Old San Juan looked anything but old on a recent night when Frederick Anderson hit town. His runway show at the historic Antiguo Casino for Summer 2025 featured tropical prints, denim and lace, West African straw basket bags and shell necklaces.
“I’m telling my story with its African influence,” said the New York City-based designer, whose show in Puerto Rico for his Upper East Side clients was punctuated with the sounds of local Bomba drumming, Bad Bunny, Marc Anthony and Myke Towers. “Puerto Rico is telling its story now too and it’s a very sexy one.”
Has San Juan–a hotbed and launching pad for music, contemporary art and now food —been getting ready for its moment? With an Aman and Four Seasons on the way and a chic crowd of New Yorkers moving down with tax breaks in mind, a historic Caribbean city is starting to perk up with a hip vibe that’s part Miami and part Bushwick. With quick and constant flights, it’s an easy East Coast getaway. And no passports are needed, just a taste for urban chic and a sense of adventure.
Where to Shop
Matthe—Mayte Allende Heres, a former fashion director at the fashion trade bible Women’s Wear Daily curates her high end boutique on a quiet side street in the heart of Condado with an eye for luxury and up-to-the-moment flair.
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The Frederick Anderson Summer 2025 Collection show in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Hola Aida—This youthful vintage shop takes its inspiration from old school Puerto Rican style and brings a fresh take to its clothes including that Caribbean classic, the Guayabera.
Isleñas—Karla Lopez Rivera is the conscientious maker behind this shop of handmade accessories and espadrilles that she produces in Puerto Rico and Latin America
Casa Boheme—A lovely new store in Old San Juan with furniture, lighting, textiles, rugs and tableware.
Reynold Rodriguez Studio—A local industrial designer with a sophisticated yet playful style of furniture that has a space age and biomorphic vibe.
Where to Stay 
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Coco Rocha at the Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton—An easy drive from the city, this bucolic beachfront resort on fifty natural acres was developed by Laurance Rockefeller to soothe the senses even as it draws a dressy social crowd.
The Condado Vanderbilt—San Juan’s grand dame. Built in 1919 and elegantly updated, it has hosted celebrities and heads of state for over a century. With several pools and a private beach, it lends old school glamour to Condado’s high rise strip.
Hotel El Convento—Another historic gem developed in the late 1950s on the site of a 350-year-old Carmelite convent in Old San Juan. Guests have included Ethel Merman, Lynda Bird Johnson and Pablo Casals. The plunge pool has a spectacular view of San Juan Bay and there’s a beach club at the hotel’s sister property on Isla Verde.
Aire De O:Liv—Earthy and aesthetic, this stylish new property on the beach (also in Isla Verde) has a sustainable mandate and a clean modern ambience. Its rooftop Japanese Robatayaki-inspired restaurant Kumo draws the foodies.
Dreamcatcher Hotel—One of the original San Juan boutique hotels, this lowkey vegetarian friendly hacienda is in the Condado adjacent residential beach community of Ocean Park. Steps from a popular palm lined public beach and trending Loiza street.
Where to Eat
Cocina al Fondo
A view of Cocina al Fondo
Cocina Al Fondo—This little hacienda with a pebbly patio in Santurce has a big reputation. Its imaginative chef, Natalia Vallejo is the first on the island to win a James Beard award. Caribbean inspired cocktails and fresh takes on island favorites such as picadillo and grilled octopus taste new and inspired here.
Marmalade–An Old San Juan favorite with modern global style of decor presents beautifully articulated tasting menus with nods to local cuisine. Its owner and chef Peter Schintler has had restaurants all over the world and his cooking shows it. Try the goat meatballs, halibut with cornbread crumble and Hibiscus Magarita.
Yoko—This super contemporary Japanese restaurant in Santurce has had Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny sightings. Its wildly successful native chef comes from Vieques and has a playful way with sake cocktails, Donburi and Sashimi.
Celeste—The small and bright food and wine bar in the upcoming neighborhood of Puerto del Tierra near the seaport and Old San Juan specializes in seafood with creative takes on langostine, monkfish, oysters and mussels. For dessert, there’s a Pistachio and Coconut Budin full of sabor.
La Parroquia—After dinner at Celeste, walk down the street to this atmospheric hipster bar with a vintage clothing market above. Housed in a crumbling former Parish House for an edgy local crowd, the décor is thrift store-fabulous and the karaoke singing high level. For the ultimate San Juan insider scene, it is highly recommended.
LaBoriVogue—Another alternative creative event venue for a spicy mix of drinks, performance art, fashion, vogue dancing and politics.
Where to Find Art
Embajada Gallery
A view of “18 Golden Cannon Shots,” a new exhibit by Carlos Amorales at Embajada.
Embajada Gallery—Since opening in 2015, Embajada has become a world player with a roster of artists including Jeanpierre Villafane and Jose Lerma. Based in a charming old house in Hato Rey a little beyond the tourist areas, the member of the New Art Dealers Alliance is well worth a visit.
Museo de Arte Puerto Rico—With a collection that spans from the 17th century to the present, this innovative and handsomely-designed museum melds past and present with informative and entertaining shows about the island’s history and best known artists. Don’t miss the breathtaking tropical garden in the back.
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico—Devoted solely to Puerto Rican artists of recent vintage, this locally focused institution is housed in in the heart of Santurce in a stately brick building just a short walk from the Museo de Arte Puerto Rico.
Bob Morris is a T&C contributor and the author of Assisted Loving: True Tales of Double Dating With My Dad and Bobby Wonderful: An Imperfect Son Says Goodbye.
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Publish date : 2024-12-18 05:26:00
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