La Placita in Santurce (Little Plaza) has been a social epicenter ever since it was built in 1910. It came into being to meet the needs of the expanding population of Santurce. As soon as it was built the area became a meeting point for people of all social classes. Fresh produce was sold on the first floor and meat and fish were available on the second floor. The entire outside of the building featured additional stalls for produce and other items. La Placita was the equivalent of a shopping mall. Even doctors and businessmen had offices in or around the building.
The origins
Many restaurants and bars were established in the surrounding area to take advantage of the popularity of La Placita. These were frequented by both local and, in the 40’s and 50’s by soldiers stationed at the military base close to Miramar.
The area, originally known as “Campo Alegre” or Happy Countryside continues to be surrounded by restaurants and bars that attract thousands of locals and tourists. It’s a true chameleon of a spot. After falling into disrepair in the 90’s it was remodeled and little by little the area came back to life.
Before the sun goes down
During the day, it could be a typical town plaza where the locals get together for lunch or to play dominoes and to get fresh produce from the various stalls. As the sun goes down a different Placita comes to life. Chairs and tables appear on sidewalks and the dormant bars and nightclubs come to life. Then the people arrive. Most places open Wednesday to Sunday with Saturday being the busiest night.
A block party
What makes La Placita such a unique experience is that you’ll find people from all walks of life and everything from fine dining (Santaella) to fried food (La Alcapurria Quemá) and bbq joints (San Juan Smoke House) with a couple of live salsa bars in between. After a certain hour they block off the streets and it becomes a pedestrian area. There are also rooftop bars (El Techo Rooftop Bar) and fancy cocktail places (Jungle Bird) along with clubbing spots. La Placita caters to everyone!
Some outstanding restaurants
It’s best to arrive at La Placita a little bit before sunset for a happy hour so you can experience the transformation. Start out at El Coco de Luis, a small counter on the northwest corner. A lot of people rave about their Coconut Mojito and the fried chicken or octopus salad. Not much seating but a great place to people watch. You can continue your appetizer stage at La Alcapurria Quemá. They offer yuca and green plantain fritters that are filled with meat or crab. A great way to start the night if you plan on indulging just a bit.
For dinner, options abound ranging from true local food at El Popular, La Placita’s oldest restaurant to Spanish seafood at El Pescador, Cuban delicacies and a great bar at Asere to Thai at Mai Pen Rai just a bit further down Calle Canals and even upscale, innovative takes on Puerto Rico’s cuisine at Santaella. If pizza and beer is your calling try El Pimentón with their wood fired oven or San Juan Smokehouse for some bbq.
Nightlife
After dinner if you want to burn off some calories there are a couple of clubs and hang out places with live music on Calle Canals, the main access road. Taberna Los Vazquez, right below the illuminated billboard offers live salsa music from Friday to Sunday. You can go inside and watch the band or even listen and dance on the street through the many open doors.
With such a great variety of restaurants, experiences and bars, La Placita is like a giant, energetic Puerto Rican food court mixed with cultural adventure that can become a full Puerto Rican experience. For a while the bars were open until 5 am. Today there’s a closing law in place to protect the residents’ sanity so from Sunday to Wednesday alcohol sales end at 1am and on Friday and Saturday at 2am.
Getting to La Placita
Uber or taxi is best even though there’s a parking garage close by. On busy nights it can get full. Besides, who wants to drive when you can be having a good time? If you’re close, you can walk there. When it’s late, keep to the main, well transited streets to be on the safe side.
