Guiding 2 friends around in Santo Domingo

[BartC]

I'd like to ask the opinion of all you Santo Domingo "specialists" out there, as I live on the east coast and don't know Santo Domingo *that* well.

Two friends of mine are arriving next monday for a week. They currently run a good restaurant in Belgium, and are thinking of possibly opening a restaurant in Santo Domingo.

So during the week they will be here they want to check out Santo Domingo, and it's possibilities for them.

What in your opinion, are the places I should show them for sure (please be as specific as possible), and the things I should try to do with them in that one week?

Suggestions about high class restaurants and cool events are welcome too.

Thanks, Bart

[Chirimoya]

I would recommend a walk round the Zona colonial. Start in the early part of the morning as after lunch it gets too hot. Plaza Espana and the Alcazar de Colon, Museo de las Casas Reales and el Museo Maritimo. Calle las Damas, Fortaleza Ozama and Casa de Bastidas. Plaza Colon and the Cathedral. Ruins of Hospital San Nicolas de Bari and Convento San Francisco.

There are 'Amber' and 'Larimar' museums which are interesting but beware the hard sell! There is an excellent craft shop on Plaza Colon (yellow facade), and a number of others on C Isabel la Catolica and Merino.

The Cafeteria on Plaza Colon (corner of C Merino) is great for juices, coffe and people watching. Typical food in Meson de Bari restuarant on Calle Hostos. Cocos on Calle Billini, British run for international food and good relaxed atmosphere.

In Gazcue there is a restaurant called El Conuco which does typical Dominican country-style food and traditional dancing shows. Tourist trap, but fun.

Not too far away is Plaza de la Cultura where all the main museums are: Anthropology (Museo del Hombre Dominicano), History and Geography, Natural History and Modern Art. It is all set in a pleasant campus style complex housing the national theatre and other cultural institutions, with lots of greenery and shade.

On Sundays from 12 noon to midnight the seafront avenue Malecon is pedestrianised from the obelisk to Ave Maximo Gomez so people can enjoy the seafront without the usual vehicle noise and pollution.

The Botanic gardens are on the other side of town but are world class and definitely worth a visit. Also the aquarium (Acuario Nacional) which is a little way out of town on the road to the airport.

Editing to add: posh restaurants include: Seasons in Naco, La Bricciola (sp?) in Zona Colonial, Vesuvio on the Malecon, and several others, but wait for other posters with more money than I to give you first-hand info about them!

Chiri

[lhtown]

If you are wanting to show them the city from a tourist's perspective or a local's perspective could make a big difference in where they go.

Since they are interested in classy dining, take them to Vesuvios on the Malecon. Some might disagree, but in my humble opinion, it is the "timeless standard" for Dominican fine dining. It isn't cheap.

You should advise us as to their interest in starting a restaurant. Are they wanting to appeal to the tourist crowd (in which case the colonial district or the Malecon (alond the ocean) would be the obvious and maybe only choices).

If they want to appeal to the local crowd, they might think about the Bella Vista area and the areas around Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Lope de Vega, and Tiradentes between JF Kennedy and Ave. Independencia. They might also consider Arroyo Hondo which seems to me could use restaurants more than the areas I just mentioned since they seem to me to already have too many. Perhaps in the area of the Diamond mall or overlooking the Botanical Gardens (zoning may not permit there). On the other hand, there might be some reasons I am not aware of why there really aren't any nice restaurants in Arroyo Hondo.

[BartC]

Thanks for your replies so far. To answer some questions...

They both have been to the country before, and saw some of the touristic side of it, but mostly in Bavaro. Of course they realise that starting an upscale and good quality restaurant in Bavaro, is as good as impossible, because it's 95% tourism here and thoose tourists don't dine out but prefer the buffet in their all-in hotel.

Allthough one week is not nearly enough to get a good feel of the capital, I'd like to show them the city (and mostly around the zona colonial) from both perspectives, both local and touristical.

For their restaurant, they will mainly be catering to business lunches and dinners and middle class & higher locals. Prices and food/menu will be european style, and allthough everyone would be more then welcome, not everyone can afford a european priced meal.

On another note, I will also be showing them several shops and supermarkets, just to reasure them that in this country you really can find everything (sometimes if you look long enough for it). Because as a tourist that has only seen Bavaro, they might believe that the only type of shops are giftshops

Thanks again for the continuous replies. I'm leaving with them for Sto Dgo tomorrow around 1 PM.

[Jan]

Theres some great resturants right in Zona Colonial too. La Brichola and the one across the street from that..can't remember the name. Both are right down from the cathedral at Colon Park.