Santaella

October 14, 2025

So reservations were made for 5 ppl at 10:30PM but seems like they don’t have a time limit on how long people can spend on a table simple because and we spent over 25-30 mins waiting on a table…. At the beginning the experience was not it honestly, especially when you are hungry and the last reservation of the night. So it started off rocky and then when seated certain food items were not available, I really wanted to be optimistic and really give them a chance sooo here it goes… what made it special was a couple of things its right next to La placita, very busy yet fun to go fine dining and party afterwards. However, for me was ambience it was busy but the jazz music really gives the vibes a flow. Even though certain food were not available the waiters provide us with other options to select of seafood, appetizers, red meat. The Chorizo empanadilla delicious, filled with chorizo and maduro. The GOAT quesadilla was what won my heart, so delicious and flavorful with goat cheese over arugula, drizzled writhing a sweet syrup yummy. Popcorn chicken with a sweet curry was good too. But after being told the pastel on was no longer available the chef decided to make us one from scratch and let me tell you IT DID NOT Disappoint! It was delicious, the maduros were smashed in perfect texture, ugh reminds my oh my grandmas pastel on. Let just say it made the beginning of the experience forgetting. The Service very friendly and on top. Even though we did catch a dish that was a bit dirty but that didn’t stop us from getting drinks, which were great and strong.

October 25, 2025

A bit disappointed. I feel this place is overrated. Nice location, good ambiance, but the food was just OK. Probably good for drinks and meeting people, but from a food quality perspective, I've been in other places in this town that in my opinion are much better for the price you pay. Service was cordial but a bit slow. We got couple of appetizers and one main dish to share but it took almost 2hrs to go through it. Only highlight of the night was the Goat Cheese Quesadilla, flavorful and the White Truffle oil gave it a good dimension. The popcorn chicken was ok, but won't be memorable. And we felt the Lacón Asado (Braised Pork) was too dry, and the caramelized part was not enough to balance it. It felt like a holiday dish that needed a cherry compote, or a cranberry sauce to complement it. For dessert they didn't have the Baked Alaska but we got an alternative Caramel Cake with flambeed meringue, but unfortunately it was extremely sweet. Desserts need a balance too.

October 26, 2025

Exceptional experience!! So great we were blessed to eat here 2 nights in a row!! Our flight was very late getting in and most restaurants closing, but Reinaldo found us 2 seats at the bar. We had grilled octopus appetizer and the seabass entree. The flavors were devine!! Jonathan at the bar has a real talent mixing the exotic cocktails that are offered. He was also very kind and helpful to suggest different dinner and drink options. The service here is exceptional. The second night we loved the ahi pops and tried an ages Puerto Rican rum tasting. Such a beautiful place with magical food and drinks and kind people. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to try out my new cookbook.

October 28, 2025

We got reservations for Santaella because we heard it was supposed to be amazing. Upon arrival we realized they gave us reservations for Azeteo even though the reservation clearly showed Santaella, which is still the same owners but their menu is significantly different with way less options. We ordered a good amount of food and it tasted good. The portions were small and the prices were on average for higher end food. Overall the meal was fine we were just looking forward to the Santaella menu!

September 17, 2025

Finally was able to make a reservation this past Saturday. We were sat immediately and Julian was our server. We started with drinks. My brother had the Paper Plane which he enjoyed and I had the Tamarind Margarita. We ordered half the menu and the standouts were the shrimp bao buns, jamon croquetas, goat cheese truffle honey quesadilla for appetizers. The entrees also met our expectations. My shrimp trifongo was creamy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. My hubby's NY strip steak was cooked to temperature and my brother said his fried chillo was the best he's ever had. The vibe when we entered (about 7pm)was weird since they were playing like elevator music but towards the end closer to 9pm they started playing house music. Was hoping they would dim the lights a little as the night progressed but it remained very bright in the dining room. Aside from that minor grievance, we had a very positive experience. Thank you Santaella.