Culinary & Cocktails

With endless creativity and constant transformation, the Puerto Rican kitchen has evolved into a true foodie paradise.

From seaside kiosks to fine dining, the Island’s chefs are reinventing those beloved abuelita recipes and caring for the people through food. You’ll taste that Boricua passion as you follow your appetite (and curiosity) across Puerto Rico. The Island’s cocktail scene has evolved with equal care. Puerto Rico is the birthplace of the piña colada, and you’ll find that an innovative approach to refreshing drinks continues to this day — whether it’s one of the world’s top bars in Old San Juan, a brewery tour, a tasting of local rums, or a poolside cocktail.

Explore Restaurants in Puerto Rico

Culinary Traditions

Puerto Rico is more than rice and beans!

Food is an essential part of Puerto Rico’s culture, blending elements of Spanish, African, and native Taíno cuisine. Your trip to the Island won’t be complete if you don’t sample staple dishes such as mofongo, made of deep-fried green plantains; tostones, double deep-fried plantain wheels; and lechón asado, a slowly spit-roasted pork dish with juicy meat and crispy skin that was recently declared a Puerto Rican culinary legacy.

Guide to the Traditional Food of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico produces around 70% of the rum consumed in the United States.

The perfect companion to rice and beans is a side of tostones (fried plantains).

platanos — In the last couple of years, farm-to-table has really come to define Puerto Rico’s gastronomical scene.

pina colada — As the birthplace of the piña colada, the island’s bartenders known a thing or two about refreshing cocktails.

Filled with delicious ground beef or local crab, alcapurrias are the go-to beachside fritter for locals.

fine dining — Eager for a culinary adventure? Visit any of the Island’s James Beard nominated restaurants.

Cocktails — Did you know Puerto Rico is home to one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, La Factoría?

Culinary Experiences in Puerto Rico

A group of friends raises their glasses for a toast — From seafood to meat cuts and specialty dishes, you can find flavors to entice your palate everywhere.

Restaurants & Bars

Regardless of where you travel in Puerto Rico, you'll find a variety of delicious dining options.

A woman serves a freshly fried fritter at kiosk in Pinones, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rican culture comes to life in its dishes, a celebration of flavors that visitors have the opportunity to enjoy.

Guide to Traditional Puerto Rican Food

Taste traditional Puerto Rican dishes like lechón asado, pasteles, and coquito.

five tasting glasses with different types of rum lined up at casa bacardi — Rum tasting at Casa Bacardí.

Visit the Rum Distilleries of Puerto Rico

If you love rum, visiting a distillery gives you the opportunity to learn about this spirit’s history, how it’s made, and, of course, to sample a drink or two.

Roasted pork, rice and pigeons peas and morcilla on a dish. — Visit the "pork highway" and savor a delicious Puerto Rican feast.

A Guide to Guavate and la Ruta del Lechón

Get the family and some friends together for a day trip to the lechoneras of Guavate.

A group samples local coffee in Puerto Rico. — Sampling locally grown coffee is a perk of traveling to Puerto Rico.

Food Trails and Culinary Adventures in Puerto Rico

Food-centric road trips around the Island — perfect for the wandering gourmand, or any hungry traveler.

View of a restaurant's bar in Old San Juan. — Barrachina’s restaurant, in Old San Juan, has a plaque at the entrance to commemorate the birthplace of the *piña colada*.

Puerto Rico’s National Drink: The Piña Colada

An introduction to the island’s most popular cocktail.

A colorful food tour is on the table with Spoon Food Tours in San Juan. — A colorful food tour is on the table with Spoon in San Juan.

Get a Taste of the Island: Food Tours in Puerto Rico

Enjoy a rum cocktail and nibble some fried plantains during a food tour in Puerto Rico.

A woman's hand holding a plate with quesitos.

Guide to Puerto Rican Pastries

There are two rules to live by while on vacation: calories don’t count and there is always room for dessert.

A picture of locally grown coffee beans. — A taste of locally grown coffee will give you a new appreciation for the quality of Puerto Rico’s beans.

4 Days of Coffee Immersion in Puerto Rico

From small shops to centennial haciendas, you’ve never experienced a coffee culture like in Puerto Rico.

A bartender puts the finishing touches on a cocktail at a bar in Puerto Rico.

Cocktails & Mixology in Puerto Rico

Gold or white, spiced or dark, Puerto Rico is the Rum Capital of the World — and you'll find many creative interpretations of rum-based cocktails on the Island. While many bartenders have their own spin on classics like the piña colada, ask to have your drink crafted with award-winning Puerto Rican brands like Bacardí, Ron del Barrilito, or Don Q to see what all the buzz is about.

A great way to taste and learn about the more than 70 brands under the Rums of Puerto Rico quality seal is to tour our distilleries, such as the historic Castillo Serallés and iconic Casa BACARDÍ. Or, try some creative, rum-forward cocktails at bars such as La Factoría and La Casita de los Rones in Old San Juan or La Barrita del Lado or La Central by Mario Pagán, both at Distrito T-Mobile.

Guide to Rum Tasting in Puerto Rico

Be sure to try Ron del Barrilito while on the Island.

Puerto Rican Rum Journey

Get your rum-soaked passport and follow your own path in the Rum Capital of the World. Download the Puerto Rican Rum Journey App and use it as your guide through different distilleries across the Island. Create a route, book your walking and tasting tour, and even make a mixology class reservation. You can even enroll in their rewards program, buy rum and other gifts to bring home, and receive special notifications of promotions directly.

Begin Your Journey

Culinary & Cocktail Videos

Puerto Rico's National Drink: the Piña Colada

Creamy, coconutty, and refreshing, the piña colada was invented right here in the early 1950s — and Puerto Rico's mixologists have been putting innovative spins on it ever since.

Sorted: Beat The Chef Cook-Off!

Culminating in a traditional cooking lesson and the battle to end all battles – can Barry and Jamie beat Ben in making a traditional mofongo?

Back to Our Roots: Pineapple

There’s no question that the best piña colada you'll ever have will be in Puerto Rico. But have you ever wondered about the origin of our national drink’s main ingredient? Join us as we visit Campo Alegre, the pineapple farm in Arecibo that produces around 350,000 boxes of pineapples a year.

Cocktail Recipes:

Rum Old-Fashioned & Rum Island Mule

Puerto Rico is home to world-renowned distilleries that produce rums such as Bacardí, Don Q, Caribe, Ron del Barrilito, and more. In this video, Rums of Puerto Rico ambassador Juan Montes shows you how to make two classic cocktails with a distinctly Puerto Rico twist.

Tastes Like Puerto Rico

Hand-Shaken Piña Colada Recipe

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a blender to make a refreshing and delicious piña colada. Grab your cocktail shaker and learn to make this minimalist take on the classic cocktail.