Nuyorican Café

My second visit here was about 3 weeks ago, the first was a few years ago. Still the same great place with live music and dancing. Still in its hard to find nook if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
There is a small cover charge and there isn’t much space to dance but it’s a pretty cool atmosphere full of locals and visitors alike. This last visit I actually made it into the dance floor space, further solidifying my fun experience.
Most of my visits here have been too late for me to dine so I can’t comment on the food. The drinks are good.
Pretty much, I’ll look forward to stopping here anytime I’m in Video San Juan.

This was a fun spot. It’s difficult to find, as other reviewers point out, but we found it just fine by following their very helpful instructions!
Drinks were good, considering the price and type of establishment. I loved the feeling of being there, once the music started. The band sounded great and the number of locals there gave me the impression that it wasn’t just a tourist trap. However, there seemed to be an unspoken set of rules about who could dance and when. There were some non-​locals who appeared to know the rules (even had formal dance training) but even they yielded to locals unequivocally when they took the floor. That made us feel like we couldn’t, and weren’t welcome to, participate in the dancing.

I’ve been trying to get to this club since my first trip to Puerto Rico in 2009, and after 7 years and 3 trips to the island, I finally had success!
On my first attempt, we did a ride-​by and my cab driver told me that the club was «closed»… on a Saturday night. That made no sense, but what did I know? In retrospect, I think that the cabby just didn’t know where he was going, because when I finally did make it to the club all those years later, it looked nothing like the place he’d taken me to.
This club is off the beaten path, on a little side street. It’s easy to walk by, but you cannot really drive past it. The street it’s on, which looks more like an alley, is just too small.
On the second try, my bestie and I made the mistake of indulging in waaaay too much Puerto Rican food before hitting the club. We went back to our hotel room, the sleep-​coma set in, and the next thing we knew, it was morning. Oops…
The third time is the charm, as they say. Boyfriend and I dressed in our best and headed out for a night on the town. We two-​stepped on the tiny dance floor, then hung back and watched the more experienced dancers light up the floor. The live music was excellent and the energy was electric. We had a great time. I even bought a Nuyorcan Café t-​shirt to commemorate my successful visit!
We felt a little over-​dressed for the occasion: me in my sundress and strappy heels and boyfriend in his slacks and dress shirt. Shorts/​jeans, and t-​shirts or a cute top will suffice here. No need to slip into a pair of painful (but beautiful!) strappy heels. Anything cute (and comfortable!) with a heel that you can dance in (if you want to dance, that is) will serve you well. I saw a woman in shorts and an adorable pair of thick-​heeled boots with laces (completely unexpected in 80 degree weather!) and she was dancing comfortably all night long. I wish that I had that same foresight.
There’s also no need to ‘dress to impress’. Save your designer threads for somewhere else because it’s so dark in there that people won’t really be able to see you well anyway. Plus, most of the attention will on the band and the dancing.
I only knocked off a star because of the random roach I saw skitter across the bar, mere inches from one person’s drink, another person’s food, and from right behind the bartender’s sundry of drink garnishes. So glad I didn’t order a cocktail…

Awesome music, hilarious visuals, and great dancing.
The drinks are small-​ish but I’ll remember this as a really fun night dancing with my friends, and I’m not even big on dancing.

I went here on a Thursday, a salsa music night I think. Now, I’ve never salsa-​d and I don’t know how to either. This place was still fun, if you make an effort to join in and try to dance. I came here with a group of friends and we loved the music and the liveliness of this bar. I may be the only one to say this but I honestly didn’t see many clubs/​bars in old San Juan with a dance floor so this one really stands out. If you want a nice place to get a few drinks and hang out with friends, this is not the place, not during salsa nights at least. There are plenty of other options in old San Juan for that!
Not sure is salsa is common knowledge in PR but every one at this café who was dancing looked like it was natural to them… if you’re new (like me and my friends), I suggest you try regardless because it’s fun and you can always find a kind dancing partner here if you need some impromptu tutoring.

Really great place to check out live music and dance yer pants off in OSJ. It seems like a classic joint, something that’s been around for a while. Contrary to what I’ve heard about San Juan, I didn’t find music spilling out into the streets all over town, so I was really happy to have this option to hear some live music.
It was crowded and hard to move around a bit, but it added to the party vibe and I didn’t mind except for when I had high heels stomping down on my foot. Repeatedly. Watch it senoritas!
There’s a raised section in the middle which is also nice for short people to actually see the band and watch the dancing.
Cheap cover too, $ 5.

Good music, I will visit again.

Fantastic atmosphere, great live music and there is even a hair straightener in the bathroom, LOL.

Buen ambiente seguro, muy pequeño el lugar. La clase de salsa no me gusto tanto, el instructor explicaba muy rápido sin realmente poner atención a los participantes o si estaban haciendo los pasos bien. La clase comenzó tarde. Las bandas que tocan son excelentes! Muy buena musica. Los tragos son fuertes al menos el mojito que probe y tienen buenos especiales en las bebidas.

Nuyorican Café was a phenomenal experience! My wife and I went to dinner at Marmalade and some other travelers had highly recommended headed over here after. We arrived early so there was nothing going on yet, but there is plenty to do in Old San Juan so we wandered around for a couple drinks before heading back.
If I remember right, cover was $ 10 per person. Normally I hate paying covers, but the experience here is well worth it. We grabbed a cocktail and found a few seats along the wall next to the dance floor in the front. It took a little while for the live band to get started, but once it did the place came alive! People were dancing all over the place… many of them so good they looked like they belong on Dancing with the Stars.
If you are looking for a fun night out with a local experience this is the place to check out!

This place is AWESOME! As a percussionist, if I was going to come to Puerto Rico to have a beach vacation, I was certainly not going to leave with out taking in some Salsa music and Dance. We came on a Saturday night. We arrived after dinner about 9:30pm.
Before we go on, I do want to let you know, it is hard to find the place, even while looking at the iphone maps. The address has it on Calle San Francisco, but you actually have to make a quick right down a little street called «Callejon de la Capilla». That’s where the door guy will take the $ 5 cover charge and write a little smiley face on your hand. It’s also the alley way where the smokers can go to handle their business. When we got there, there was a hand full of people and a few band members setting up their stuff. So we went up to the bar and got a couple mojitos and sat down at a table. There are only a hand full of tables and most have something in the way so that you can’t get a clear view of the stage. But we sat at the best option. By the time i got to the bottom of the first drink, the place really filled up and the first band started to play. It was a small group with a piano player, Congas and timbales, some horns, saxes and lots of singing by members of the band. It was very authentic and we enjoyed it very much.
We didn’t eat because we had just came from dinner, but people around us were eating and the food looked and smelled REALLY good. It was Puerto Rican Bar munchies and finger foods from what I saw. There was a quesedilla platter that looked great. not sure what other food they offered, but I would not hesitate to order some munchies next time!
By the time I got to the bottom of the 2^nd drink, this placed was completely packed. Lots of people salsa dancing and also standing and watching the band and the dancers. The 2^nd band was amazing. Congas, Bongos, Timbales, Piano, Bass, a complete horn section and 2 female singers. These guys were amazing. Very professional.
Great last night in San Juan. This place will be a must come every time I am here.

Imprescindible si pasada una noche en el viejo San Juan. Música en directo, clases de salsa, calor acogedor.
Simplemente es genial.

Came here on a Saturday night and the ambience was great. We paid 5 dollars to go in, when we got there they had just opened so it was slow. The place started getting busier around 11pm. They had two live bands playing that night, a ska band and a salsa one. Both bands were great but I feel like everyone was waiting for the salsa. As soon as the salsa band started playing people started dancing! It was great. Their drinks were cheap although small and I saw a sign that said their kitchen was open until 3 am. We had a good time and enjoyed watching all the salsa dancers.

With only a $ 5 cover charge and re-​entry you can’t really go wrong here. The live music was amazing and the tracks were too. Salsa dancing was so much fun and there were drink specials. However, this place is way to tiny for all of these people to dance. The dance floor was super small. It was so bad that people sitting get hit and a few drinks spilled. For that reason I can’t give 4 stars but if the floor was larger I would definitely give this a 4 star review.

Strangely a lot of our hotel staff either directed us to or warned us against this place. It’s definitely not a tourist place. Local people come here to dance salsa, drink, and have fun. If you don’t speak Spanish and won’t look people in the eye when you talk to them, then it’s not for you. Basically it’s an amazing club with great live music in a small venue. The food is good too and will satisfy your hunger till 3am. Park in doña something’s parking garage two blocks away till 6am with a $ 4 flat fee.

We’re tourist from CA decided to check out this highly recommended club by our tour guide.
We came by a bit early before they closed and door guy mentioned to come back in 15 minutes. My group reconfirmed if there is any cover and door guy answered no just come back when we open.
So we decided to grab a drink elsewhere and came back 20 minutes later, with the same door guy out side.
** As we approached the door he started charging $ 5, then we asked him what happened to no cover? He replied extremely RUDE and said «Why is it a big deal, it’s just $ 5 bucks! I don’t know where ya’ll from but I’m from NY and $ 5 is nothing!
Jaws dropped as my group and I looked at each other shocked on how RUDE this guy is… we’re from California and we’re used to $ 20 — $ 35 cover at doors
The $ 5 cover was not our problem… it’s how RUDE he replied to us was the issue. We left pissed and annoyed that this door guy.
***We ended up at La Factoria 3 blocks from this place and had a blast and between 4 people we totaled spending approximately $ 750 bar tab… NEYORICAN just lost business due to their RUDE doorman.
CUSTOMER SERVICE IS A KEY FACTOR TO MAINTAINING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.
Customers do share good and bad experiences to friends and family, would I recommend this place to anyone? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
CHeck out LA FACTORIA they have an entire block of clubs and bars in that area and you’ll have more fun than staying close to the parking structure and restaurants.

This bar was really cool. We came when there was a live salsa band so there was a 5 $ charge. The music was great and so was the energy and atmosphere. The dancers were fun to watch. It’s a little small and could probably get a little cramped. The people were very friendly and will most likely ask you to dance so be ready!

Pros:
(+) Live salsa music
(+) Best place to dance salsa
(+) Free salsa dance lessons on some days
Cons:
(-) None.
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We came here a couple times during my trip to Puerto Rico and I can honestly say this was one of my favorite highlights from my trip. I really wanted to go Salsa dancing and many locals had told me to hit up this spot. This place did not disappoint. I had the best time!
It gets very crowded, but no one seems to mind the tightness. We met with a few locals on a Thursday night who come to this place on the regular. I enjoyed watching everyone dance as well as dancing myself to the live music. If you love to dance salsa, then this is the place to go. It’s a judgement free zone. Everyone goes to have a good time, so don’t worry if you feel like you’re still a beginner. Just come to have fun. If you don’t want to dance, then you can stand or sit around and watch. There was quite a crowd who just enjoyed watching. Whatever you do, make sure this place is on your list of places to go if you come to San Juan.

I’m Salsa dancing with an Italian in a crowded room with live music in Old San Juan. Behind me is the live band on stage and a large screen displaying video. Clearly, this is the place to be at night and to meet people.
People are friendly and social. Strike up conversations with people nearby. There are people from everywhere. The atmosphere has positive vibes. Someone might ask you to dance. From my experience, there is no judgement whether you dance or just watch. It’s great to people watch too. Do you.
What I like about this place is that it’s not a sweaty club although gets crowded on the dance floor. There is seating everywhere.
Tips:
— Take a Taxi. Don’t bother driving a rental car if you have one. It’s located in Old San Juan in the middle of an alley with near impossible street parking. When you’re done there are plenty of taxis waiting to give people rides located walking distance, to the right near a city park square.
— Don’t wear slide-​on sandals or flip flops if you’re going to dance. I thought I was cute with my comfy wedge slide-​on sandals until my shoe slipped off when dancing. The guy I was dancing with was so nice Lol.
— Crowds and the scene don’t start building up until like 11pm, but to get the seats you want get there like 9:30pm or 10pm something. Order food and chill while you wait. The place gets packed.
— All food orders are taken at the 2^nd bar in the back. Just a heads up, don’t expect anyone to walk to your table to take your orders. There is a sign up that tells you to make your order at the bar.

So we decided to come here because we read on TripAdvisor that this is the place to go in Puerto Rico where you’ll find good music, good people and good drinks.
They were not wrong! I was amazed by the wonderful salsa band that played there! I loved everything about it. We got there around 10pm because they told us that it gets really packed and it’s not a huge location. When we got there we were lucky enough to find 2 seats since it was just starting to get packed.
The salsa band was there setting up for a while and they started playing around 11pm. Trust, it was worth the wait! Drinks were cheap they had specials where mojitos were 2 for $ 6 which is pretty darn good, the entrance is $ 5.
Now the other thing that i was like WOW is that the dancers there are amazing, I was a little intimidated because I know how to dance salsa but damn not like that. After a while we just got up to dance and didn’t feel that way anymore.
If you are going to Puerto Rico and you are not from there, you MUST go there. This place will definitely make you feel and enjoy the good salsa music live.

I kept going back here several times during my vacation, this place is great!
They offer free dance classes some days, they always play salsa, and if you don’t want to dance, you can just watch the amazing pros work their magic on the dance floor.
For the most part they have live music, which was always fantastic quality! Seriously, this place was a great venue, and I highly recommend going here!

I decided to come here last night because I was with someone who wanted to check out the salsa dancing here. Even though I don’t have a particular interest in salsa as a dance form, I thought it would be neat to come along and see what it was about.
There was a $ 5 cover at the door and nobody was checking IDs. When we went in, I noticed that it was way too dark, even for a night club. The woman I was with saw two other people that she knew, so we pulled up two white plastic chairs and sat with them at their table.
A live salsa band started at about 11:15/11:30 p.m. and people started dancing on the tiny dance floor and on really any available floor space. I was extremely impressed with how good pretty much all of the dancers were and it was a pleasure to watch them. However, I had seen everything that I was interested in seeing after 30 minutes of being there.
Go check it out and see for yourself.

Be patient trying to find this place as its hidden in an alley! Follow your ear!
Small place with great live music and cheap/​strong drinks!
Get there early as it fills up fast!