Btw villar hermanos is dirt cheap. I just literally spent 562 pesos for 4 people. I dont know why they're saying it would be around 400-500 pesos per person and that included are non-alcoholic. That's ridiculous. I swear I wonder if some of yall really live here lol
If you are going to be in the Zone for more than a week, I would certainly recommend that you find Villar- which is a lovely 5-10 minute walk up Independencia from Parque --past the Cemetery on the corner of Pasteur. There you will actually be able to eat really healthy food - a full Dominican breakfast - for instance - along with such veggies as available. (I found that it is hard to find a lot of well prepared/served/ veggies in the DR despite the fact that they have such AMAZING veggies). Agreed that the fare is not very high end but they make the best Cubano sandwich!
If you walk up Pasteur to the next block - between Pasteur & Casi del Moyra (sp?) - you will find "Chez Phillippe" which is run by a Frenchman and serves an amazingly well prepared lunch menu for ?? (was about 250 2 years ago). The cafeteria in the Clinic Abreu (oddly enough) also has a good little kitchen - pork chops, rice, some veggies.. fresh juices. Across the park in back of the Clinic is a - I think - Beligian run restaurant - which serves fabulous food (a bit more expensive) - and specialties such as fondue.
Please do not make the mistake of eating fast food like pizza from Dominios where you are there. There is so much more!
I would caution that Villar and Chez Phillippe are VERY crowded during the lunch hour - so best to go before 11 or after 2.
And that Villar has the BEST Italian expresso coffee maker -- folks come from Nato for the coffee!
enjoy!