a refrigerator for leftovers at your hotel, you may want to share a main course. When it’s on the menu, don’t miss the squid ink pasta with langoustines. Outstanding. The wine selection has good options at different prices. If the weather is right, be sure to sit in the outdoor courtyard — the patio is a lovely, romantic spot. The service is just the right balance of attentive and «leave you to enjoy your meal.» Our servers have always been one of the daughters of the owner. We look forward to coming back each November. While it’s casual enough, it’s also the perfect place to dress up a bit for a nice evening out.

Stunning little Italian place.
Food = 5
Service = 5
Atmosphere = 4
Loved this restaurant. Our server (Ilina?) was professional, accommodating and her table visits were perfectly timed.
Ordered the
Salmon in brandy and caper sauce with potatoes and grilled vegetables.

Just a few archways south of historic El Convento in Old San Juan, I went seeking the small restaurant in a garden past an alleyway of small shops. It was heard that I had been introduced to Chevice 25 years ago.
Now this Kitchen of Ivo is now pure Italian. A vast daily menu of fish, pastas, sauces, vegetables. Three of us created a tasting of veal chops, squid & octopus linguine and tuna.
As with each day in Puerto Rico it rained, no poured, during dinner. We were strategically placed to avoid the torrent. great wine list, fabulous staff.
This was one of the best.

Found this place on apple maps after walking around to every other Puerto Rican restaurant in Old Town San Juan and not in the mood for Mofongo or anything else.
If you are looking for Italian food it is very great place to eat to get away from the normal Puerto Rican food in San Juan. It is a bit pricy 20 – 30 a plate but great tasting food. We had the mahi mahi, the steak and the fettuccine and lobster. For the appetizer we had fried ravioli with truffle sauce which I could of drank by the gallon for every meal the rest of my life. The setting was very relaxed, with inside and outside seating with candles at the tables. If your in old town check this place out.

My favorite italian restaurant in Puerto Rico. In this restaurant you can taste fresh pasta, delicious sauces from the house and amazing desserts. The place is very cozy and you can enjoy a beutiful night with your family or date. The service is amazing!

Best meal hubby and I have had while in P.R. for a week. Service impeccable! Food is indescribably delicious!!! If we ever come back to P.R., we will definitely return here!

«Unexpected treasure that’s not a gold coin»
This is a place with rich Spanish history. So why would I eat at an Italian restaurant here?
Well let’s see
— they don’t pronounce it «EYE-​Talian»
— The service is amazing and super über friendly
— Each dish is prepared with care, even the Pomodoro.
— Scallopine Vitello was superb as was the Linguine Di Mare and Tuna
— Outdoors but secluded in a private garden area
— Away from the typical tourist blah food and crowds
What’s not to like
# Yes, it’s pricey. But you want a good meal here right???
If you are in the mood for a top notch, world class Italian meal, you’ve come to the riht place. Mangia!

El mejor italiano de PR. Te sientes como en tu casa. Un patio interior maravilloso, q le da un toque europeo envidiable. La pasta al dente e ingredientes frescos.