If you’re like me, eating is one of my favorite things to do on vacation. While others are sightseeing, bring active, and taking tours, I prefer to sit down with a menu in front of me and salivate over the possibilities of yummy meals and drink options. I’m hungry just thinking about it. Las Terrenas is no exception; a town with a lot of European influence (French, Italian, and German, among others) that used to be a rustic, little fishing town has incredible places to chow down and for the price you’d pay at some fast food chains. One savory plateful of shrimp in garlic sauce, fries, and a side salad cost me 250 pesos, that’s less than $6.) So if you’re wondering where the best eating in Las Terrenas is done, check out seem of these places.

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GOOD FOOD
Av. Del Carmen, Plaza Colonial

Tucked away in Plaza Colonial (which I had never heard of before checking out this place) is this delightfully, recent addition to Las Terrensas and like the name would lead you to believe, this place is gooooooooood. Good food. Good space. Good people. Gooooooood. How good? Let’s just say that I wouldn’t normally order a second plate of toast but when it is served with homemade chinola (passion fruit) jelly, a second plate is called for.

 

BOULANGERIE FRANCAISE
Calle Duarte

It’s a popular spot among tourists and expats and there’s good reason. It’s an easy spot to enjoy a quick but delightful breakfast. Their bakery is full of so many yummy goodies – that look as good as they taste – that Husband and I often end up going overboard and ordering too much just to try it all.

 

RESTAURANT KALISTE
Located in Alisei ApartHotel

Kaliste is a poolside restaurant at the new Aligio Aparthotel. It has the same lavish feel as the hotel and though it is one of the pricier options here, it is decently priced. I loved being able to order and wait for our food without missing any sun or swim time especially since it took a little longer for the food to be served. I was happily surprised by the first-class presentation of our food, considering our basic orders (tuna sandwich, BLT, salad, ceviche, and tuna tartar) and the dishes were tasty and light. (Note: The restaurant is cash only.)

 

  ZU CEVICHE & BRASSERIE  
Calle 27 de Febrero, across from Aligio

Confession: I didn’t actually check out their menu but if it was anything like the shrimp dish they made me, I don’t need to. After asking the bartender if they had shrimp in garlic, he came out and took a small inventory of flavors I like to make sure the plate was made specifically to my liking. It was the most individualized meal I’ve ever had at a restaurant. And the atmosphere is totally glitterati with none of the pretense. As an added note, this place landed the #3 spot of some of the best shrimp in Las Terrenas.

 

PUEBLO DE LOS PESCADORES
Francisco Caamano Deno

Right on the ocean and an absolutely perfect place to have some happy hour drinks, Pueblo de los Pescadores (The Fisherman’s Village) was rebuilt a few years ago after a massive fire burnt it down. It is a row of restaurants with oceanfront seating and certainly one of Las Terrenas most well known locations. (Note: Not all restaurants are created equal so make sure to scan the menus and go for something less “chain-like” for the best dining experience.)

 

  THE JUICE PLACE  
Calle del Carmen, Centro Del Pueblo

The Juice Place is actually called Frutas y Vegetales Johnléé as the sign says but I’m still going with The Juice Place. The Juice Place looks like other juice places, as local as it gets, and if you’re new to LT, you might drive right past it so here are some Dominican directions to get you there. Down the street from Good Food, you’ll pass the ATV rental / ice cream shop on the right. Just past that is The Juice Place. There are no tables. In fact, there are no chairs. There’s a bar bench where you sit to order your fresh juice that they serve in a styrofoam cup. You could pick your own fruit but these guys are professionals so I leave the choosing to them. They’ll even tell you when you order if that particular fruit is just meh that day. (Warning: you will never want to buy juice boxes again.)

  PLAYA CARIBE  
Calle 27 de Febrero

This place walked away with the #2 spot for the best shrimp in LT but it could just as easily walk away with one of my favorite places to eat. Period. We’ve ordered seafood pasta dishes and langostinas (lobsters smaller cousin) and fresh fried fish and nothing has disappointed. The service is amaze, Patria especially and you can’t beat the view. Overall, it’s an exceptional place for a casual meal by the ocean.

PIZZA COCO
Calle 27 de Febrero

If you’re looking for New York Style pizza – don’t come to DR – at all. Personally, I like the pizza here; it’s no Tony’s in South Plainfield, NJ but it’s solid and flavorful. Pizza Coco is typical Dominican pizza. Thins slice and slightly larger than a personal pie with plenty of topping options. They’ve got a great pizza menu and pasta dishes to choose from. It’s casual and delivers.

 

SHRIMP
All over

“All hail, Las Terrenas shrimp.” If there was a monarchy of seafood, Shrimp would be king and Las Terrenas would be the kingdom. I’m sure, if you tried, you could find some places where the shrimp is just good, like standard, run-of-the-mill-good, but you’d have to look. I ate these shellfish at 6 different places – different in location, ambience, and style and I found only one that I thought was meh. And I’ll add that if I was anywhere else in the world I would have thought it was fine. The rest of the places were super solid. And some were out of this world, buttery-soft, fresh and fabulous perfect shrimp. Melted in the kind of garlic sauce that demands an extra order of bread to slop it up, it is the kind of shrimp that makes one moan while chewing.

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Read this post for The Best Shrimp in Las Terrenas

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~ UNTIL THE NEXT BOTTLE ~

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Photo Credits
Boulangerie Française – Michael