Likes - live music Dislikes - bland and tasteless food. Yap! They don't understand how to spice . All pasta with rosemary flavor Linguine Del Mare $32 (only 4 mussels), asked for extra parmesan and the waitress came with 1Tspn of parmesan... mmm! - poor customer service read more

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Nice spot with live music! Came here for the famous mojitos and appetizers. We really enjoyed the ambiance and the service was great! read more

Carli’s - Piano Bars Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

AMAZING!!! Drinks food service people..... I can not say a bad thing about this place!!! It beets any place I have been on the island... This man did not win an award for no reason his drinks are to die for!!! Also he is like a one man show!!! Making sure from the time you walk in till the time you leave that everything is perfect!!! He is superior to any other mixologist I have ever meet and a wonderful kind person!!! This place has to be a must on your list of places to go!!! read more

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We came here for drinks on the front patio and had a few appetizers, not full dinner. THe service is very friendly, great English skills. The mojitos are HANDS DOWN the BEST we had in Puerto Rico!! The bartender knows his stuff. just enough ice to keep it cold, but not water it down. mint that was muddles to perfection, and good and stiff, but still very drinkable. We had the plantain encrusted calamari with a secret dark sauce. It was divine. Its unlike most calamari, in that its a maybe 5 or 6 large rings, breaded in plantain crumbs and fried to perfect. They come out crisp and full of flavor. We also tried the empanadas dish, although it is called something else but the name escapes me right now. It was an assortment of several kinds of empanadas. All were delicious and come with a sauce for dipping. I would definitely recommend Carl's, I believe they also have live jazz music on certain nights. But the front patio seating area is perfect for people watching and enjoying beautiful Puerto Rico. read more

Carli’s - Mojito, perfectly crafted. - Piano Bars Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

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First of all, the food, as that's what we originally came for. This was the best meal we had in PR (entrées a little on the cold side, but otherwise wonderful). What really made the night, though, was the entertainment: these are world class musicians and they got such authentic reactions out of their audience. I got the feeling that this was just a regular Tuesday at Carli's. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Just what you need on a Friday night! Everything was perfect! 100% recommended! Excellent music! Very attentive waiters! Exquisite food! read more

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This restaurant was amazing. Our party of six all loved their meals and we all shared each others and loved every one. On top of that Carlie performed and is amazing. Highly recommend Carli's read more

We booked Carli's based on recommendations from 2 others while staying in San Juan. We had a reservation for 8 and arrived promptly. They have an outside patio and then a small intimate dining area. They advertise live piano music nightly so we were excited for that. When we arrived there was live music on the patio and none inside, I questioned if there would also be music inside and the owner said yes, soon. We were seen to a table between two other parties and then we waited, and waited, and waited. For 20 minutes we sat without menus or anyone approaching us. When I say this place is small, I mean there is no way to not notice a new table being sat. Both serves who were waiting on the tables either side of us (literally 12" away) completely ignored us. Not wanting to complain I continued to wait but was just getting more and more upset feeling like they didn't care for us to be there. Finally I had to get up and go back to the host stand and tell one of the servers what was going on. He apologized and said he would serve us himself if no one else would, great. The whole place had a vibe of superiority that is not for me. The redeeming factor was the food, which arrived to the table at 10:15. I originally ordered lobster ravioli but they were out of it, so I got the fettuccine chicken Alfredo. It was fresh and full of flavor. My husbands food seemed to have been ready before mine as while it was flavorful, it was like warm at most. The live piano finally began at 10:30 and lasted 30 minutes. The owner is obviously a very talented musician and I wish the evening was centered more around this. Instead we sat in the quiet for 2.5 hours hearing a glimpse of the live music outside whenever the door opened. I would have loved for them to just prop the door open, then the dining room could enjoy the outside music too. Overall we would not return to Carli's as there are places on the island with much better service, who actually want your patronage. read more

The food took over an hour to come out. After an hour, we asked how long it would take for the food to come out. We were told it would be five minutes. It was over twenty minutes later. When the food came, it was cold. When we tried to send it back, we were told that that was how it was prepared and that they wouldn't remove it from the ticket. When we told them the food took over an hour to come out, they said that they made everything "on the spot" and that is why it took time. We have been to many restaurants and never have had such bad service. They were extremely defensive and said that they always took this long and we had unrealistic expectations. Anyone who has ever been to a restaurant knows that if the food takes over an hour to come out, something went wrong. The fact that they didn't even offer us a free round of drinks or take off some amount because the food took so long was absolutely insane. We have been to a lot of restaurants and have worked at restaurants and it's clear that this place survives because they are one of the only places open in Old San Juan on a Monday night. Also the food was subpar at best. read more

Stopped by before heading back to the tourist area of San Juan. The coke I ordered came quickly enough, but it was very diluted and not carbonated at all. The latte at another table definitely looked a lot better. Good outdoor seating. read more

Hidden gem of Old San Juan! Agree with all the other reviewers - the mojitos are perfect! We had the calamari (plantain covered) fritters, Mahi Mahi entree and 5 rum pumpkin fritter/ ice cream dessert - everything was good. But what set the place apart was the service.. Phenomenally polished and our server had the timing down to an art form! She also made a reco that we loved the next evening. Alas I forgot to ask her name! The music was great too! read more

I'm giving this place 5 stars solely based on the quality of it's mojitos. My girlfriend and I trapsed around old San Juan and the Condado looking for the best mojito. We probably tried about 20 different places over a 3 day period, and Carl's mojito was the best of the bunch. This dark green concoction was perfectly made. The bartender took great care in muddling and pouring. I would recommend you stop in and sit at the bar for at least one drink. We were there early before the live Jazz (Piano and Bass) came on and we did not eat, so I can't honestly comment on that. But the Mojito....out of this world. Enjoy. read more

Service was horrible. No hostess so you have to grab the attention of a waiter. Bartender was helping to serve because they were so shortstaffed and almost poured regular water on our sparkling water. Had to request a menu twice. Waiter was constantly answering the phone and playing hostess while pouring our wine. Very annoying place. Music was mediocre and patrons were standing around waiting for a table while the OWNER himself was leisurely taking up one of the tables and occassionally getting up to serve himself instead of attending to his guests. Food portions are very small. You may leave hungry after spending $200. Stay away. Another OSJ cruise tourist trap. read more

The food, the music and the ambiance is outstanding. The service is spot on and the setting is perfect for a casual night out or a special occasion. I will certainly return.... read more