Dominican Republic

Located near the sea and in the heart of a fishing village, the Saona Café is a small bistro of straw hut type held by a couple of Quebecers who will receive you like at home. It is the meeting place of tourists, locals and workers of the tourist industry: perfect to have the good information when arriving in Bayahibe! They serve you in French, English and Spanish. From breakfast to burgers, including lionfish, the house specialty! Good local beer, on draft. Service at the bar.

Here's a simple seafood restaurant that, like all good things, has to be earned. Such is the case here, at Wilson's and his humble straw hut on the Cabarete lagoon. A long dirt road brings you to the entrance to the lagoon. A small boat takes 5 minutes to cross over to the other side. There's no menu here: you can choose between crabs, fish of the day or langoustines (fished directly from the lagoon) with garlic. Connoisseurs come from far and wide, because it's excellent, inexpensive and not at all touristy.

Vegetarian friends, and all those who like to eat healthy and balanced, this place is for you! At the back of a small shopping mall is this lovely cafe-restaurant serving fresh, organic food. Each day there are different options for creative and delicious (as well as hearty) dishes. To accompany your meal, there are many smoothies on the menu. A shop selling healthy and organic food products completes this address which is worth a visit. Smiling welcome and service.

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.

This is an excellent address for a stopover with your feet in the sand. The restaurant offers service in the dining room or on the terrace directly on the beach. The French owners offer a varied international menu, accompanied by a wide selection of world wines. The speciality is lobster (especially with cream!), which is always fresh! The French ambiance is inspired by the famous beach of St-Tropez, famous thanks to Brigitte Bardot, to whom this heavenly spot pays homage.

On the side of the road towards Jarabacoa, this little western-style bar is known in the region for its ribs, smoked pork ribs in the Texan style. Just take a look at the barbecue and you'll see that this is serious business. The beautiful ribs are presented in the window (with smoked chicken and a few side dishes, including excellent banana leaf tamales ). You choose the quantity and it's off to pure happiness. But you have to be a meat lover, of course... Top service.

Within the luxurious Ocean Club complex, the Baia Lounge welcomes you between the pool and the sea, with a breathtaking view. The Mediterranean specialities honour fish in all its forms: carpaccio, ceviche, sushi... We particularly recommend the octopus carpaccio and mango conch. A delight. Possibility to have lunch by the pool, and even on the beach. A beautiful address, which reminds us more of Saint-Tropez or Capri than Sosúa. A moment of luxury guaranteed and an undeniably professional and careful service.

Located at the western end of the beach, you can walk past it several times without noticing it. And what a shame! It is one of the only restaurants on the beach without touts. Since it is located on the Dominican side, it welcomes mainly Dominican families who come to share fish and seafood. The restaurant has no sign: it is a white building, with a large kitchen open to the beach, and a few tables outside. Here, fish is king, grilled or fried, in Mofongo with octopus or shrimps, or in paella.

At the exit of the city, this beautiful wild beach welcomes some stalls which will prepare you fish or grilled shrimps. Obviously, the fish is remarkably fresh, but it is especially the setting, with its feet in the water, that is worth the detour. We will not cease to repeat it nevertheless: ask well the price before ordering and being served because it is not rare, unfortunately, that the prices are inflated by knowing that you are on holiday in the corner. Otherwise, a good meal in an idyllic setting.

Around 30 shops and restaurants line the fabulous Ensenada beach. With salsa or merengue music playing in the background, choose your spot (at Teo, Dueña Elsa or Diana Barbecue, for example) and the fish you'd like to eat (fried, a la plancha, or en papillote with Creole sauce). A quality tip: the earlier you arrive, the fresher the fish. Many Dominican families flock here at weekends. Typical, charming and inexpensive.

Folklore 100% Dominican assured in this vast canteen dedicated to fish and seafood. Mora Pescaderia does not offer a menu, but a counter that presents the specialities of the day: octopus or conchas salad, marinated fish (which will be fried later), garlic shrimps... so many tempting dishes, served in generous portions. The room is often full to bursting, which ensures that the fish is always fresh! The dishes are accompanied by a good cold beer, a glass of wine or a fruit juice. Successful service.

Undeniably, Coco Mar is Montecristi's most pleasant restaurant, right on the seafront. It serves simple, unpretentious, good-natured maritime cuisine, with plenty of fruit juices on the menu. Portions are rather generous, so you'll leave the table full. On the menu: fresh fish, pasta and the inevitable Dominican specialty,arroz y pollo... All with your feet in the water! Impeccable, smiling, helpful service. Take a seat on the shady terrace and enjoy a good meal while admiring the view.

Located in the small Don Jorge shopping centre, this air-conditioned café-restaurant is a great choice for eating fresh local produce with many vegetarian options. The menu consists of salads, burgers, wraps and fajitas, each dish is cooked in a healthy and balanced way (wholemeal flour used for the fajitas for example). The place is also famous for its breakfasts as well as for its fruity, refreshing and energizing smoothies. In short, a very good alternative in Jarabacoa!

Located in front of the hotel on the beach of Cortecito, this terrace with a view is a good address for a romantic dinner facing the sea. Of course, you can eat excellent seafood platters, but connoisseurs come here to taste one of the various local paella proposals. Despite its location, the restaurant remains affordable. The only negative point is the poor wine list, which is mostly from Mexico. The place also offers air-conditioned rooms, which are quite simple and comfortable.

Installed for only 4 months, this Spanish restaurant, just a step away from the square of Boca Chica, comes to complete an already very heterogeneous offer. In the interior room or on the beautiful shaded terrace, one can taste local specialities such as grilled fish, Pollo Asado al Vino,Habichuela con mariscos, but one comes there especially for the numerous varieties of paellas. Chicken, fish, mixed, there is something for everyone for a very attractive price. And the portions are copious. This restaurant is currently a sure value in Boca Chica.

The beach club has a Tropezian atmosphere, lulled by the sound of garlands of seashells waving in the breeze. Every Sunday, the rich families of the capital and local celebrities gather in this restaurant on stilts, with a background of house music, to taste succulent fish, sushi, parilladas and seafood. We recommend the famous Boca Chica-style red mullet and paella marinera. Upstairs, there is an oyster and tapas bar and a smokehouse. Exceptional wine list (over 1,000 references). DJ on weekends.