Tasty but cheap eats in Santo Domingo

Formosano2000

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Mar 5, 2003
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The recent ?Gastronomy Galore? thread really got me thinking about eating options in SD. Despite the economic crisis, new restaurants seem to pop up here and there. Given the high-inflation and depressed US$, low pricing is increasingly hard to find. I thought I?d share some of my personal discoveries. The main criteria is ?bang for the bucks?, which in my book has to be less than RD$500 per person. Of course, the quality has to be good to even be considered.

Peppino?s (Roberto Pastoriza No. 313 Tel: 540-4600)

This restaurant has been jam-packed since word got out on El Caribe?s Bureo. No wonder. Not a single dish sells over RD$175. But each dish is tastefullly arranged, presented and service is quick and surprisingly pleasant. The food is Argentine version of simple but flavorful Italian food. Some typical Argentine desserts (dulce de leche) are worth trying. Expect horrendous waits if you go on a Sat or Sun. Better go on week days.

Bethel Coreano (Romuno Bentancourt, right opposite Zona Fria, Tel: 532-6248)

One of the two Korean eateries open to the public in Santo Domingo, this one is a family-style no-frill place. Zero d?cor so don?t bring a date. It?s a place purely for the food, nothing else. Order one main course and they will bring out 4-5 different complimentary side dishes for you to munch on. Go for ?bulgogi? (Korean BBQ beef), pizza coreana (Korean pancake with calamari fillings). Closed on Sundays.



Special Deals:

Taboo Bamboo (Roberto Pastoriza No. 313 Tel: 227-2727, next door to Peppino?s)

This is an EXPENSIVE restaurant with posh ambience to match. But they have a lunch special (Mon-Fri and Sunday) where you can pick an appetizer and a main course plus a cup of coffee for a fixed RD$350. The food is gourmet Eurasian, but much more Euro than Asian. This is a very upscale restaurant so dress to match.


Vetro?s Sushi Bar (Roberto Pastoriza No. 210, Tel: 563-4424, right across from both Taboo Bamboo and Pepino?s)

On Sundays from 12:30-4pm, they have all-you-can-eat buffet at RD$325 per head. The main draw of this buffet is the variety of sushis served, along with two kinds of sashimi, seafood salade, and a variety of other cooked dishes. Half of the items are seafood. Make sure to show up before 1pm otherwise it may be hard to find seating as word has apparently got out about this small but tasty gem.

I?d love to hear any other personal discoveries from fellow ?foodies?. While it's not fair to pit Santo Domingo against NYC, London or Hong Kong for culinary offerings, there are always pleasant surprises around the corner for those willing to venture and discover.

Bon appetit !!
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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I keep going back to:

Govinda's vegetarian restaurant off Maximo Gomez next to the Supermercado Nacional car park is very cheap and the food is good quality, a combination of Dominican and Indian-style vegetarian dishes.

La Lasagna - two branches on Gustavo Mejia Ricart: one between Lincoln and Lope de Vega, the newer one just before Churchill by the Multicentro - has always provided extraordinary value for money, but I haven't visited since May so that could have changed.

The falafel place attached to S-Bar (Billini esq. Sanchez) in the Colonial Zone will fill your stomach for a modest sum.

Zona Fria mentioned by Formosano above is also a favourite of mine.

Dragon House for Chinese and Japanese food - one on GM Ricart between Lope de Vega and Tiradentes, and one on Av. Duarte.
 

Oche

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Jan 6, 2004
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This is very common here in Santo Domingo. Most of the new restaurants don't last more than a year as the mainstream places to be, either they change owner or close down. Few ever survive after the "social hype" lowers to normal status.
 

solituna

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Jan 26, 2004
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Zona Fria

The restaurant Zona Fria is situated across the street from Bethel Coreano.
I eat at both places quite often. The BBQ at the Korean place is very good and it is nice to prepare it on the gas grill provided if you ask for it. Great for week-end dinners.
Zona Fria on the other hand is more like a Saturday, darn I've got a hang-over, lunch place. Note - all the food served at the ZF is 100% vegetarian. Even the "burger meat" is not real....

Solituna