Honestly I assumed it was a tourist trap. However after being reccomended by several different groups of people and it being one of the few places I haven't tried that was open in the colonial zone on a Sunday I gave Jalao a shot. I am glad I did. Fot the chivo and chenchen. Goat and a cracked corn dish. Delicious. Goat was a bit dry but bathe it in the accompanied sauce and it was delightful. Never had chenchen now I want to learn how to make it. At 1495 pesos it was higher than I usual pay for a meal in the DR but the quality of this dish and its prime location was worth it. The server was more concerned with the larger parties but i didn't need much attention.

Had an absolutely incredible dining experience here. Came with a party of 4 on a busy Saturday night. We didn’t have a reservation, but we were seated very quickly. The energy and the vibrance of the restaurant was incredible that night. There was a live band playing that had many people up cheering and dancing in the aisles and from their seats. The food and drink service was excellent. We were served all of our food and drinks very quickly. Everything tasted excellent and made to our liking. I felt like I got such an incredible value for what we got in terms of food, drinks, and the overall experience. Felt like I could’ve been charged way more for what the total experience was. I highly recommend a visit to this restaurant during your next trip to Zona Colonial!

Great vibe! Awesome location right in front of Parque Colon and the Cathedral. Drinks are good and tasty. Chill atmosphere. Felt welcomed and service was good enough. Great place to people watch or just enjoy a conversation. Kid friendly with the outdoor seating. Take a peak inside their beautiful indoors. Live music at 9pm they told us. Maybe we will come back later!

Excellent food and service. They have a live band at night with great vibes Drinks are strong Food is delicious

Typical tourist trap kind of place. Avoid if you can. The food was subpar, drinks were really sugary and weak. The staff was cheerful but unfortunately didn't speak any English despite being in the middle of a tourist hotspot. We ordered their highly recommended cocktail - Jalao and it was a mixture of sugary syrups over ice. For food we ordered the Bombones De Yuca, Deditos De Berenjena, Mofongo and Avocado Salad. The Bombones were regular.. nothing special, the Mofongo was really dry and hard to chew, the Avocado Salad was literally just slices of Avocado and the cheese in the Deditos was overcooked and hard to chew and the eggplant was undercooked and hence was also not edible. We also ordered Rice and Beans as a side dish and that was OK. I will not recommend this place.

The food was great the atmosphere was amazing and great service as well! The only issue I had was I had to get 3 beers changed because it was terrible. Looks like it was frozen then unfrozen. It had no carbonation and it was stale. However, the exchange with no issue. They guys was very apologetic and brought out the next one out which was good.

Definitely a must try when visiting Santo Domingo! Interior and exterior aesthetics is top notch. Customer service was great. Not sure when the live bands perform. We tried the cativias de Queso (8/10) croquetas crujientes con chivo (10/10), el criollito (7/10) and rabo encendio (9/10). Some of the dishes were too salty for me but likely just fine for others. Tried the Jalao drink (as recommended by others) but was a bit sweet and not keen on the banana flavour.

nice vibes with music. the food was good overall (we had shrimp creole and sancocho). thought the restaurant might a tourist trap at first but thankfully the food did not disappoint and the price was reasonable.

What a experience..must try while visiting Zona Colonial DR. Exelente el lugar, comida deliciosa

Food was amazing. The service was amazing. Honestly we all get different menu items and they were all equally delicious. They offer live music with really good performers. You must try if in Santo Domingo. My favorite was the Rabo/Oxtail! Highly recommended.

Great house band and good DJ. Lots of dancing in the small space available. The music is loud and good. Everyone had a good time and there were of number of groups celebrating events or birthdays.

Traditional Dominican food, prices within range, good typical Dominican atmosphere. It is a good option to get out of the routine.

Food & service was excellent, the ribs were very good & the oxtail was phenomenal, best I’ve had. The servers were very nice & attentive, they had entertainment & good drinks.

Nice place in the Colonial Zone. Amazing atmosphere, with live music (I think not everyday, so please confirm) and people dancing. Service is very cordial and attentive.

Great service, love music, and really good food. Really enjoyed everything about this place and will be back.

Great food and friendly service. We followed server's advise and had ox tail stew and 7 meats stew. Both were delicious. Fried calamari and eggplant appetizers were very good as well. Inside you LL find fun atmosphere and live music on the big stage. I would give it 5 stars but one thing was very unpleasant. The music playing outside is very loud and it's mixed with loud music from the restaurant next door which creates quite a cacophony. Except us a few other tables complained about it. Other than that (which is easy to fix) great all around.

Great place. The best music It is a must do in DR.

Great atmosphere with live music at night starting at about 9 pm usually. I would call ahead for a reservation but my wife and I were able to get a table of two the night off even though it was completely booked. Everything on the menu looked good I recommend the mofongo to start and the skirt steak for dinner with rice and beans.

Food was ok…the staters were better than the main course. The staff was very friendly and professional. Place was nice and clean

Great location in the old town. Very nice interior. Fast and friendly service. Goat tacos were excellent. The Caribbean salad was not as good as expected. Sancocho-revive muerto and Pati mondongo were good. Warning: on most (all?) places in this region, you pay the price on the menu + 18% VAT + 10% charge (service?). For example if a beer costs 200 DOP (on the menu/drink card) the amount to pay is 256 DOP (36 DOP VAT + 20 DOP charge), that’s 28% higher.

Ordered traditional pork feet stew. The pork feet was cooked well and the sauce was flavorful. There was chunk of pork stomach in the soup as well. The restaurant has a live stage inside.

I came here because of the reviews. I tried the sancocho. It was good. The meat is tender and the soup is full of the meat flavor. It comes with rice and avocado and they are good too. I tried the drink saltacocote. It’s ok. I can only taste the coconut flavor. But it’s strong and I can only finish half of it. They have indoor and outdoor seating. People like to sit outside more. But inside they have AC and music.

Jalao was amazing ambiance. Great place to meet others. Food taste great and music was good. Parking is difficult, yet consideration is to take in place since it is well situated in a historic area.

Came in for dinner, ordered the pasta and the rice with coconut beans everything was very tasty. Definitely recommend coming in for lunch time and enjoy some typical Dominican dishes.

Ok for a drink. Overpriced food.

One of the best places i ever been to

Great restaurant, we tried the sancocho dominicano and the eggplants with mozzarella. Eggplants were good although pretty standard but the sancocho was amazing!

Good atmosphere. All was tasty, apart from the fried Yuca that was dry and tasteless.

We had a great time at this restaurant. Live music was really good. You must try Costillitas nonas 🤩

I sat at the bar inside. food, service, environment and drinks were great. They take local traditional dishes and elevate them. Best cocktails I had in the city.

It is a very good restaurant, I went 3 years ago and I will return every time I go to the DR because I love it very pleasant, the food is very tasty, you have a great time very happy.

This is a must visit for the food, atmosphere and service. Ice cold drinks good music and an overall great time.

Great Restaurant! Great food for good prices. In addition, if you come the right night to get provided to a great live band.

Jalao is a fun lively resturaunt with a stage and live music. There's also a dance floor and plenty of room around the tables to dance throughout the evening. I had the Pescadito(Fish) and it was really good. The service was great people are constantly checking on you. And if you want peace and quiet or to smoke there is outside seating as well. Street parking was tight because you are in Zona de Colonial which is crowded but there is a parking garage if you're willing to walk about 5 blocks.

Very traditional and yummy food! It’s also in the square so plenty of people and buzz around!

The food was AMAZING! We ordered the Mufongo and a chicken dish. Couldn’t decide which was more delicious. The drinks were also super tasty and strong. We liked it so much we are probably going back tomorrow!

Beautiful place, I loved the decorations! Traditional foods on the menu with good prices. The food I ordered arrived very quickly and was delicious. The waiter was very attentive and friendly. The music was great too. Highly recommend!

I came here alone around 5 pm on a Sunday in January. There were not many people present, but the service was terrible - food was good though ( a nice juicy burger)! My seat was perfect, on the edge of the plaza facing all of the goings on. It was a fun place to sit and people watch. One waiter was kind and took care of me well at the start and end. The other was younger and ignored me when I hailed him (no napkins provided) and i had to flag down a hostess. When my waiter brought my food it was perfunctory, as were all of our interactions, and clearly he did not want to be my waiter. Not sure what went wrong. I hope it was just me and others have a better experience.

I wish I can give it more ⭐️s! Very nice and elegant restaurant, the best unique drinks and the food is delicious. The entertainment is fun and inviting, I have a good time every time I come here. Try the Mamajuana shots!

Not what I expected... The waitress was more interested in the table with more people than us. When I asked for something to drink he said wait.... the food didn't had the greatest taste but it wasn't bad. The place is beautiful and loved the music

Food and drinks were good. 200 Dominican peso fee for the entertainment. Band played great music. People are also able to dance.

We wanted to eat some authentic Dominican cuisine and this restaurant did not disappoint! We had the signature drink Jalao and for dinner we ate the Camarofungo. It was delicious!!!! Garlic shrimp on mashed plantains. Definitely recommend. Not only is the food great the location is amazing with a fantastic view of the square and church.

Food was good, service was good, cool interior. The restaurant doesn’t get busy until after 9PM so if you’re looking for music or a fuller/busy space I would go later in the evening.

The Rabo encendió was delicious, the chickpeas with rice and tostones were perfect combo. Definitely recommend ordering this plate if your ever here.

Great environment and entertainment. The food was ok, but it could've been better in taste and they need to expand the menu a little more.