Cafe Berlin

Cafe Berlin is located in old San Juan, so we planned to go here for lunch while exploring that area.

I ordered the Pastelon - which was a puerto rican lasagna with mashed plantains instead of pasta. It was very good. My boyfriend order the veggie mofongo.

We had a bit of a mofongo marathon while in PR - we had a total of 5 from different places, and this was by far the best. It was the 2nd most expensive though.

Food was so good we had to come back multiple times. Came here for breakfast and dinner twice. We first came here on Sunday for brunch. They did not have the vegan french toast, but the vegan breakfast was very good and worth coming back for another meal. On our second visit we had an amazing dinner with delicious cocktails. So glad we got to try vegan mofongo! None of their desert options were vegan, but they improvised and made us a desert of plantains with a sweet cinnamon maple glaze. It was so amazing we came back again. Great location in Old San Juan.

Had a vegan sandwich and then went back and had vegan french toast for Sunday brunch. Very good food and very friendly.

As for the local vegan mofongo, a traditional dish that in this place will be vegan.

We were so excited to find CB while walking around Ild San Juan. They had soooooooo many vegan options that it was hard to decide so we ended up purchasing 5 dishes for 2 people and each was amazing. They had vegan breakfast options as well including scrambled tofu and French toast. The special was a vegan Benedict which I really should have tried! The spicy tacos with Caribbean rice were delicious! Definitely hit this spot. If you're short on time you may want to look elsewhere as it did take some time to get our food even though they weren't that busy but we fix the mind as we were enjoying the scenery on their patio. Great spot with something for everyone!

( I would have given it 5 stars but Happy Cow won't let me since this restaurant sells meat.)

Being it was my first time in Puerto Rico, I was nervous about it lacking cool different vegan options that weren't just rice and beans and platano. This place had vegan mofongo that was to die for. They carry a vegan sandwich and tofu wrap as well. Food does take long, but I think people forget that good fresh food takes a minute to prepare. Reminder: People in Puerto Rico are very laid back (because they're island people) and take their time. Not a negative comment, just something people should consider and understand. But to the point! Highly recommend this place and the yucca mofongo!

I went there for an early dinner when it wasn't crowded at all. There are several vegetarian and vegan options, including a vegan mofongo (traditional Puerto Rico dish), which I ordered. It look over an hour for my meal to come, and each time I asked about the status, the server kept saying 5 minutes. He wasn't even apologetic. Because it wasn't crowded, it was unreasonable for the food to take so long. The food is overpriced, but good.

We
Had a wonderful meal here with friends I ends. Pleasant service and comfortable atmosphere. Outside seating on the street was available but we ate inside. They gave a few specialty drinks which were good, but go there for the food. We ate two of the vegan specials, but there are also options for vegetarians and carnivores. We had the guava loaf and the vegan Puerto Rican mofongo.

Very nice local dishes made vegan. Friendly staff. Open air patio puts one in evening breezes. you won't be disappointed

A beautiful restaurant full of charm & character with a very good service & wonderful food( several vegan options & even a dessert!) Perfect for a date or a celebration. A price is a little high( though that's normal for that part of SJ) but the quality of food is well worth it. We loved everything about it!

With a very clearly marked vegetarian/vegan area of their menu, and an expert staff, this is a highly recommended place. Outside seating overlooking a town square, great drinks, and good service benefit Cafe Berlin.

Cafe Berlin has a large & well marked vegetarian menu & staff are knowledgeable. Located in Old San Juan, it is close to things to see & do. We had Spicy Tacos, Criollo Tofu & a mojito, & were satisfied with the service & food. Prices are slightly on the high end. I recommend dining here.

Loved this place, perfect date night place. The ambiance is very nice and the food is great. LOVED the zucchini, lime, mint drink. There are a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, I was impressed.

We ate here three times during our stay in Puerto Rico. The coconut-tomato tofu was delicious as was the Mofongo. Also had the vegan breakfast and the vegan French Toast. Superb! First night I had the vinaigrette tofu sandwich. Also good, but nothing compared to breakfast and the coconut-tomato tofu dish.
Everyone was well versed in the vegan options and if they didn't know they asked the chef.
Last night eating here we wanted the vegan carrot cake to celebrate our anniversary. They were out; however, the chef was kind enough to make a special vegan crepe with fruit, dark chocolate and delicious coconut whipped cream.
Highly recommend! Great location too and about the only restaurant in Old San Juan that's open late and consistently throughout the week and weekend!

As an extremely selective customer I am not easy to wow however, Cafe Berlin did.
Excellent service, exceptional food, in an old spainsh world town. it is hard to beat.
From plate presentation to taste the food was wonderful. Well worth the time searching for a parking spot.
Go and experince for yourself the fusion of tasty Puerto Rican spices with healthy entrees'.

There are a decent number of dishes (at least 6 entrees) in the Vegetarian section of the menu, but some elements may be non-vegan - you'll have to ask. Fortunately, my waiters on both visits were fluent in English and understood "vegan" so was able to identify these for me.

I enjoyed their dinner and lunch (once each) - would've eaten there more, but was staying out on a resort near Luquillo, a bit far from Old San Juan.

If you want to try vegan versions of traditional Puerto Rican foods (e.g., mofongo), this is the place for you. I had a Veggie Guava loaf and one of the tofu dishes (I forget which), which were both tasty, along with at least one substitute for non-vegan side. The atmosphere is nice, kinda artsy & relaxed, and it's near the center of town, including a square that features frequent performances.

FYI, if you're vegan and you want to eat out (especially if your Spanish is bad), this is a great option to have, as the island is not very vegan-friendly.

Note: this is from my visit in September, 2013 (getting to this review late).

The food there was great. We went 2 or 3 times in the couple days we were touring San Juan. Highly recommended.

The veg section of the menu is mostly marinated tofu dishes. The one we got had uninspiring slices of soft tofu in a VERY good sauce. (I prefer tofu with more texture.) The bean & rice side was nicely seasoned - I could have eaten a whole bowl of that!

We also got a wrap which was full of subtle flavors, none of which I could taste after the first bite, which included a large piece of very strong raw red onion. :(

We got a piece of vegan banana cake, too. It's not a sweet cake with icing; it's more of a moist spice cake. It was a fairly small piece, but reasonable pricing given what I've spent on other vegan treats, and better tasting than many.

Maybe it's not a go-out-of-your-way destination restaurant for vegans, but it is a good place to eat when you're in Old San Juan.

Cafe Berlin was an amazing find in Old San Juan, especially for veg eaters. It's at a beautiful location, and we sat outside and ate several meals there. They have many vegetarian food options, and many vegan options on the menu. They even offered to veganize their "mofongo" (make it without butter and no animal products). Food items included several tofu dishes, grilled veggie options, marinated portobello mushrooms, amazing stuffed vegetarian wonton appetizer, vegetarian loaf entrée made of lentils and brown rice that's served with fresh sautéed veggies, etc.. It was wonderful to find a restaurant that combined traditional puertorican cuisine with vegan friendly options. They also offered a vegan dessert. They do not serve red meat, but they do serve chicken and seafood. The non-vegans with us thoroughly enjoyed their meals there too. Loved. Loved. Loved Cafe Berlin.
Updated from previous review on Thursday April 25, 2013

Cafe Berlin is conveniently located in Old Town close to the cruise port. We were on the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise and while visiting the forts, it was easy to pop over for lunch. It was really busy, so we had to wait awhile for a table, but it was worth it. The menu has a separate vegetarian section and the waiter was very knowledgeable about what was vegan. Their homemade bread is not vegan (due to eggs), so we didn't order any sandwiches, but nearly all of the entrees were vegan (or could be made vegan). We got the coconut tomato tofu which had a great flavor and the soy steak Argentino where we swapped out the mashed potatoes (not vegan) for the plantains based on the server's recommendation. He was right...very tasty. We wanted to get the vegan carrot cake as well, but they were already sold out (likely due to others on the holistic cruise eating there as well). Overall, the place is very nice with an outdoor patio and friendly staff.

We went there a few years ago. We still rave about it. Although we live 3,000 miles away. Cafe Berlin just might be worth the trip back.

This restaurant is located in Old San Juan, on the edge of Cristobal Square. They have quite a few vegetarian/vegan soy and tofu options, including an Argentinian Soy steak.
The service is great and they also have a great selection of drinks.

This was our go to place while visiting Old San Juan. There are great choices for vegetarian food. The service was excellent, the location perfect, and the vegetarian food choices were numerous. I was also impressed with their dessert menu!

There is a lot of non Veggie stuff on the menu, but there are also a good selection of veggie items -- done up in the classic local styles. An excellent choice.

Cafe Berlin could not be in a better location. Right next to a busy park in Old San Juan and the people watching is terrific. Indoor and patio seating and a full bar inside. They are not strictly vegetarian but do have a full section in the menu for vegetarians and it has a great variety of Puerto Rican inspired dishes and the usual comfort foods. Almost all the vegetarian items are vegan or can be slightly modified to be vegan. The dessert menu is not very vegan friendly- offering only Carrot Cake. The staff was very friendly and informative.

As I often do, I asked the waiter what the best vegetarian dinner was. He recommended the meatloaf so I tried it. It was a little too realistic for my tastes- it looked and tasted exactly like real meatloaf but upon close inspection you could tell it wasn't. It was covered with a great mango sauce and lots of sauteed vegetables and came with mashed potatoes. I did enjoy the food but would elect something less meat-like next time, and I will most certainly be returning to Cafe Berlin- it is the only vegetarian food in Old San Juan.

Prices are high, but all food in Puerto Rico is very expensive because they import almost everything except plantains.

I went with a meat eater and we both loved this place. It is the Square at Old San Juan and it's beautifully situated. The veggie menu is limited, but it is the most extensive in all of Old San Juan (and most of Puerto Rico I think). The staff was knwledgeable and very helpful with menu selections. It's a bit pricey, but everything is in Old San Juan (tourist spot). I highly recommend this place.

The vegetarian choices are limited primarily to tofu based dishes. Unfortunately there are not a great deal of options in the area. A bit pricey for what you get but that is generally true for the area. Service was good - not very busy when we were in.

This restaurant/internet cafe is beautiful and laid back. The food was great and not too pricey at all. I got the philly "steak" sandwich. They were really friendly, too.

Well, I'm back from Puerto Rico again! this Island amaized me every time I go, people there are so nice and warm that you never want to leave. As plan I returned to Cafe Berlin because as always is been my favorite place in old san juan. For my surprise I found a new dish on the menu, a veggie "parilla" (that means grill vegetables) this comes with tofu sticks in some delicious sauce, hmmm... also I always order the strawberry banana "steak" and the carrot-green apple fresh squeeze juice.
I highly recommend to sit back in the terrace and enjoy the view of the plaza with a glass of wine.

PS. Always good.

We just had lunch at Cafe Berlin, it is without a doubt the best vegetarian food I've ever had in Puerto Rico. The staff was friendly and helpful. The food was uniquely Puerto Rician. Try the mofungo (amazing) and the tofu criolla (tofu in a creole sauce with yuca, peppers and onions). We ordered the monfungo (side dish), rice (side dish) and Tofu criolla for two people to share and it was around 22 dollars (11 each) Not bad for an amazing meal! Enjoy!

The bread isn't vegan so skip the lunch menu down to the huge selection of Tofu Entrees. Get the second one down. It comes with awesome Yuca and a delicious marinara sauce. The Plantain appetizer is veg, too! A must. They have soy ice cream as well. You won't be disappointed while in Old San Juan! Go for dinner if you're staying in the area.

If you need someplace to eat in Old San Juan, you pretty much have 3 choices: Cafe Berlin, the Rasta place about a block away down Calle San Francisco, or make it yourself. Cafe Berlin is a nice little place with a sorta fancy-ish, touristy atmosphere. I wound up there 3 times, and the service varied from very sweet but slow to maddeningly idiotic (we had to explain FIVE times how to make a latte, even though it's on their menu). The food is alright, but a bit pricey. A friend and I shared the Philly Steak Sandwich, which is made from extremely salty, marinated tofu, a salad that I wouldn't recommend to anybody, some amarillos (fried sweet plantains) that were delicious, and a fabulous, to-die-for cocktail called the Mangito, because it's sort of like a mojito but with fresh mango in it- soooo delicious! Though at $6 plus tax and tip, it certainly isn't cheap. Anyway, the sandwich comes with tortilla chips, which I found annoying, but other than that it's not a bad choice if you're totally hungry and need some protein. Other than that I didn't try any of the fake meat dishes, and if you're into having an all-veggie sandwich w/ no meat substitute, you can get one for under $6 which isn't bad for here. Overall, not spectacular but beggars can't be choosers in veggie-hatin' San Juan.