Verde Mesa

Portions and female size and ambiance is right for some, but not me. Its VERY TRENDY.
I was going to rate it a two star due to:
its quite pricey for the cost of ingredients used, my house soup was mediocre at best, and its like made for chicks, or uh… chick-​like people.
But my wife reminded me that the scallops were the largest we’ve ever had and ½ fist size. Do tell them how much you like things cooked, because the norm is to do just over raw inside.
And purple cloud dessert was awesome, best non-​cake dessert I’ve ever had.
So like ½ the people weed themselves out when then read the menu and enter the place, which works for them because they really couldn’t provide the attentive service or $ 70 per person experience if everybody stayed.

The best organic homegrown food in all of San Juan. Local vegetables from the gardens of our own farmers to our table presented and concocted in creative and flavorful ways. They use flowers, sauces made from pineapples and local parsley oils, «germinados» that taste amazing while not sacrificing service nor presentation in the achievement of healthy alternative to eating.

The food at Verde Mesa is pretty pricey, but the quality definitely lives up to its price tag.
The place is a cute little café that has this rustic look. They can’t accommodate large parties, so our group of nine had to sit at two separate tables.
To start, our table shared the ceviche. It came topped with some mango. I’m not sure what kind of fish the ceviche was made from but it tasted really fresh. It had the right amount of citrus, and it didn’t overpower the fish at all, like some places tend to make it. It was probably the best ceviche I’ve ever had in my life. We also shared the salmon tartare, which was served on a bed of avocado. This was also very fresh but if you’re only ordering one raw fish dish, deffo go with the ceviche.
For my entrée, I decided to keep with the fish theme. I had the tuna nicoise. This was slices of seared tuna served with a perfectly boiled egg (which in my opinion, is when the yolk is slightly undercooked), some asparagus, goat (?) cheese, and cous cous. The tuna was perfect, and I really liked the cous cous, which isn’t something I would normally order — but I’m glad I did. I wasn’t a fan of the cheese because it had this weird gamey or goaty taste.
For a drink, I ordered this cucumber mint concoction with some rum. I really couldn’t taste any alcohol in there at all. So if you want a drink, you should probably just go with some wine.
For dessert, we had «the cloud» which is a fluffy pile of raspberry merengue with some fruits. It came with some lavender seeds, which I could have done without. I don’t like lavender in my food because it makes me feel like I’m eating soap. Other than that, the dessert was light, and it was the perfect way to end the meal.
Would def recommend Café Verde!

It’s a very cosy restaurant that really looks like an old cottage’s living room. Service is great. Our server took time to explain all the specials but we ended up ordering the signature rice dish and the purple cloud. The signature rice dish was nothing to rave about. Purple cloud was light, fluffy and just like a cloud. Just the perfect amount of sweet. Their drinks menu is very interesting. The good thing was that we did not have to wait at all. We got there at 6:30 and got a table immediately but the place did fill up fast after that.

After circling the area in search of a dinner spot, we decided upon Verde Mesa. The host initially informed us of a twenty minute wait, but was able to get us a table quickly afterwards. What followed was the best dining experience we had on the island.
Our server was thorough and detailed in explaining the menu and helped us make some great choices in regards to our main dish and drinks. We started with the ceviche, which was incredible. We also ordered the bread, which was so good that we ordered a second portion! To our delight, the main salmon dishes arrived in surprisingly generous portions that were delicious to the last bite. We wrapped our meal with their famous Purple Cloud dessert, which was unlike anything I’ve ever had.
SO. GOOD.
For a restaurant that emphasizes itself as a curator of fresh flavors and ingredients, Verde Mesa absolutely delivers. Be warned, this restaurant is on the pricey side of things, so if you’re looking for large cheap portions, you may want to head back towards the cruise ports. For those who are willing to throw down a little more for a memorable and delicious culinary experience, you should definitely check this place out!

The best restaurant in Puerto Rico hands down. Fresh ingredients. Unique recipes for food and drinks. Awesome ambience/​decorations.

Espectacular el servicio y el sabor! Cada plato hecho con mucha delicadesa. Vinimos desde Miami directamente recomendados y quedamos felices

Ambience is the key! It gives you the European (Spanish in particular) vibe and their intricate details in decoration is class apart. We tried the most popular Unilocaled «Verde Mesa rice dish» and it was delicious! It lived up to the hype and it had a unique taste that I have never experienced before. I will go back to try the much talked about «Purple Cloud».Go for the ambience!

I had high hopes for this restaurant – some were met, others fell short. The restaurant did not open promptly at six, which while being a little annoying, was forgivable. It’s a small, quaint little place, kind of what you would expect a grandmother’s house to look like. We were given the options of sparkling, bottled or house water and opted for house water, which was not cold and did not include ice. We also tried out two of their specialty drinks – the green juice and the red potion. Both contained copious amounts of ginger, which after a few sips was undrinkable. I ordered the tuna salad, while my friend ordered the salmon. She liked hers a lot, except it did not come with the described dressing. Mine, while good, had too much salty dressing so it was a little overwhelming. Still, the food was fresh, albeit overpriced.

I hate to make this review because it had such promise and then well crash. The two stars is strictly for what I think was the busboy for the restaurant wearing a black shirt and a clean cut haircut. He ran back and forth all night to that kitchen while the White shirt waiter and the eyeglasses manager stood around dusting glasses or staring at the computer micros machine. We spent almost 3 hours at this restaurant with a toddler who is 1.5years old. Not by choice. The appetizers came and my husband said he had died and gone to heaven over an octopus dish. What a great start! Then my stepdaughter never got her drink and then the staff just stopped coming to the table and our orders never arrived. We asked the bus boy with eh black shirt, he checked with the open kitchen which we could see. Then came back said 1 minute they are finishing up. Then 45 more minutes went by and I stared down the original waiter who stood chatting with girls coming in and dusting off hanging wine glasses. They ran into the kitchen and then over to the table. Simply saying there was a mistake and our food was being made right now. I asked who was at fault because if it wasn’t the waiter or if they pooled their tips I wanted to make sure the staff that did not make the mistake still got their tips. He wouldn’t say. But offered us free dessert. Now, I may be out of place when I say this but making food for an entire family take 3 hours with a baby and having several people come and go and never noticing the food isn’t delivered, water isn’t refilled, drinks don’t keep coming… is odd at best but to say I will give you free dessert is a slap in the face. And the manager said only if you want it that is. So if we didn’t we would’ve got nothing but a $ 200+ bill for a meal that my toddler was in meltdown to received and I was exhausted. We took the desserts to go. I tipped 10% for the busboy and left a note stating this was the worst meal. The thing is that if they hadn’t had such TERRIBLE service we would’ve probably loved it. My husband wanted to tell his company to have their dinners there based on that appetizer and then a total crash and burn. I love that it is a fresh, daily menu style, herb focused, pescatarian restaurant. It has a shabby chic french flair with different tables and chairs but service is literally EVERYTHING for a restaurant. Even the regular behind us complained when he left that it was outrageous how we were treated. Not sure what to say. We won’t be back and its a shame. If you do go though, tip the busboy and have that cloud dessert.

This is a tough review. The food was absolutely delicious. However, the place seemed like it was trying too hard. I have had equally stunning food in places that didn’t seem quite so pretentious. Service was a bit slow to start, then was paced nicely from entrée to coffee. We felt the lack of something bread-​ish with the salmon tartare, which otherwise (like everything else) was absolutely delicious. She had couscous nicoise with perfectly black and blue tuna. I had scallops with white beans and mango. The chocolate cake and pumpkin custard desserts were also fantastic. Plates were beautifully presented.

This is THE restaurant to visit while you are in Old San Juan. Wonderful service, an open kitchen you can see from the street, fantastic décor and incredible food. The desert menu (purple cloud) is incredible. However, be sure to get there at least 15 minutes before they open! They don’t take reservations over the phone, only in person, and they fill up quickly. We got there at 6:30, got a table around 7:30, and the people coming in at 7:30 were only able to get tables after 9:30! It is well worth the wait.

Awesome place and great food. Definitely recommend visiting if you are in Puerto Rico. Awesome staff as well, making you feel right at home. We got the Mediterranean platter which I definitely recommend. The hummus and baba ganoush were really great. The vegetarian rice dish was amazing and the green sauce dressing was amazing– ask for more! Perfectly spicy but still flavorful. Make a reservation ahead of time because this place can get packed! One of my favorite places in PR and will definitely be going back!

Wasn’t expect a rooftop restaurant! Love their nachos and their beef rows. The steak something (famous food in Puerto Rico… Forget how to spell it…) is so so. Juicy but need more flavor. Nice try!

Went there for a dinner and a full
day at the forts.
Food way way expensive for a smallest place like this.
Appetizers were in the range of 18 – 20 $.
Main courses — 28 – 30 $
Decided to try this out, since we were hungry and it was around 7 in evening.
Tried crab salad, bread for appetizers.
Had few chunks of crab in this salad.
$ 15
Bread was this 4 pieces of Apple size round ball of bread. With no absolute Taste at all. $ 5.
Ordered a strawberry passion drink with and without vodka. Was tasteless and full of ice in it. -$ 8 a piece.
Finally for dinner we had completely given up and were deciding if we need to stay here. But again hunger kept us going.
Ordered scallops and Ratatouille salad
Salad was fully oily and tasteless. My daughter ended up leaving it. –15 $
Scallops was nice and tasty — -$ 27
Sorry could not try dessert and get into trouble by now.
Total bill and still hungry –98 $
Looks like a total trap.

A farm-​to-​table restaurant in Old San Juan, Verde Mesa proves that that Puerto Rican food can be elegant and healthy. With mason jar lights and mix-​and-​match chairs the cozy space feels bohemian and vaguely European. Their permanent and chalkboard menus are vegetarian and pescatarian and relatively gluten-​free but not in a way that sacrifices taste for health, since the dishes are naturally clean and healthy. They don’t take reservations, but they quickly book all of their tables for the evening when they open for dinner. They’ll put your name down and give you a time to come back.

My partner is gluten free, I am vegetarian and our six year old is going through a salmon phase so this place was perfect.
We did not have lunch reservations but we also arrived on the late side so we did not sit till 2:10pm. The space is very pleasant and comfortable. The façade of the building is also very unique with beautiful tile inlay highlighting the arches around the windows. There is a small park with great water views if you have to wait for a table.
We had the couscous Nicoise, Neptune salad and the the special house Verde plate. all very fresh and delicious. Vegetables were cooked with various spices and our son’s salmon was perfectly medium-​well cooked.
I would strongly suggest visiting this place if you desire a charming space and fresh dishes.

This restaurant is a great find. Pay attention to business hours. There is a WAIT!!! However when you are seated service is relatively fast compared to PR standards. We had the Naploean salmon salad and Tuna steak cous cous. Absolutely delicious!!! Must try restaurant ;)
BTW dinner is virtually impossible to get in, unless you are camping out in front the restaurant for 30−60min before open (not happening) lunch was relatively easy to get seating.

I’m reviewing this restaurant for a lot of reasons, cuisine, décor, service, freshness… But my favorite part about the entire meal (which was astonishing), was the moment a homeless man walked up to the window of the kitchen. I couldn’t hear what he asked… But a few minutes after one of the chefs walked out of the side door with a cup of their pumpkin soup and silverware for him. He ate it on the bench across the street. And I thought, that’s the kind of person I want to be… And the kind of establishment I want to support. These are good people who care about not only the food, but the people of Puerto Rico.
We were told by my fiancé’s coworker that we HAD to eat at Verde Mesa. I had no idea what to expect, and ironically enough, we walked by this restaurant and commented on how nice it looked and how we wanted to try it. Lo and behold the next day as we were looking up directions we realized this was the place! Evidently it’s the first farm to plate restaurant in Puerto Rico with an emphasis on bringing out the fresh flavor of the island with a French flare.
We started with the pumpkin soup and it was delicious! Earthy and flavorful but not covering up the natural ingredients. You could taste everything. Then we had the sampler that included the seed loaf, ratatouille pot, hummus, olives, roasted tomatoes, and more. We mopped up everything on the plate but the real star was the ratatouille pot — oh my gosh! I feel like ratatouille often gets overlooked, but after tasting this I quickly realized that ratatouille if done well might be one of the best meals on earth! It’s like when people say they don’t like Brussel sprouts and you roll your eyes because they clearly just have not had good Brussel sprouts. Well the ratatouille at Verde Mesa is that. The guide by which you should judge every other ratatouille. Have I said ratatouille enough? My spell check is giving me the stink eye…
For the main course we shared the portobello mushroom over couscous with almonds and some secret sexual sauce. I literally couldn’t describe it all if I tried. The taste, the texture. It’s like every bite is a new explosion of flavors.
For dessert we had the purple cloud and we both loved and savored every morsel. Who would have thought to combine all of that into one bowl? And no, I’m not going to ruin it for you… You’re just going to have to try it yourself.
If you’re looking for a fresh, flavorful and healthy meal I don’t think you can do better than Verde.
Word to the wise — there is not much space. Get there early or be okay with a wait.

La comida es excelente y el trató genial. La decoración del espacio es ecléctico y acogedor. La cantidad de comida es pequeña en relación al precio, pero merece la pena darse el capricho.
;-)

Me ha encantado la comida, el servicio y la decoración pero los platos son enormes y la comida muy muy poquita.
Comi berenjenas, que las suelen ofrecer como entrante pero la como de primer plato UNA DELICIA, de verdad pocos platos 100% vegetaciones y deliciosos he probado en mi vida este es uno de ellos. Es sevido con una cama de humus de lentejas, rollizos de berenjena a la plancha y bañados en salsa de tomate turca (ezme).
También probé la ensalada de atún con gengibre… Increíble!!! Y carísima (24 usd)
En resumen, el sitio es tremendo, exquisito y con raciones escasas vs los precios.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. As a vegan living in Puerto Rico, it was a saving grace that I accidentally stumbled into one night.
The service was beyond excellent, and they consistently checked in throughout the meal. My water glass never reached halfway full. They were very respectful, spoke English well, and were very accommodating to my dietary restrictions. They knew the menu back and forth, able to skip over the ones I could not eat.
And the food. Oh, the food. It was absolutely wonderful. Light and delicious, I ordered an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert. I highly recommend the couscous soup, I could have eaten a vat of it. They also have a nice list of house-​made juices that they brought around to sample. All were very good and I ordered the strawberry one.
But the best part of the evening was the dessert. I thought I was going to die when I heard they have a vegan chocolate mousse. And it did not disappoint. I think I made such a face that they sent the chef out to ask me how it was. I told her that it was truthfully the best chocolate mousse I’ve ever had, and she was very gracious in thanking me.
I will absolutely be returning. The restaurant itself was beautiful, the service was excellent, and the food was incredible. I left a hearty tip in thanks.

It’s difficult to find the right words to describe this restaurant & it’s delectable food. I have never experienced flavors & combinations such as these anywhere, ever. I’m truly amazed at just HOW a chef dreams these dishes up! BUT… the flavors just work. The lentil soup had a unique smokey flavor, yet you knew there of course could be no meat in it. The «Mosaico» had a base of mashed potatoes that had to be some of the creamiest & smoothest I’ve ever had. The eggs in both my appetizer & main dish were absolutely perfect. The dessert– OMG– the «purple cloud” — indescribable. A blend of berries, crushed meringue, mint & lavender powder & fresh whipped cream– AMAZING! This is a unique farm to table vegetarian (& vegan) restaurant, where you’re not quite sure what to expect. We came based on other Unilocal reviews & am glad we did. HIGHLY recommended.

La comida es exquisita! Muy buen servicio y los postres estan exquisitos, Tienen muy buen cafè y la decoracion es hermosa. sin duda uno de mis lugares favoritos en el Viejo San Juan.

Toda la comida fue deliciosa, Maria y Charly nos atendieron increíble y sin duda volveré a este lugar.
El lugar está muy biemln decorado, pequeño y acogedor. Puedes conversar con tus acompañantes sin tener que alzar la voz.