Melao Bistro

Every dish we had for dinner was delicious. The pork dumblings were out of this world delicious. Best pork dumblings. The skirt steak with rice and peas was mouth watering good. Great local restaurant in Old San Juan.

Best meal in San Juan!! Visiting from Florida so I know my way around seafood. We had grouper tacos and fresh ceviche. They blew my expectations out of the water!! The wait staff as well as the other patrons were extremely friendly and welcoming. We will DEFINITELY be visiting again before our vacation is done. Maybe several times!! Go now, thank me later.

My wife and I came here, after a long flight from ATL. We chose it because we saw the entire front packed at lunch time (FYI - any time is a perfect time). We came in to sit at the bar, the host greeted us and we immediately felt like a member of the family. The chef has a line of sight to the customers, and I think he intentionally makes each dish based on the heart of the customer - we needed this experience and he delivered in a way that caused me and my wife to return every day for 5 days straight (late lunch or early dinner). The food, service and overall vibe a 5+. I promise you, Andrew Bourdain passed too soon - if he was still amongst us (God Bless him), you would find an episode of him raving about the Ceviche, the Shrimp Risotto or ANY of the daily PR focused specials. If this place doesn’t have a Michelin star yet…it’s coming! Get here before the tourist completely take it over. #GOD Bless the Chef

Came all the way from New York and when I say this place is the place to be. They made my friend’s birthday very special. Thanks for having us and whenever I come back to PR I will be back. Thanks for the amazing serve. 10/10 keep up the amazing work. Julian N Nina were amazing servers. Thanks guys

We stopped in on a recommendation and it did not disappoint. Great local food with a nice variety on the menu. Everything came out piping hot and was seasoned well and cooked perfectly! Highly recommended if your touring Old San Juan or on your way to or from the cruise port which is just around the corner.

Excellent food and service. We ordered the churrasco angus and it was so tasty. Cooked just right and out within minutes.

I absolutely did not anticipate this place would be as awesome as it was. Tucked away from the more touristy areas and far from the cruises, the food here was both incredibly delicious and surprisingly affordable. Inside was not very big from the looks of it but given the nice weather we sat outside and enjoyed the nearby breeze. My burger was quite thick and cooked appropriately to order: medium (hottest way to eat meat fyi). My wife's salad was equally good with fresh vegetables. We will definitely be returning for a nice lunch.

Incredible Small in size but Big in flavor, Melao is one of the best Restaurant in the corner that delivery fast and Great,you most definitely visit to appreciate , service is also the best you can get!

OMG!!! Ok so you HAVE TO GO TO THIS PLACE!! Everything is delicious. Walked in thought, "ok, so let's give the TINY place a chance. And the inside IS TINY but the food is explosive!! Tried 6 different things ALL yummy but the pork dumplings?!?! And the ravioli!?!? I was so full by the time the burger and fries came I thought noooo but my taste buds said come on babyyyyy..... Also had a delicious turnover and fried plantains all good. The guys running the place are great too, Really friendly but the fooood ! Portions big enough to share.

The shrimp risotto was amazing and decadent. The service was excellent. We ate outside even though it was raining. The Greek platter was fresh. The chicken was flavorful.

We stumbled upon this gem on Sunday and the food was so good and reasonably priced ( way cheaper than any place in Old Town) that we decided to go back again today and we were not disappointed. We had the truffle fries with parmesan and garlic and they were the best I've ever had. Our son had the Orange Chicken and it also was out of this world. The chicken was nice and crispy and the orange sauce was amazing. Service is really friendly. We will be back again before we leave on Saturday. It is that good! I am surprised both times wasn't very busy - maybe we eat too early or it's a little out of the way but it really isn't far from the cruiseship dock. You are missing out if you don't try it.

It's not often I get to give a great review. This place is a hidden gem. It's a small out of the way restaurant with great food and service. The food is a little more upscale but not overly priced like a lot of other places. I got this creamy pasta dish with smoky Spanish sausage and chicken. It was the best thing I had in PR. Another person got orange chicken, it was the best I've ever tasted. Everyone raved about their dishes. There is not much inside seating but a lot more outside. Do yourself a favor and skip the tourist places and eat here.

Came from next door to get some authentic Puerto Rican food. The mufango was good the tacos were ok. Not really what I was expecting but it wasn't bad

The food was delicious and the service was good as well. I loved the drinks and the games and ambience

Great variety of plates. I went with a group from work and all were very pleased and happy with their selections. We had tables outside and the ambient and the view made our night one to remember. Service could improve, but personal was very kind. Recommended A+++

My visits to this little gem were separated by two years. For me, a landmark of a great restaurant is constancy and innovation, contradictory perhaps but it works. It works very well for Melao Bistro with its innovative twist local favorites and incredible use of everything savory about Puerto Rican cuisine. Two years ago it was out of this world, two years later It continues to revolve in another galaxy. I'm Booking my ticket for the next space Trip!

I absolutely did not anticipate this place would be as awesome as it was. Tucked away from the more touristy areas and far from the cruises, the food here was both incredibly delicious and surprisingly affordable. Inside was not very big from the looks of it but given the nice weather we sat outside and enjoyed the nearby breeze. My burger was quite thick and cooked appropriately to order: medium (hottest way to eat meat fyi). My wife's salad was equally good with fresh vegetables. We will definitely be returning for a nice lunch.

Best restaurant in San Juan hands down. The crab salad was bomb! We will definitely go back again.

Amazing food, great appetizers, been there many times, great service, great prices its definitely a hidden gem even for high standards

Jambalaya was outstanding as was the salad and grouper Quiet side of old san juan friendly and attentive service One of our better dinners un old san juan

I come here every week for lunch. Its great quality food and I recommend it all the time. My personal favorite is the boricua salad with chicken. The daily specials are creative and food presentation is tip top.

Best creative Puerto Rican cuisine in all of sanjuan !! You have to walk a little bit more to get there but it's definitely worth it !! I'm not a salad person but the boricua salad is very very good I have eaten there many times and everything is excellent !! Worth checking it out !

The food was excellent. The ceviche was grouper and had a nice tartness and extremely fresh. The best ceviche on the island. Stuffed chicken plantains was nicely savory - combined local ingredient with international flavor. The wait staff are attentive and very accommodating . However the menu is only in Spanish , so they translated verbally . Very limited indoor seating but the outdoor seating was very nice with a view of the bay.