March 2005

Just got back from Samana in the DR this week. After my visit to a certain restaurant located in the downtown Samana area I knew I had to write a review and let everyone know about it. After enduring and usually enjoying the typical buffet style food at our resort (Occidental Gran Bahia) we decided to try after being recommended to it by others travelers in our hotel. We took a cab ride down to the downtown area and told the driver where we going and was dropped off right in front of the restaurant. Upon arrival we were greeted and given a seat on the patio. We were surprised and delighted to find that the menu was not only in English but German and Spanish as well. This was fantastic as we would at least know what we were going to be ordering. The waitress who was serving us spoke French but was able to communicate in English pretty well with us. I had been told by the group that recommended us that the steak fillet was fantastic and it could be ordered medium or well done. Unfortunately, the other beef orders were only available rare. Three of my group ordered the beef fillet, one ordered the T-bone, one ordered the chicken skewers and one ordered the meat platter. As an appetizer before our meal we were given loaves of bread with melted garlic butter on the side for dipping. This helped pass the time as we were advised that our steaks would take approximately 20 mins to cook. While we waited we were able to watch Samana pass by and the water across the street. The waitress was always available if we needed anything and was adept at keeping the shoe shiners and children selling stuff away when they came by (which was not often). When our meal did arrive it came with a baked potato, half a tomato, and another green vegetable, both done in a type of garlic sauce. The steak itself is perfect when cooked medium, covered in a peppercorn sauce. The whole meal was fantastic. Everything tasted perfect. The whole meal was filled with everyone exclaiming on how great their food was. From the tomato to the potato everything was cooked perfectly. I have not had a better meal at a restaurant. Ever. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals and ate every bite. With our meal we had two bottles of wine and several sodas. The water was bottled, as well the ice was fine to use at it was purified water (has holes through the center). We did not indulge in any dessert though the table next to ours had a flambé type dessert that looked great. Our meal total was 5460 pesos. This equals approximately $194 USD. This was for 6 people with 2 bottles of wine. It was well worth it and if we had not gone so late in the week, we definitely would have gone again. I highly recommend visiting this restaurant if you are staying in Samana. In a couple years this will be the new spot, so please keep this place in mind! Enjoy!

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East Coast

January 2009

Let me start off by saying the place was AMAZING!!!! It takes your breath away how beautiful it is. I tried to contact Mayte to confirm our meeting time when I was down there via email, but got no response. So my husband, our DJ and I just showed up. We went their on Friday around 4pm with the hopes the she would be there, but she wasnt. I am disappointed to say that I never got to meet her or speak to her. The last time I spoke with her via email was about 2 weeks before I left to let her know that we wired her the rest of the balance and when I tried to confirm it with her I only got a response from a Gabriel that it was recieved. Anyway, when we arrived we were told that she wouldnt be there until 6pm or so that we could go over all the details with the guy who sets up for the wedding, so thats what we did and he did a wonderful job. The decorations of the place were beautiful, from the tables to the lighting, I couldnt have asked for more. The staff was very helpful and accomodating AND the food was SO SO GOOD! We chose the buffet of appetizers, the $35pp menu and the $10ppph bar. Our DJ was setup up stairs which was perfect. A few things though: about the cake...we never got the chance to arrange the pick up of the cake but didnt think it would have been a big deal because we asked Evelyn to put it in a box and we would get someone to transport it there from our party, she said no problem. I told her we would pick it up at 6:30pm from her at the Caribe lobby where the buses were departing to take our guests to the Jellyfish. The buses came and went....without US! The cake wasnt with Evelyn when we got there so we had to wait...we told the driver of one of the buses to take our guests and come back for us, he never did. My husband and I wound up almost an hour late for our own party since we had to wait for the cake and a new taxi (that we paid for) to take us there. The cake NEVER CAME IN A BOX! It came on a black platter, 3 tiers, that my husband had to carry on his lap on the way to the JF and for those of you who know....the road leading to the JF is no smooth ride, so you can just imagine! We laugh about it now but we werent laughing then because we were imagining this thing flopping all over my husband or worse on the floor (or I dont know what would be worse). The cake was beautiful though! When we finally got to the JF like I said it was breathtaking...everything I wanted except that my husband and I didnt have our sweetheart table we requested. The staff made sure to fix it right away. When our time came to dance our first dance together the speakers downstairs went out so it wasnt what we had in mind. But we sang to eachother and made the best of it. My only other small issue was that the womens bathroom kept flooding. Again I never met Mayte my husband met with Gabriel around 9pm that night and asked that he extend our time another hour for the mix ups but he only budged for a half hour. Our reception was from 6:45pm to 11:30pm with the extension. We did get on the buses back to the Melia We tipped the staff $10 each. Overall the Jellyfish was a great venue for a wedding reception I would recommend it highly to future brides. When we go back next January we will go there for dinner and I hope to meet Mayte then. I sent her an email wanting to formally thank her but never receieved a response back. I hope all is okay with her.

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November 2005

Just returned from Punta Cana and cannot say enough good things about the Jellyfish. Our group ate there twice. One dinner and one long enjoyable lunch. Both Gabriel and Wanda could not have been more accomadating. The food and drinks were excellent. It was a very pleasant surprise when we arranged to be picked up by water taxi for lunch that Gabriel was the one who came to pick us up. If you need a place to go to break up the monotony of all-inclusive food, this is the place.

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August 2005

Great place especially if you have an all inclusive package and want to escape the resort fare. Fresh seafood with an Italian twist prepared and served by some very friendly folks. Gabriel and his wife were super as a previous reviwer noted. It costs a few bucks each way to take a taxi and is well worth it. 40USDpp with wine and a cocktail.

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South Coast

Boca Chica
Juan Dolio

Sporting Club (on the beach about 1/2 mile west of the Hamaca)
Club Sandwich: $5.68
Dorado fish filet: $9.45.
Excellent place for lunch. Neptuno's: (Right next to the Hamaca on the east side. The food was good but the constant smell of septic water gets to you after a while. I think it was coming from the sea but I never noticed it at our hotel.)
Shrimp Cocktail: $11.34. (Really not worth it. Several small shrimp served in an avocado.)
Filet of fish: $8.19. Excellent.
Chicken Cordon Bleu: $6.93. Very good.
Roast Beef (8 oz.): $9.45.
Lobster: $15.10 per pound.
Dewar's Scotch: $3.46. Bottled water: $1.
White Russian: $3.15
Vodka: $2.52. Bottle of Coke: $.76.

Darren's Portofino Restaurant & Beach Club Bar: We had a very nice and inexpensive meal there. Darren is from Boston and one of his workers, Roy, is from Gloucester. It was also nice to talk to someone from our area. They serve on the street in front of the restaurant, in the bar-restaurant inside, on the patio outside, or on the beach. As you walk into Boca Chica, it's the first major restaurant on the left. The address is Calle Duarte #32 and the telephone number is (809) 523-4660; fax 523-4444.

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Stayed at the Boca Chica Resort

The real find in Boca Chica, however, was DaNancy restaurant near the Hamaca resort. Both nights there we found the place packed with upscale Dominicans and very few tourists. Nancy (owner and chef) offers a free appetizers table and very reasonable prices for her excellent food. The grilled shrimp and lobster were about half the price of the more famous Neptunos restaurant. Our checks for four of us with a cocktail each, two bottles of wine, dinner, tax, and tip ran about $20 per person. Most entrees are in the $8-10 range. Get there before the place is discovered!

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February 2004

La Langouste de Co Zet 852-5738
We visited this restaraunt while staying at Casa Del Mar.
It is located on the main road in Dominicus. The owner's name is Claude, he and his wife retired here from France. Wonderful ambience, open air, nicely furnished.
The menu is not extensive, but is updated every couple of days. He chooses to accept around 20 reservations per evening. The seafood is exquisive. We had grilled lobster (at least 2 lbs) with a wonderful rice pilaf. Entree of baquette done lovely with olive oil and spice. Prawns, half the size of my hand. Of course wine, a nice selection I might add. We finished with Banana Flambee and all natural vanilla ice cream. Price US 40.00. He is also open for lunch.
Reservations recommended. You will not be disappointed.

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Stayed at the Colonia Tropical

The restaurants we tried in Juan Dolio were: Café Real, Tango, Guiglia's Café, Il Pisano and El Caribe. They all served good food. The prices are comparable to what you pay in Canada. The cheapest item on the menu is usually salad, pizza and spaghetti in tomato sauce. Café Real had the best pizza, Tango served great steaks, everything we tried at Guiglia's was great (I think it was the only place that served hamburgers, other than at our hotel, and they were good) and Il Pisano had lovely pasta. El Caribe catered mostly to the locals with excellent Dominican food and cheap! And, the beer was always ice cold everywhere we went!

The bars were Mata Pollo, Bar Boulevard and an unnamed place that was next to a gift shop (next door to the post office). Mata Pollo was fun, never got crowded, but always someone playing at the two pool tables. The bartender is the DJ and the music was always great. Some locals and tourists. Bar Boulevard caters more to the local crowd, always full, pool tables and latino music. The unnamed bar only had four tables, plus the bar, but it was nice sitting underneath the canopy watching the world go by. The cheapest beer in town was had here for $2. The latino music (especially the bachate beat) by the way is wonderful. You can't help but want to get up and move and the Dominicans almost always sing along to whatever is playing! All of them could be recording artists themselves! We almost never heard any North American pop music - it was a great break!

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