Eating & Drinking Tips

1. Restaurants, Cafeterias, & Comedores

Eating places in the Dominican Republic range from formal and swanky restaurants, where a meal can easily cost US $50 per head, to humble cafeterías, where the price is more likely to be under US $4. Cafeterías tend to offer a choice of precooked meals. On the other hand, comedores, or small local restaurants normally offer a single lunchtime dish.

2. Snacks & Fast Food

There are plenty of burger and chicken outlets in the main towns and tourist resorts, but more interesting are the Dominican versions of fast food available at snack stands. Cooked on demand and with high turnover, these tasty snacks are probably less risky than lukewarm buffet meals.

3. Breakfasts

Dominicans like a good filling breakfast, and most hotels will offer at least some local favorites such as mangú. There will always be a choice of tropical fruits, various breads and pastries and, of course, Dominican coffee.

4. Buffets

Buffets are the easiest way of feeding crowds of people at the same time in a large hotel. But they can be somewhat bland and boring, especially after a few days. The other problem is that food left standing around in the heat can quickly attract a host of microbes, and many food poisoning cases have been traced to buffet food.

5. Fried Food

Dominican food, rather like its Spanish equivalent, is often heavy on the oil, with an emphasis on deep frying. Vegetables such as green beans have been known to arrive at table doused in oil. Some of the grease can be avoided by asking for grilled meat or fish known as a la parrilla or a la plancha.

6. Bills & Tipping

An 18 percent government tax is automatically added to restaurant bills, as is a 10 percent service charge. As it’s very unlikely that your waiter or waitress will end up with that money, you should also leave a 10 percent tip, if you think the service merits it.

7. Beers & Wine

Wine is mostly imported from Spain or South America and is relatively expensive. The “house wine” at all-inclusives is often undrinkable. But Dominican beer, most conspicuously available under the Presidente label, is excellent and served ice cold in even the most remote village shop.

8. Rum

Rum is the serious drinker’s first choice, and there are three very good brands: Brugal, Barceló, and Bermúdez, which come as dark or lighter varieties. Añejo means aged, and is usually smoother and more expensive than the standard types. Avoid over-sugary cocktails and try a good rum like a brandy or on the rocks.

9. Bars

Outside tourist areas, where bars are often run by expats with a strong sense of how to please foreigners, Dominican bars can be rough-and-ready, dominated by machismo and not particularly comfortable for women. You’re better off having a drink in the corner store, which usually has a well-stocked refrigerator. Bars tend to open and close late – as late as 2am on Friday and Saturday, and midnight Sunday through Thursday.

10. Buy a Bottle

On an evening out it’s quite customary for groups to order a bottle of rum to share. It comes with a bucket of ice, and you can order soft drinks such as coke as a mixer.

Chapter contents