Top three lists for Santiago

Where to Eat: b'fast at Cafe at Plaza optimus - good omelets. La Bahia en Los Jardines - good fish and great fish soup. Camp David definitely for the view - especially on a clear day or night, maybe not for the food but a cold one and a good smoke, yes.

Where to Buy: El Pola and El Encanto and shoe store opposite El Encanto. Also, Plaza Internacional has good shoe stores but more expensive. El Nacional is best for food - especially the bread although El Pola has a mean French bread loaf and kalamata olives.

Where to Go: Las Colinas mall or Plaza Internacional for a good movie, even in English. Both cinemas are clean. Jacagua has some of the prettiest campo you will find around Santiago - relatively clean too.

Where to eat: Kukurumakara (sp?) fun to eat at and close to the Monument, Marchena's -Is good eating spot late at night after partying.

Where to Buy: Jumbo in Las Colinas Mall

Where to Go: Kaskara Water Park and Andy's Ranch if you want to cool off in a pool.

More where to eat:

El Supermecado Central has a great chivo.

Algo Mexicano in Los Jardines has great authentic(close enough) Mexican food.

Best damned ham sandwhich - El National, forget El Campagna.

Best pizza - Pizzarelli, but you have to eat it right out of the oven.

Best cerviche, Javier's and Cristina's.

Best, consistent steak - I'm still researching, El Rancho can make a great one but the last time I ate supposedly the same cut it was cooked wrong and tasted like liver.

Best Chicken - Pollo Licey on JP Duarte close to Las Carreras - order the chicken albondiga (meatballs) w/rice and beans at lunch and in the evening go for the whole fried breast with plaintains or fries - ay Dios mio que rico!

Best spaghetti - my house.

Best place to eat, Pez Dorado.

Eat: Pez Dorado; Nano's; Zol; Carlos Tasso (Yeah, I know!)
Shop: Food-PriceSmart; Nacional; El Hospedaje

HB

best place to eat new chinesse restaurna en la 27 Feb frente al Plaza las Americas
Place to buy Food, Los Hospedajes, Mercado Modelo, La Placita and Jumbo
Place to visit, Museo Yoryi Morel, Monumento, Centro Leon

wow thats so helpful ..perhaps we should have a separate section for each major town

drtampa, hillbilly luis i've got to disagree on pez dorado.

1. the place is PRICEY. i was traveling on a limited time & budget and found the place to be way over my head.

the cheapest part of the menu is the back (i.e. the chinese) so, to my misfortune i ordered off that.

2. the chinese menu SUCKS. i ordered the wonton soup and what "passes" for sweet and sour pork. bit into the wonton and the meat was "just a touch rancid" and the s 'n s pork? it wasn't even bright red as it should be!

the veggies were soft, flabby with no crunch. express jade beats 'em in this regard.

p.s. i ordered wonton soup and sweet 'n sour pork cos, as a chinese food rule of thumb, if they can't hit that the rest will suck. it's basically like asking a nyc'er what makes a good ny slice -- after the water, if the mozzarella sucks it's gonna be crap.

i may be HYPERCRITICAL as an chinaman from northern california visiting Santiago but some basic standards should be met! this place didn't meet it.

the only +'s is they had chopsticks and i think hector was as pro a maitre d' should be.

someone has to treat me to this place before i'll eat there again 'cos i ain't dropping pesos there. honestly, they should just drop the chinese part of the menu.

that mexican wagon/stall on the median by the monument between the casino matun and the monument looks incredible promising though...;-)

Frank

Hey Frank, if you want good Chinese, you have to come to my house....
We have had long threads on the best Chinese place in Santiago. Believe me Expreso Jade was no where near the top of the list!!
When I eat Chinese at the Pez Dorado, it is usually Chou Mein or Chou Fan. However, I prefer the fish or steaks....
I think you will find you are in a very tiny minority on this one....
That said, you have to remember that we have been eating there for more than 40 years, so maybe we are more forgiving? or accustomed? Don't know...
But I have been told that my stir fries are better than the PD!!

HB

hi luis,

as a 1st timer in santiago i can plead to being a bit clueless about goings on. for 1st timers there's SUCH A FLOOD of info here to remember at a moment's recall.

pez dorado was a name that hit my mind as it's up the street from aloha sol so i took the stab. nevertheless, in my opinion from what i ate that night, it was pretty grim.

the rest of the menu may yet be decent or even good. i tried to be pretty clear i wasn't judging that.

as for the chinese part of it? FUHGEDDABOUDIT.

any improvements to your golf game since that sunday?

Frank

I haven't been impressed by the food at Pez Dorado, and I've been there many times. My favourite food to buy remains the sandwiches from Supermercado Nacionale; those are awesome!

Adrian

Buenas tardes todos aquellos amantes de Santiago
As HB has mention Pez Dorado has more of a sentimental attachment to santiagueros that international quality food.
Many different people love Pez Dorado for different reasons. I like it because of is wine selection.
Now Back to the OP request.
Today my wife and mother decided to go grocery shopping. My wife is Hondure?a and my mother has spend the last 43 years in the USA so they are not Santiagueras.
So to follow my sugestion this was her grocery trips.
Los HOSPEDAJEs to buy Rice, Beans,sugar, viveres, and some misc supplis fro mthe Almacenes in the area
My wife likes the quality of the meat from Jumbo so they when their for meats and some American can goods she likes to buy.
We have a big dispensa so we like to buy in bulk so we can limit the amount of trips to the grocery stores.
We are in a budget so los hospedajes hit the spot. Its not glamorous like el nacional but I dont buy groceries because the place looks like the US supermarket's I look for freshness and good price.

Obviously you guys never eat out.

Best Restaurants:

PaparaZZo (Dominican Fusion)
Don Pedro's (Really Fresh Seafood)
Rancho Steak House

Hi everyone. I am looking for an updated opinion on this subject. I will be in Santiago in February 2009, and the last time I was there was last December/January of last year. Any and all opinions on the best of Santiago is appreciated. Gracias por adelentado a todos!!!!

Try ZOL on Calle 11 near the corner of Metropolitana(around the corner from Bon)...
Also try MontMart on Calle 2, Off Texas-in the jardines-just down the street for Hotel Jardines)just next door to Palermo (where there is jazz on Tuesday nites)

There is a new place across the street from La Campagna Bakery on 8 Street off of Texas.

Sandwiches at la Campagna are pretty good, too.

There is a bagel place I have to try on 3 street off of Metropolitana.

La Parrillita (across from Plaza Internacional) is still great and so is Nano's on Benito Juarez.

HB

Any other updates for top 3 places to eat from the members other than Casa de AZB. I don't want to end up looking bald and middle aged by eating there. Any help is appreciated. Thanks to all.

as far as I know , I have been to a few places to eat there and the best I have had is the Restaurant at the hotel Camp David ! finding it is a little tricky as you have to travel up the mountain to the top to get to it , it is only if you have a car or a good reliable taxi to get you there , it is about a 20 min. ride from say the monument. the guy Jose is a young guy from the burmudez family , he has taken that place to a whole new level , the road going up is all new!! and the views are just spectacular !!! there is a brand new outside deck and a beautiful new interior lobby and the bar is great , The food is great also , top shelf! Im from new jersey / new york area and its the best for me , no doubt . The accomadations are great there , they have spectacular views from the rooms , they all look down the mountain in the cibao area and the central city , this is a must stop place if you are ever in Santiago!!! When I visit the DR I usually rent a car and stay there , its just easier then cabs and busses

Camp David

JohnJ,

I checked out Camp David the last time I was in Santiago, and I found it to be great. More for the view and the cars from the Trujillo era. Not a fan of his, but his cars were definitely cool. The food wasn't bad either. Very nice place to visit for a lunch or dinner, especially as it gets dark and you can see the lights of Santiago from that point.