Frommer's Review
This is one of the most fashionable and popular of the creative and imaginative new restaurants of Old San Juan, with an attractive and hard-playing clientele of beautiful people, some of whom might effectively compete for roles on the Hispanic soap operas. Named after an unspoiled island off the north coast of Colombia, a personal favorite of its Colombian-born owner, Barú occupies a stately high-ceilinged space capped with massive timbers, fronted with a hyperconvivial mahogany bar, and decorated with paintings by such Colombia-born artistic luminaries as Botéro. Many dishes are deliberately conceived as something midway between an appetizer and a main-course platter, so it's hard to know how much or how many courses to order. Hopefully, your waitperson will guide you. Menu items include an unusual choice of five different kinds of carpaccio (tuna, halibut, salmon, beef, or Serrano ham), presented in paper-thin and very small portions that are spread out like a few sheets of tissue paper on a pretentiously large plate. Ceviche of mahimahi is appropriately tart and appealingly permeated with citrus, and marinated lamb chops with a paprika and pineapple mojo sauce is flavorful. Other culinary ideas include almond-encrusted goat cheese with Jamaican jerk mango dip and yucca chips, and sliced filet mignon. Regrettably, the place is not cheap, and service is well-intentioned but disorganized as the youthful staff maneuvers as best they can through the packed-in crowd.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
