The Bottom Line
Pros
- Annually in the running for best Puerto Rican restaurant on the island
- Artistic presentation
- Impeccable service
- Beautiful indoor patio with terra cotta tiled roof
Cons
- Among the pricier choices for Puerto Rican cuisine
- Budget for time; this is not the restaurant for a quick meal
Description
- If you're a meat-and-potatoes kinda diner, try the mofongo relleno filled with succulent skirt steak.
- Try the starchy-but-yummy pumpkin frituras ("fritters") or codfish pastelillos ("turnovers") as an appetizer
- Chillo entero, or fried whole red snapper, is an island specialty, and Ajili Mójili's recipe is one of the best.
Guide Review - Ajili Mójili Sets the Standard for Puerto Rican Restaurants in San Juan
There is so much to like about this place. The wait staff, spiffy in their suspenders and sombreros, are superb and knowledgeable. The decor is elegant without being ostentatious, with an airy indoor patio that is typically the most boisterous and lively part of the restaurant (niches carved out of the corners also offer a more intimate setting for couples). But the food is the reason people keep coming back for more.Ajili Mójili is a culinary celebration Puerto Rico. This is not the place for fusion food or international flavors. Rather, come here to sample the cuchifritos, which are some of the best fritters you'll eat; don't miss one of the many varieties of mofongos rellenos, mashed plaintain stuffed with skirt steak, shrimp, roast pork, and other fillings; and get someone at your table to order the tortilla cuchi-cuchi, a multi-textured, multi-layered combination of halibut, yucca, garlic and plantain.
For local ingredients spun together in a sophisticated way and delivered with an artistry not often found in Puerto Rican restaurants, you can't beat Ajili Mójili. Add the outstanding and extensive wine list, and you've got all the ingredients for a wonderful night out.
The Basics
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican Fine Dining
- Located at 1006 Ashford Avenue in Condado
- Phone: (787) 725-9195
- Hours: 12 p.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday for lunch; 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for dinner.
- Price: $9-$30
