5. Vistamar

Vista Mar RestaurantVistamar

One of the only Latin American options on the island, Vistamar, located at 565 City Island Avenue, offers a selection of Latin fare, specializing predominantly in Puerto Rican cuisine. With a view of the harbor and the rest of the city, Vistamar takes pride in its ambiance, with a spacious dining room with white chairs and white tablecloths, bright red flowers contrasting the white walls, and large windows allowing for natural light and a view of boats parked in the harbor.
Appetizers range from savory empanadas to stuffed green plantains to jumbo shrimp cocktail. Larger tables can also split their Picadera Mixta with marinated pork, boneless chicken, sausage, empanadas, and fried cheese. Soups include sancocho, a clear broth with oxtail and vegetables, and asopado, a Puerto Rican spicy shrimp soup with rice. Octopus salad and fresh mozzarella and tomato salad are also popular starters.
In addition to Latin-inspired options, Vistamar offers a selection of Italian pastas like lasagna, shrimp fra diavolo, and lobster ravioli. Puerto Rican entrees include mofongo, mashed fried plantains served with choice of seafood, roast pork, or chicken; pernil, slow-roasted pork leg or shoulder; chicharron de pollo, fried chicken chunks; and rabo, braised oxtail. Vistamar offers a selection of steaks like Porterhouse, T-Bone, and Churrasco (skirt steak), as well as a large selection of seafood options like paella, stuffed Maine lobster, and branzino, served with sides like pigeon pea rice and yucca.