Cocina al Fondo
Puerto Rican restaurant · San Juan ·
James Beard Award-winning chef's creative take on Puerto Rican cuisine
James Beard Award-winning chef's creative take on Puerto Rican cuisine
"Cocina al Fondo isn’t a capital-F fancy spot, but its lively and energetic dining room and big backyard patio make it a great place to celebrate something special. Order a lot, and work through it slowly. Start with a cocktail like the mezcal-based La Maja with orange liqueur, pickled chili, and a splash of red wine before lingering over things like corn arepas topped with cheese and cherry tomatoes, and a perfect plate of roasted eggplant with minced lamb and dates." - adriana silva, tiffany yannetta, mariana trabanino
"A Santurce courtyard eatery with vintage patio furniture and a convivial, family-style atmosphere; the pan-fried octopus is a standout, best enjoyed at a communal table amid laughter and relaxed, Sunday-dinner vibes." - Carrie Honaker
"The menu reads like a love letter to Puerto Rico, written by James Beard Award-winning chef Natalia Vallejo. Every dish is described as "a dance of locally sourced, island-native ingredients and fresh produce harvested from the property's own garden." While innovative, the cuisine is said to be "imbued with a deep respect for traditional flavors and culinary heritage in every bite." - Carley Rojas Avila Carley Rojas Avila Carley Rojas Avila is a bilingual travel writer, editor, and content marketer. She is an expert on Latin America, the Caribbean, and Cuba, as she lived and worked in four different countries in that region. Carley founded the digital travel publications Loosely Local and Home to Havana. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"After shutting down her Miramar restaurant when the pandemic hit, chef Natalia Vallejo returned with a bigger space at Cocina al Fondo, where she quickly earned a James Beard Award. A charming renovated house with an ample backyard provides a stunning setting for her updated, vegetable- and seafood-forward takes on Puerto Rican cuisine, skipping over well-known staples like mofongo to focus on deeper cuts. Vallejo serves a terrine of beet and goat cheese with toasted bread, pastelillos (or empanadas) filled with pumpkin, ají dulce (a local sweet pepper) fried tempura-style, buñuelos of mashed root vegetables, perfectly cooked catch of a day, a vegetarian pastelón, and much more on the newly expanded menu. Dessert, a cocktail list by Karla Z. Torres, and a thoughtful wine selection aren’t afterthoughts, but complementary to Vallejo’s cooking." - Paulina Salach Antonetti
"Cocina al Fondo isn’t a capital-F fancy spot, but its lively and energetic dining room and big backyard patio make it a great place to celebrate something special. Order a lot, and work through it slowly. Start with a cocktail like the mezcal-based La Maja with orange liqueur, pickled chili, and a splash of red wine before lingering over things like corn arepas topped with cheese and cherry tomatoes, and a perfect plate of roasted eggplant with minced lamb and dates." - Tiffany Yannetta