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Pura Vida

4.5 (234 reviews)
ModerateSeafood, Italian
Open • 6:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

Pura Vida Photos

PURA VIDA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Touristy
Casual
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Pura Vida

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NY Strip Steak with sweet plantains
Carson J.

Undoubtedly one of the top options in the local plaza. It was exactly what we were hoping for with a laidback and fun Puerto Rican atmosphere. The 5th star is owed to our server who had a great sense of humor and ensured timely delivered of all the food. Food met expectations, though the NY strip steak was a favorite from the entire trip. Great chill place that allows for a quick and efficient dining experience.

Kelly F.

The food at Pura Vida was good, though I would say that this definitely is not the best restaurant in the area. We did have to wait quite some time to be seated and to get our food, but all the staff was very kind and helpful. Overall not a bad restaurant by any means!

Tostones y camarones
Sol K.

The place is conveniently in the Palma Del Mar plaza. The servers were great, efficient, & fast. The food was fresh, and well made. The place was cleaned. We ordered the tostones with shrimp and tostones with beef. Along with Parcha Mojitos, which were delicious! My husband and the owner vibed over sports. All the staff worked together very well as a team and set the ambiance for a cool place to relax, eat good food and drinks! Definitely recommend!

Margarita

This was highly rated but fell short for us. First of all, map quest is VERY wrong so don't follow it. But that's not their fault. We found everything very fried. The plates were heavy on starches- tostones, etc but the actual protein portions - beef, fish, etc were sparse. Lots of filler. Also I ordered a margarita (my mistake, I've since learned mojito is the way to go in PR) but it was terrible. Honestly undrinkable. Staff was very nice which is why they got 3 stars instead of 2. But we won't be back.

Shrimp Alfredo with the most delicious Alfredo sauce.
Sarah S.

Wow! I rarely eat pasta, but after our day full of adventure I was starving and decided to eat all the carbs, and I also NEVER finish a meal. I finished my shrimp primavera, every last bite, it was so flipping delicious. I was going to get the chicken and our server (he was a cool dude) suggested the shrimp and I'm glad I did. I tasted my daughter's shrimp Alfredo; it was possibly the best Alfredo sauce I've ever tasted in my life on this planet. I wish I had ordered that. Husband got the chicken carbonara and said it was delicious. The chicken was a little dry, but other than that it was good. Prices were on point, not over priced like usual resorts. We would definitely come here again! We also had vodka with soda water and he did NOT skimp on the vodka!

fried whole snapper with mamposteao, trifongo with seafood & cream sauce
Marcus B.

Great place! We got whole fried snapper with mamposteao, as well as trifongo with seafood in a cream sauce. Everything was delicious, and the waiter was friendly, courteous, and efficient. While the snapper was fun to eat, I felt like it needed some added flavor--and they were quick to bring us pique and fresh limes. The atmosphere in the plaza was lovely, as well--lots of kids running around playing, some dude at one of the tables had a huge parrot on his shoulder, and the whole vibe was lively and fun.

Great place to have dinner!
Mary E.

This was recommended by the hotel! It is totally worth it! Amazing food, waitstaff is stellar! Being able to sit on the patio in mid winter is awesome! Hopping place! Highly recommend!

It was hot outside. This hit the spot.
Guillermo G.

Pura Vida is located in Palmanova Plaza. It is one of the many eateries here. Aside from seafood and pasta they also serve burgers, steak, and local dishes. It's a good mix of different things, in case your party can't decide on what to eat. We came in for a late lunch after hiking at the Himacao Nature Reserve (highly recommend it). Currently, due to COVID, they only offer outdoor seating. You can still enter the restaurant to order a drink at the bar. We started out with the stuffed tostones. You can choose them to be stuffed with chicken, churrasco (skirt steak), or shrimp. We chose churrasco. It comes with a mayo-ketchup dipping sauce. The appetizer was good, nothing wow, but a good start. For main course, I went with the Monterrey burger and fries. My wife got the chuleta kan kan with rice and beans. Our kid was knocked out from the hiking but we got him the chicken strips and fries. The burger was tasty. The party was well seasoned and cooked nicely. The fries lacked salt. My wife's chuleta was also very good. The rice and beans were average. The chicken strips had no seasoning at all. They lacked any flavor. Where I take off points is with the flavorless chicken strips and , most of all, because my burger took forever. Not that I am impatient. The thing is my wife's and son's dishes arrived first. I told my wife to start because there is nothing worse that cold hard pork chops. I also thought my burger would be arriving soon. Nope. It arrived after my wife finished her dish. The server didn't come outside so I couldn't ask for a status on the burger. He did apologize for the delay when he brought it out. And the burger was tasty so it wasn't the end of the world. Overall, lunch was fine. The food was good (except for the chicken strips) and service was cordial.

Dessert
Elizabeth R.

Food was very good and the service was great. Drinks are really good too...a little noisy if you like a quiet dinner. We would definitely go again next time we are in Humacao.

Chicharones with tostones
Nicola L.

The one must go spot in the plaza. Best tip I can give is relax, have fun and order up. The food is authentic and very tasty. Chat it up with the staff, they are very helpful explain or helping to order. If you like fried chicken get the chicharrones. Yum. The crackle and crisp outside with the juicy inside, ok take me back. Oh and eat in the courtyard.

Stuffed Plantains

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54 minutes ago

This place is amazing. The food was great. The staff treated us like family. They showed the game. It was a great vibe.

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7 months ago

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2 months ago

I a was absolutely amazing. Between him and the food we had an amazing experience!! Definitely would go back!!

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2 years ago

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11 months ago

Food seems to be on the regular to mediocre. Service should be improved. Prices are not adequate to quality and service.

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1 year ago

Always a great experience at Pura Vida. The staff is always friendly, the food is consistently good.

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6 months ago

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2 years ago

Ivan and his crew are amazing and the food is delicious!! Definitely a must when in Palmas!!

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Pura Vida Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Pura Vida

“My husband and I rented a condo at Palmas del Mar for a week -- and we ate at Pura Vida 4 out of 7 nights!”

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La Fonda Gourmet - Front of the business!

La Fonda Gourmet

4.5(347 reviews)
33.8 km
•$$
Vegetarian friendly
Large group friendly

My husband and I are staying in Luquillo and decided to stop at La Fonda for lunch. I had the…read moremahi-mahi, and he had the grouper with rice, beans, and vegetables. Everything was absolutely phenomenal. The service was impeccable, and our waitress was incredibly kind, attentive, and helpful. The atmosphere was welcoming and beautifully done, but the food was truly the highlight. The seafood was exceptionally fresh and seasoned perfectly. We asked for extra hot sauce, and it was amazing. This was one of the best meals we've had during our trip, and we're already talking about coming back for dinner before we leave. Highly recommend!

The Paseo de la Pared might be the best cocktail I've ever had. The service was very friendly,…read morealthough there were several instances where 1 person of our group of 5 was left out when things were delivered to our table. The waitress (who was super cool) had to go and remind the bar to make my wife's drink. Then, she had to go and ask the kitchen why my entree hadn't come out when everyone else had been served 5 minutes prior. The food was good (especially the churrasco), but this was a very expensive meal. Like, "Holy hell is that correct?!"-when they bring you the check level expensive. We would go back for those drinks, but I would need to sell a couple of non-vital organs before we could afford to go back for a full meal.

Photos
La Fonda Gourmet - Beautiful night with great service and food.  AAAA+

Beautiful night with great service and food. AAAA+

La Fonda Gourmet - Lobster tacos

Lobster tacos

La Fonda Gourmet

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Nonna Cucina Rustica - Handmade Pasta

Nonna Cucina Rustica

4.3(287 reviews)
49.5 km
•$$$

I loved everything about this place. It is a classic family Italian restaurant like I haven't seen…read moresince I was a kid. Everything we had was absolutely delicious. I shared the 6 hour Neapolitan sauce and the pistachio pesto gnocchi. Both were wonderful. We had the eggplant parm appetizer and it was the best I have ever had and I have had many different eggplant parms.. For dessert we had pancetta and tiramisu. Both lived up to the standards the rest of the meal had set. I can't wait to come back to Puerto Rico so I can enjoy their delicious food again. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

We were celebrating our 46th wedding anniversary. Special night. Wrote it on the reservation. No…read moreacknowledgment of our celebration. You can definitely do better. We ordered a bottle of Fiano (a wine we really enjoy and was on the menu). They didn't have it. We settled for Chardonnay. It was good. We asked for bread. They didn't have any!!! (What? An Italian restaurant with no bread?) not a great start. Having said all that, the rest for our food was amazing! The arancini and the eggplant were exquisite. I ordered the steak (yeah I know) but it was amazing. The sauce, the potatoes. Just delicious. Our guests had the lasagna and my husband ordered the pizza. They were very satisfied with their meals. The ambiance is quaint. Old Italian. Clean. I would train servers to know what's available and what's not. Prevent from ordering and being disappointed. In addition, if you don't have bread and make pizza, you have bread. You can make it out of pizza dough in a pinch for those who ask. Italian red sauce without bread... it's a big miss. If your equipment is broken, buy the bread. I think they should have given us the dessert based on the misses. Nonetheless, the entrees were very good.

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Nonna Cucina Rustica - He'll pour you some wine  and make sure you're enjoying yourself

He'll pour you some wine and make sure you're enjoying yourself

Nonna Cucina Rustica - Eggplant parmeggiano

Eggplant parmeggiano

Nonna Cucina Rustica - Lemon & Basil Panna Cotta

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Lemon & Basil Panna Cotta

Taverna - logo

Taverna

4.7(15 reviews)
38.5 km
•$$

The food is awesome and prices are reasonable. We called ahead and were told that the last order…read morethe kitchen would take on a Sunday was 7.30pm and we made sure to arrive before. The ambiance is nice - it is a bit dark so hard to tell. I am surprised such a good quality food option has gone unnoticed with very few reviews here. It is such a solid choice - 3 minutes walk from the Vieques ferry terminal. They do charge for water (they provided water bottles only - but given other menu prices are reasonable, we were fine with that). We had pasta and salad and those worked out great.

Feels like a family-owned restaurant with excellent service, food, and drinks. We weren't planning…read moreon going Italian on Vieques, but this turned out to be a surprisingly good choice. They have a standard menu of appetizers, pasta, main dishes, and pizza, with some seasonal dishes thrown in the mix. They have a good flow of customers, and it's an island, so some ingredients run out. Make an early reservation for the most options, but you'll enjoy even if they're out of some. Four of us shared two starters, both traditional, one meat and cheese, the other roasted vegetables, both delicious. The balsamic was strong without overpowering the quality of the food, and the quality of the vegetables was especially good considering the challenge of getting fresh foodstuffs here. The roasted garlic with the vegetables rounded out the flavors. All pasta and main dishes were large and could have (should have!) been shared. Pasta was perfectly cooked, not too soft, not too hard. It held it's shape and had a good mouth feel. They didn't overuse oil to keep the noodles from sticking, and they've definitely worked out the challenges of cooking and keeping pasta in that humidity. They have a selection of house flavored martinis made with fresh fruit. These were also delicious - and strong! Make sure you're hydrated and have a designated driver if you're having more than one. While it may seem odd to go for Italian while on Vieques, it's well worth it, just make sure you get a reservation! This place fills up!

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Taverna - Athena with zucchini "noodles"

Athena with zucchini "noodles"

Taverna
Taverna - Maple-bourbon creme brûlée..

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Maple-bourbon creme brûlée..

Pura Vida - seafood - Updated October 2026

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