El Mesón de la Cava image

El Mesón de la Cava

Restaurant

👍 We really enjoyed this restaurant 🥰. The food was almost amazing and everyone was so nice! If you have some spare time you should definitely check it out! 😋 The only thing that bothered me is that my wife didn't like what she ordered and they didn't allow as to change it to something else 😔 for t... People often mention cave, restaurant, service, good, time, great, ordered, experience, delicious, nice,


Address

Av. Mirador Sur 1, Santo Domingo 00000, Dominican Republic

Website

www.elmesondelacava.com

Contact

+1 809-533-2818

Price rating

$$$ $

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (3.5K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: 12 PM to 12 AM
  • Saturday: 12 PM to 12 AM
  • Sunday: 12 PM to 12 AM
  • Monday: 12 PM to 12 AM
  • Tuesday: 12 PM to 12 AM
  • Wednesday: 12 PM to 12 AM
  • Thursday: 12 PM to 12 AM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: cave (38) restaurant (33) service (25) good (25) time (20) great (17) ordered (14) experience (14) delicious (14) nice (10)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 4/5 Nadav R. 1 year ago on Google
    We really enjoyed this restaurant 🥰. The food was almost amazing and everyone was so nice! If you have some spare time you should definitely check it out! 😋 The only thing that bothered me is that my wife didn't like what she ordered and they didn't allow as to change it to something else 😔 for this type of restaurant it should be possible with no problem at all.
    12 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Felix G. 3 months ago on Google • 310 reviews New
    The restaurant is cute and would have to come back for a proper review. Our initial experience suck. We called to get reservations. We were told that we would get reservation confirmation through WhatsApp. We show up to the front desk, and only then we were told that there isn’t reservation. Only available seating garden seating. The lady in the front attitude sucked. Follow through with your customers and tell them they will not have availability within the inside of the cave. The environment is beautiful.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 DVVS I. 2 months ago on Google • 382 reviews New
    Atmosphere and Service ratings chart not sufficient enough for this AMAZING establishment!! Reservations are a must, Dec. 2023 prices...2500pesos per person minimum for dining, 1500pesos per person minimum for terrace and both well worth the experience, ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY!!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lee 1 year ago on Google
    Wow, what an outstanding restaurant. Fine dining at its best. Top quality food and a top quality restaurant as a whole with excellent service. Beautiful surroundings and a lovely restaurant inside of a cave with caveman-style etchings. Truly wonderful. I ordered the chef selection steak and my partner ordered grouper. It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for and more. A must visit for anyone visiting Santo Domingo.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jeff D. 1 year ago on Google
    Awesome place! I really didn’t expect them to have so much going on. Great vibes with History and Great Food! Technically this is a 3 in 1 restaurant. There’s a terrace type of lounge with Karaoke on the 3rd Floor where you enter. Next another patio area with music on the second & first floor just as casual as the other. And finally there’s the nicer restaurant inside the cave for finer dining. Just simply beautiful to be inside of something of such ancient history. The staff was super friendly and extremely attentive. Food was a bit slow but I expected that considering how busy it was. So get appetizers (they come out fast). The main dish was soooo delicious! I will be back. Loved it.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 E. A. 5 months ago on Google • 137 reviews
    Update! October 2023. As I mentioned below, I wanted to try this place a second time... and I did. We made an online reservation to eat inside the cave, only to be told at the entrance (with attitude) that our reservation was moved to a different place because they had to (it took us a long conversation to be able to have dinner inside the cave). The appetizers came out quickly, and they were delicious. Drinks took a little bit to arrive, and the main course took a long time even though it wasn't a busy night. My wife's main dish was very good; mine was not. I ordered a dish that included cod fish, cheese, and some veggies (I'm still looking for the fish). It had the cheese, a lot of veggies, and maybe a tiny sprinkle of fish, literally (look at the before and after pics; I was looking for the "fish"). This isn't a cheap place, and this is the second time this has happened to me. I only gave this restaurant 3 stars because of the appetizers, the sangrías and my wife's dish/pleading. Otherwise, it would have been 2 stars. The cave is pretty cool, but for the kind of money you pay there, I don't recommend it. Old post! First, I will revisit this place to give it a second chance... for now, 1 star. I'll explain myself. We arrived there without reservations, no problem. We waited for about 20+ minutes to get our drinks (2 out 5 were bad). After that, another 25+ minutes to place our orders (it was very busy). Yet again, another 30+ minutes for our OK food to come to the table (before the waiter took her sweet time to inform us that they were out 2 of the selected dishes). My dish, particularly, was missing an ingredient. I get it; they were very busy, but you expect more staff in such an expensive restaurant. The cave looks awesome, and the atmosphere was very inviting since they had a live band playing traditional Dominican music. I will update once I go there again.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rosalba W. 4 months ago on Google • 222 reviews
    The restaurants is very nice. Has an unique atmosphere because it’s in a cave, also has a terrace above the cave in case you want to be in the open space. Of course for me the interesting feature of this place is the cave so every time I go there I reserve a table inside the cave. The food is very tasty. They offer a big variety of wines. The steak is always good abs fresh. The staff is sweet. They don’t have parking lot but you can park by the streets. They are open from lunch till dinner.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Ian F. 1 year ago on Google
    The experience was amazing. Elegant place, perfect for a date. The outside patio terrace is also an experience to enjoy. Service wise was slow and my food came out cold but was still good. Overall the environment made the vibes.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Min Suk G. 1 month ago on Google • 208 reviews New
    Excellent service and atmosphere. There is a cute cat in the outside seating area that roams around tables. Food is expensive but tastes average. Eat dinner somewhere else and go for drinks .
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Blue L. 1 year ago on Google
    We had a reservation for 8 at the terrace. We took the elevator down and I was amazed by the place. We didn't quite like the position of our table so I asked to be moved, the lady reacted right away and got us a better table. Our waiter was amazing. He was very busy but he was very nice throughout the service even when we kept asking about the food when it was taking some time to show up. I was also very impressed by his memory when it came to separating the bill. We got the cocktails and appetizers pretty quickly but the busier the place got the longer it took to get our food. I fell in love with the fried calamars, I had to order a second one. The cocktails were all good, my favorite was the paradise. Unfortunately they didn't have the paella I was looking forward to but my friends and I all liked the dishes we ordered. I ended up ordering the seafood linguini and it was amazing. The desserts were beyond delicious. Good ambiance, good food, good people. I loved it!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Taylor C. 2 years ago on Google
    A must-see when visiting Santo Domingo. Nestled along a rocky cliff side inside their equivalent to Central Park, both the terraced covered garden levels outside and the interior cave dining rooms offer gorgeous ambiance from every angle. The staff is sweet as can be and the food is at a level you expect from nice restaurants in New York City. Bonus tip: if you sit outside on a quiet evening you might be lucky enough to get a visit from tiny tuxedo cat Pepe, who is apparently a hit with the ladies.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Donghan Y. 2 years ago on Google
    One of the best findings from my trip to Dominican Republic. I didn’t expect much when the concierge recommended this place. Once we get to the place, however, I thanked the concierge over and over again. Made from a natural cave, this place has mystic atmosphere of its own. Spacious but limited in number of private tables, the place gives you exotic feeling. The food is great, especially the seafood - natural from its vast resources. The service, however, was exquisite indeed and that service made my day. We felt that we’re cared and got the best service available. They provided everything that was asked and tried to suit the visitors as much as they could. Two thumbs up and highly recommended.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Eddy 2 years ago on Google
    Now I know what it feels like to be the “Caped Crusader”! Very warm welcome at the elevator door which continued throughout the entire experience. It took me a few minutes to realize that this was an actual cave! You would never know that the way this place has been excavated and designed. Wow; La Cava should be placed on Dominican Republic’s star attraction list. Once you take the elevator down you get blown away by the ambience and realizing you are in a fully functioning cave! Incredible place, very attentive staff, delicious food, romantic setting, dress code enforced, fabulous dining experience. Definitely a high class, five star, super clean establishment!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Carlos Ariel Then (Mr. T. 1 year ago on Google
    Meson De La Cava was an Exquisite location full of a welcoming ambiance and great service. The moment I arrived I was greeted and informed on how to get to “the cave”. The decorations and lighting were very appealing. As the night unfolded I started with “carnitas del cielo” or meat of the sky. It was a delicious combination of ground beef with raisins in it, hummus and perfectly baked chips. Now I’m not the biggest fan of raisins and ground beef. Especially in my pastelitos. But this was a very good combination of flavor and it had me wanting more! Oh and before that I forgot to mention the bread with the delicious garlic butter which was complimentary. I ended up eating the Cave Man Steak which is fit for two people and it was definitely a generous plate. It was served with little corn thingies that were quite yummy and an amazing mashed potato bowl that was covered in cheese. The mashed potatoes were nice and soft and the cheese on top made it so much more delectable. Lastly the sangria I drank was enjoyable and the ginger passion drink was delicious for those who enjoy ginger. I appreciate the service and everything about this place and highly recommend it.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Jamal R. 8 months ago on Google • 65 reviews
    The food at this restaurant is okay at best, we came here on a Monday night to eat some food and it took us over 2 hours in order to receive our food. The steaks that we ordered were cold and bland and were not worth the money we spent for it. From all the reviews that say the waiting time is up there I no understand why. This places only saving benefit is that it’s good for drinks, other than that it was a below average experience.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Sidney W. 4 months ago on Google • 86 reviews
    My girlfriend and I had a great experience dining inside the cave here. It was our first time, I do recommend making a reservation as we did before going. The prices are high and I also recommend going earlier in the day as I was very disappointed at not getting what I wanted as I was looking forward to ordering the ribeye and they were out. That's the reason for the 4-stars. Because of that, it was just a great experience nonetheless. Great for a special occasion. I'm not sure if we will return as if I'm paying those prices, I want to get what I came for and not settle for less. The staff are very attentive and the atmosphere is picturesque
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Armando R. 3 years ago on Google
    An upscale restaurant in a cave, With exceptional service and an exquisite menu to boot. This is an Excellent place to dine in with your spouse or with family and friends. The menu is a bit pricy, but you get what you pay for. Also the Music choices are calm and relaxing
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Abigail C. 1 year ago on Google
    When we arrived at the restaurant, ambiance was perfect, but the place is really cold, the waiters take long to go to your table to offer drinks, and takes very long to get your food, and when the food comes it comes allot, but in general its a nice , different place. You would love to visit.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ieva 2 years ago on Google
    We really enjoyed our dinner in this restaurant. The cave part is amazing! I would recommend reserving table there for the nice cave dinning experience! Food was delicious and mostly friendly service (one of the waiters seemed kind of angry on everyone, but we didn't let that ruin our dinner experience).
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Ty V. 8 months ago on Google
    This place seriously needs to work on their customer service!! I received an invitation from my cousins this past Sunday for lunch. She made reservations for the four of us. The lady at the front of the restaurant was extremely friendly and guided us to our dining area. The aesthetics of this place is beautiful, a nice terrace on the top with live music and views of the city, while also having a lower dining area inside a cave which is where we sat. Our reservations was for 1:30pm and we were sat immediately. The restaurant knew we were there for the festival special so they already had our food orders. However, no one came to our table to even offer us a drink for at least 20 minutes. We all noticed that the floor was full of servers but none of them took the opportunity to ask for our orders, not even water! After waiting, one of the servers asked if we wanted anything to drink and we ordered a pitch of Rose Sangria. The Sangria took a while to come but overall the taste was good. The food came almost 2 hours after we got there. Unfortunately I was extremely disappointed in the quality of the food and the flavor. It tasted like buffet food from a low quality restaurant. The meat was extremely dry and a bit cold, chicken tasted old/reheated. For the atmosphere and vibe they portrayed, this restaurant is not worth the price because of the quality of the food and service. It could be a good option to grab a drink, but not to dine in and be ignored. After I finished my drink, another server took my glass but didn’t even offer me the option to order another drink. We had a lot of leftovers and one of my cousins asked the server to pack some of the food. The server literally said that they “charge for each plate”… we were all confused why the need to mention it. They ended up bringing plastic food containers and my cousin packed what she needed. Not long after, the server brought the check to our table. We hadn’t even asked for the check and we were still waiting to get our desserts. This is the first time in my life that I go to a restaurant that brings me the check without bringing the final course yet. Extremely UNPROFESSIONAL!! I’ve dined in different cities around the world, Michelin restaurants, street food spots, local small business restaurants, and have never experienced such poor service. As the owner of this place, please spend more of your resources to train your workers better and have proper etiquette. If you don’t have the resources for that, hire individuals who are professional and that seemed to love what they do. It was the middle of the day and the faces of most of them looked like they were tired and careless. I was excited to try this spot, but will not be returning here. Spend your money elsewhere, so many food/restaurant variety in the DR to come back here.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Grisell C. 3 months ago on Google • 33 reviews New
    This is a must visit place whether you are local or a tourist. Atmosphere wise is just perfect, it has different areas, two gorgeous terraces and the main attraction which is the cave. The service is good, from the host to the waiter. The food was good too, decent portions, everything we ordered was good.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Huynh V. 2 years ago on Google
    2 stars only to support the atmosphere. The vibe in the beginning was good. The paella dish was so burnt that it tastes like cigarette for the whole dish. Food service was very slow. We sent it back and the manager seemed to disagree with us as he said its the best part (it was bitter and overly burnt with a very thick layer at the bottom). We think he underestimated us as we are travelers/tourists and not knowing how to eat. We ended up ordered a simple dish not even through the menu as we were not offered time to see the menu when re-ordering (simple pasta with shrimp for my husband, mash potatoes with shrimp for me). Drinks were decent, food was not impressive, simply overpriced at the end. Come here for drinks, not for food would be ideal.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Thais O. 11 months ago on Google
    The whole place is amazing. From the entrance to the cave part. Amazing, beautiful, delicious food, very friendly and helpful staff. I recommend it and I will 100% certainly come back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Hugo 8 months ago on Google
    My favorite restaurant while in DR. The food was all very good, great service & the best cocktails I’ve ever had.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 lisa p. 1 year ago on Google
    Food was excellent. Appetizers was great! Caesar salad with chicken. I think by far best food I had since being in the Dominican Republic. Staff was great. But I must say you have to wear formal wear if you want to dine downstairs in the cave. Something that should be mentioned on the website. Definitely a must visit
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jennifer B. 8 months ago on Google
    They have a terrace on top or the cave inside. For the cave, you need to make reservations. Really cool experience. The service was great! The food was good too. Very romantic dinner spot and so unique!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Israel S. 2 years ago on Google
    One of the most original restaurants that I have been. Underground, inside a cave. Very stylish and well kept. The service is premium, great menu for local food. The price was worth it.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kendry R. 1 year ago on Google
    This was my family and I first time here. We absolutely loved it. The restaurant is beautiful inside, feels like you’re in a cave. The service and the food was great. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you’re in Santo Domingo.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Travel R. 2 years ago on Google
    The restaurant El Meson de la Cava is a wonderful restaurant. It is beautifully located and well maintained. Everything is very well intertwined here. (The nature and the restaurant). There is a large terrace and there is a small cave in which you can eat. Both are really beautifully designed. For the cave you should reserve in any case. The atmosphere in this place is very good. It is something different. The menu was available as a QR code. This is as a foreigner a little harder if you have no internet (wifi reception was poor on the terrace) but the waitress has her wifi shared by cell phone. The food was outstanding. Everything is freshly prepared and you notice the high quality. Our paella was made fresh and you could taste it. The service was always on hand and very attentive. This has also given a lot of effort to overcome the language barrier. Price-wise, this restaurant is of course a bit more expensive than normal, but I find the prices fair and not exaggerated. This is reflected in the general quality. For me, this restaurant is a must when you are in Santo Domingo. Atmosphere and food fits well together here.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mario V. R. 2 years ago on Google
    Wow! Had a great time at this restaurant! Staff was very profesional. The restaurant counts with outdoor, indoor and underground dine in which I consider to be a plus specially with the pandemic. The food was amazing! Hope you like what you see in the pictures. Definitely must come back to this restaurant.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Angel V. 2 years ago on Google
    Excellent service! Great portions. Fair priced. everyone was welcoming, I had trouble connecting to the wifi but I didn’t mind until it was time to order a cab. Other than that YOU MUST GO it made my vacation unforgettable
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Pat G. 5 months ago on Google • 62 reviews
    First off, not a lot of cooler places to enjoy a dinner than sitting in a cave. There are even bats hanging from the ceiling. Tthe service is exceptional. Very attentive staff. From the host greeting you at the front door to the servers, first class all the way through. Food was very good. I had the lobster cakes to start and the sauce that accompanies it gives it just the right kick. As my main entree I ordered the rib eye steak cooked medium with mashed potatoes as my side. My steak was tasty but may have been a little over cooked. The chimichurri sauce was also good. Mashed potatoes were delicious. All in all, the 30 minute drive in traffic was well worth the trip. Looking forward to coming back next time I’m visiting DR.

  • 5/5 manny m. 1 month ago on Google • 32 reviews New
    It’s a real cave. Nicely decorated. Romantic setting. Food is pretty good too but this place all about the setting. Not in to taking pics at dinner? Hit me up if you were able to resist. Enjoy

  • 2/5 Alex L. 2 months ago on Google • 17 reviews New
    The atmosphere is fantastic. The live music was very good. The food is good not great. Their deserts are fantastic though. The server's were great but the hostess was very rude.

  • 5/5 Keith S. 4 months ago on Google • 15 reviews
    The best ever. Classy and delicious. Atmosphere is 1 to die for!! A real cave! Couldn’t ask for tastier food and the presentation, WOW.

  • 5/5 Erika L. 2 months ago on Google • 9 reviews New
    This was my second time eating here and definitely won’t be my last. Each dish is delicious and carefully prepared. The staff is sweet and attentive. The atmosphere is cozy inside the cave, you get to see artifacts that belong to the Taínos. I highly recommend!

  • 2/5 Seven M. 1 year ago on Google
    This place was incredibly beautiful. Service was impeccable. I wish I could say the same about the food. I tried the calamari it was very flavorless, chewy, and the breading just crumbled away. I also tried the octopus which was better in quality but very poor in taste. The quality of food served is not worth the price. Maybe just go for the cave and some drinks. Save your money on the food for a better place.

  • 5/5 Nino M. 2 months ago on Google • 5 reviews New
    This was a one of a kind experience. My family and I enjoyed the time we spent here. The food was amazing.

  • 5/5 Michelle M. 9 months ago on Google
    Excellent food, service, ambiance and very impressive cave. It’s definitely a unique experience and the service is top notch. I ordered Pollo al Vino (chicken in a creamy mushroom wine sauce) and it was delicious, it was actually the best plate from what everyone else in my group ordered. The outdoor terrace was also very pretty to take photos.

  • 4/5 Saida A. 2 years ago on Google
    Beautiful place, slightly overpriced but with good food and attentive service. Ingredients could be a little better and drink was too sweet, but overall good to try.

  • 1/5 JOEL G. 2 years ago on Google
    Our reservation was at 8:30pm we have visited this restaurant many time and love the time we have spent here but our last visit was not the case Upon arrival we were asked to wait in a small room I till our table is ready no problem it’s now 9:30 When we were seated we never had a waiter the manager came back and forth the drinks took for ever We finally ordered and at 11:30 was told the steak was not there Quality and would I take another dish We walked out at 11:45 with nothing but bread and a few drinks 3 1/2 hours later will not return 😢

  • 5/5 Nicole A. 2 years ago on Google
    It was great! Food was good. The ambiance was nice. Beautiful setting.

  • 5/5 Arthur De P. 2 years ago on Google
    An absolutely incredible restaurant! Had a late lunch on a Monday and the place was already a bit busy. All three spaces are gorgeous, but the inside of the cave is something else! The cave is beautiful, very raw (although they did add some designs, such as some pirate drawings) and the feeling inside it is a bit chilly, which is a great refresh for Santo Domingo's extreme hot weather. The food was spectacular, we ordered the paella and it was delicious and quite plentiful! The wine was great, the staff was great and courteous and the decoration was also lovely and upscale. Definitely worth visiting! And may I recommend going for lunch, since their menu is quite vast and you may have more time to digest it all nice and easy.


Call +1 809-533-2818 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Pets
    • ✓️ Dogs allowed
    • ✓️ Dogs allowed outside
  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
    • ✓️ Free street parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Hard liquor
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Organic dishes
    • ✓️ All you can eat
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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