The best restaurants Samaná Peninsula

It's with joy and good humor, and a big, infectious smile to boot, that we're welcomed by the managers of La Ola. The little Mediterranean-style wooden straw hut faces the sea and enjoys a delightful sea breeze. Seafood is the order of the day, as are some very French specialties. The menu, on a slate, changes regularly and depends on the catch of the day. All this for unbeatable value for money. As you can see, this is a highly recommended stop-off in town.

The BDM (Bout Du Monde) offers a fantastic tuna tartar, fresh and refreshing dishes, but also very good cocktails and grilled meat and fish prepared with love. Sabine and Elena will be your hosts, and will not fail to give you a warm and friendly welcome. Located 100 meters from the main street and not far from the beach, the BDM has such a chill atmosphere that you'd pass by three times a day. The place also has 14 rooms with garden, barbecue and pool. We love it!

Away from the city center, the setting is enchanting, all wood and shells. Exceptional wine cellar, local and Peruvian cuisine, inventive and fresh based on fish and seafood of the day combined with beautiful variations of salads and other small elegantly presented plates. The place is also a beach bar during the day, and we can only recommend the chef's caipirinha, to be sipped on a deckchair or seated in a comfortable beach chair facing the calm waves of the exclusive beach of El Portillo.

Zu Ceviche and Grill offers a cuisine halfway between Dominican specialties and more Spanish flavors. However, it is the raw fish preparations (well, cooked in lemon/lime) that are unanimously appreciated: the ceviche is king here! It must be said that the restaurant is literally stuck to the fish market. It's hard to imagine anything fresher than this! As for the atmosphere, it is rather relaxed, with a surfer/hippie tendency. Don't hesitate to talk to Alex, the friendly owner!

This friendly restaurant is run by Alisson and Lara, two young, dynamic sisters who grew up in Las Terrenas from the age of 2 months and 2 years respectively. They know the town better than anyone, and warmly welcome you to their "little corner", which translates from El Yarabi in Taïno. On the menu are their famous tartines, revisited salads, pastries and homemade desserts. A regular address for passers-by and locals alike. So don't hesitate to spend some time at "les sisters", as they're known in the area!

We warmly recommend a stop in this pleasant little restaurant. Martin and Antonia welcome you in their tropical inn where a buffet formula (starters, hot dishes and fruits) will be proposed to you. Crudités as starter, meat or rice dishes... Limited choice. Simple and good. To know : a ranch is located next door with about fifteen horses to take you to the waterfall, the ride lasts a good half hour. On the way, the guides explain the local fauna and flora. Craft shop on site.

Without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in Las Terrenas. This beautiful Italian restaurant focuses on the sea. The vast service room is very elegant - a tribute to the three caravels aboard which Christopher Columbus and his crew discovered Hispaniola, blending tribal art and maritime frescoes - while on the plate, you'll find a fine menu that honors fish, but also offers excellent grills and other more innovative dishes like the excellent egg-coconut with sea urchin cream. Don't forget to make a reservation - it's often full!

Alfredo is a kind-hearted and committed chef. Originally from Venezuela, he now lives in the Samaná region. To delight you, he offers a rare culinary adventure: a series of dishes inspired by the ingredients used in ancestral Taïnos cuisine. In this way, he sublimates the products and highlights their nutritional and gastronomic qualities, to help you discover forgotten traditions. To do this, he uses the various techniques he has acquired on his many travels around the world. A real experience!

Recently taken over by a new team, the pretty Casa Coson and its restaurant are well worth a visit! If you've come here to taste a gastronomy at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and Dominican specialties (sensational fish and seafood preparations in particular), you can also enjoy some very successful pizzas. More than a restaurant, this is a trendy beach bar: from a day on the chaise longue overlooking the sea or in the whirlpool, you can enjoy themed evenings and cocktails! Perfect for a change of scenery in a quiet setting!

If you end up here, it might be because a local recommended the place to you! This Neapolitan pizzeria is a reference in town. It must be said that its thin dough pizzas are very digestible (this is one of the selling points of the pizzeria and experience confirms it!) made with fresh ingredients and are delicious. And they are cooked over a wood fire, which makes all the difference. The great specialty is the pizza napoletana that chef Raffaele puts in the oven under his straw hut and that you can eat on the go.