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    Playa Brava

    4.3 (47 reviews)

    Playa Brava Photos

    PLAYA BRAVA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Very loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Playa Brava

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    Efrain E.

    Slow service at the bar and with the food. Staff seem disinterested in providing fast service. Had to wait to long for the bartender to make our drinks while we waited for our table. Maybe they need 2 bartenders. Food was hit or miss. My brother ordered the mofongo and he said it was good. My other brother and I ordered El asopado de camarones and it wasn't thick as we expected but very runny. Also they did not have soup spoons. Had to eat the soup with a regular spoon. That is a major misstep for a restaurant this busy. The view is amazing but that doesn't makeup for overall laissez faire attitude and service. To many other restaurants in the immediate area for me to waste my time coming here again.

    Chillo Frito and Mofongo
    Nicolas L.

    I recently visited Playa Brava with family for dinner. The restaurant specializes in Puerto Rican seafood dishes and is located on the coast of Arecibo with a gorgeous view overlooking the coast. I had the Chillo Frito with a side order of Mofongo. The Chillo Frito (Deep Fried Red Snapper) was fresh, flakey, juicy and tender with flavorful seasoned fried crispy skin. The mofongo was very well done: soft, savory and garlicky.

    Sorullitos con mayoketchup

    I have been coming to this restaurant every year for the past 5 years. It is one of the best places in PR to find fresh seafood rice and seafood dishes. The arroz con mariscos is the best I've ever had and why I keep coming back!! The pina coladas are hands down the best here too!! The mofongo de churrasco was great according to my husband. The sorulittos are also a great pick too. Service is fantastic we usually get seated right away and the views are out of this world with the beach right next to the restaurant. Great place for photos. Do be warned when it's really hot and humid eating in the heat can be very tough as it is not always windy in the dining area with the nice view of the beach. They do have an inside area with fans that is much cooler. Be careful with older ones/anyone who can get overwhelmed with the heat while eating. Def give this place a try if you want amazing food and views.

    Mofongo rellino de pulpo y camarones

    Found this place after hiking at cueva del Indio while stuck in traffic and wow do I feel lucky. First off all, the location is amazing, beautiful ocean front view, and it just has that feel that you're looking for in an ocean front, island restaurant. It's not overly fancy but from my overseas experience, in terms of food quality, that is often a good thing. I got the mofongo rellino de pulpo (octopus mofongo) and it was some damn good seafood. Honestly, everything on the menu looked great. The sangria and pina colada was great too, so refreshing on a hot day. I'd say it's off the beaten path but I can't recommend enough making a day trip out that way if you can because that area is breathtakingly beautiful.

    Me and Chicharrones de pollo and tostones en maduros.
    Maria S.

    The best Chicharrón is the Pollo you will never find. The best red snapper fried. The best views. Great service great atmosphere very accommodating very clean. It is a must on your list of things to go and see and eat

    Natalie S.

    Delicious food and beautiful view!! Arrived here around 1:30pm with a group of 8 and a toddler, and by 2p we were shoving food into our faces. My aunt ordered the seafood sampler for us to split and was it yummmmmy. Fish bites, calamari, and shrimp with mayoketchup and garlic sauce to dip in. As well as arroz con habichuelas, and fried corn meal (I can not recall what it's called right now). Everything was honestly delicious. And the view was BREATHTAKING. We were sat on the outside upper deck and oh my gosh I could have stayed there forever. The water crashing on the rocks, palms trees swaying in the breeze and the ocean breeze were the perfect trifecta to be the accompaniment for our lunch today. Our server was nice and helped us with everything however he spoke zero English. I understand we're on an island where the vast majority speaks Spanish, but many tourists come and I think at least servers should be mildly bilingual. It wasn't a problem for me as I can speak Spanish but it was for a few in the group!

    Churrasco
    Arelys L.

    On the road to see the Christopher Columbus monument this restaurant with a magnificent view of the Atlantic was a wonderful find. We were treated and seated by a welcoming staff and the ocean views were breathtaking. Our party of three ordered the churrasco with rice and beans, mofongo stuffed with seafood in creole sauce and mahi-mahi cooked in butter with rice and beans. Everything was delicious if a bit under salted but I prefer that than overly salted. For desert we had the guava flan which was decadently rich. If you find yourself in the area you must come and enjoy this hidden gem.

    Sweet corn fritters
    Eviana D.

    This is a must see when in Arecibo! We stopped in to have lunch and Im so glad we did. The view alone was breath taking right along the coast of the ocean. The customer service was outstanding. The sweet corn fritters was a first for me and they were sweet and crunchy. The fish ceviche was freshly made with plenty of chunks of fish. But the best part had to be the fried fish which was far from the typical fry fish One eats. It was perfectly seasoned and not heavily battered. The tostones was a great side addition as well. 10/10 rating for me and will return on my next trip.

    Monfogo with chicken.
    Nancy B.

    Great atmosphere, staff is wonderful and the Monfogo is worth the trip! The sangria is a good choice.

    View from the patio
    Anindya B.

    The food is very good! The location, staff and experience are outstanding. The restaurant is set right on the ocean and a table at the patio will take your breath away. Come for a meal and stay for the view. When you are done, take the few steps down to the beach and take some pictures. They will last for a lifetime

    Shrimp Mofongo
    Yanely P.

    So fire! We tried the two different shrimp mofongos (criolla y ajillo) they were both amazing. The shrimp was tender not rough. The mofongo had crispy pieces of chicharron and they were delicious. We ordered a side of avocado that were perfectly ripe and delicious. The red snapper was so tender and flavorful. We capped our lunch with dessert. We had the flan (super creamy and yummy) and the tres leche (so good omg). The view is beautiful, the beers were extra cold, and service was on point. A beautiful getaway place to have lunch. I highly recommend. I also ordered a pastelillo of langosta (lobster). It was crispy and delicious with a side of mayo-ketchu. We clearly pigged out (so embarrassing) Come here! Enjoy!

    Shrimp mofongo (criolla) and fried red snapper

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    3 months ago

    Amazing location. Best fried snapper I've had on the north coast. Best views, traditional fare.

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    7 months ago

    La comida deliciosa y las atenciones insuperables. Con una vista al mar desde el segundo nivel preciosa.

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    2 years ago

    The food was great the drinks as well - not a quite place if that's what you looking for- definitely lively

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    2 years ago

    Great view, practically over the ocean. Fantastic drinks and some of the best food in area.

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    2 years ago

    Chilo frito!!! Nuff said. Views are great. Friendly atmosphere. Recommend stopping by

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    Page 1 of 2

    Playa Brava Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Playa Brava

    For main course we had fried Red Snapper and Sea Food salad with mashed roots, really spectacular!!!

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Salitre Mesón Costero

    Salitre Mesón Costero

    4.0(187 reviews)
    8.1 km
    $$

    Not the best seafood place in the area…read more We (a party of four) went there on a Friday afternoon for lunch. We were seated fairly quickly, in the inside part of the business as there were "no seats outside" - that wasn't the case. The server came promptly to take our order: @drinks - mojito, sangria, water and a soda. The sangria tasted like pouch sangria poured into a glass and the mojito had little to no rum. @Starters - marine sampler, which was greasy and overly cooked. @main dishes - paella marinera for 2, lobster tail, and stuffed mashed plantains with ceti (local fish). My overall impression of the main dishes wasn't great for the price we paid for the meal ($$$). The paella for two lacked flavor and the seafood wasn't properly cleaned (the shellfish had the poop vein); the lobster wasn't local and tasted weird; the stuffed plantains with ceti were very salty. For the latter we offered our feedback to the server and she just took the plate away, without offering any substitutions or following up. Enough to say that I'll not be coming here again. The price of the food goes beyond the quality and service. The only nice thing about the place its the view, which we got to see through a window.

    The view was amazing. We got to sit right by the ocean and watch the huge waves roll up. Even got…read moreto see a couple of surfers trying to catch the waves, and my daughter saw a dolphin. The food was delicious, but our server was more amazing. She was patient and helpful.

    Photos
    Salitre Mesón Costero
    Salitre Mesón Costero
    Salitre Mesón Costero

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    El Alcazar De Colón

    El Alcazar De Colón

    3.1(7 reviews)
    5.1 km

    View here is amazing. Service is fast and delicious. I sat outside closer to the water when I ate…read morehere. It was beautiful.

    I came here famished. I was all day at the Beach in La Poza and Islote and my dad never came so I…read moreleft to eat on my own. Thanksgiving day and nothing was open in Arecibo where I am staying. I figured Islote by the beach would be my best bet to find something open. At first glance it looked a little shabby and like it might be more of a bar but then I read the sign and it said dinner so I decided to stop in. The place ended up being perfect for me. I was able to find a spot right in front of the restaurant so I can watch my car. (I had bad experience in Islote i'm paranoid LOL) There was live music with a gentleman singing and I enjoyed it. Then I saw the view and it blew me away it was spectacular! The waves come in and are practically under your feet. The moon was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen and I had front row seats. I ended up running into someone I knew from the area who said his Brother was actually the owner of the bar. He took my order and somehow it never got to the kitchen. LOL. After a long wait I finally approached the brother of the person I knew and asked him if my meal was coming out soon, he laughed and said his brother was crazy and never put in any order for me. I almost died in disbelief. I didnt know whether to cry or laugh I was starving and into my second beer on an empty stomach. Thankfully the brother and a woman from the kitchen came over and quickly took my order and a reasonable time later brought my food. My meal was $18.99 but I got fish "a la mantequilla" (butter) and rice beans and mofongo. Which is really complete and what I most like. I ate every last bite. The fish was delicious and the rice and beans with a little side of cabbage was perfect. Mofongo best ive had so far. I would give it a 5 if it wasn't because it was missing chicharron. (LOL) Once we figured out the brother never placed my order and got things moving everything went A+. I wish I remembered the owners name but he was super nice and apologetic and gifted me a beer and even packed a cute little guava and cheese tupperware for me! That was the sweetest! I will definitely be back!

    Photos
    El Alcazar De Colón - View

    View

    El Alcazar De Colón - Inside restaurant. Can't get closer to water than this. The moon in the distance was huge and very beautiful.

    Inside restaurant. Can't get closer to water than this. The moon in the distance was huge and very beautiful.

    El Alcazar De Colón

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    Playa Brava - puertorican - Updated May 2026

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