Gastronomy in Santo Domingo

The cosmopolitan city of Santo Domingo is constantly reinventing itself. Every month, new restaurants open to meet the demands of the local crowds. Dining out is excellent in Santo Domingo, a city that thrives on socializing until the early hours of the morning in the numerous places that offer breakfast; or at noon, taking advantage of special lunch deals, and also during the night. Most restaurants are located in the Central Polygon (in the areas of Naco and Piantini), including the busy avenues of Gustavo Mejía Ricart and Winston Churchill; the Malecón; the Chinatown, and in the Colonial City. Santo Domingo has more restaurants than any other city in the Caribbean or Central America. Dominican, Caribbean, Latin, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Scandinavian, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese specialties are served, many of them with a Dominican twist and, of course, with fresh local ingredients. Are you here to try the local food? The secret lies in Dominican seasonings (sazón or sofrito), where oregano, garlic, onion, peppers, tomatoes, capers, and olives make the difference. Some popular Dominican restaurants in Santo Domingo are Adrián Tropical on the Malecón, Mesón de la Cava and El Higüero in Mirador del Sur Park, Cafetería El Conde and Mesón de Bari in the Colonial City, and Cane in modern Santo Domingo.