So, as you probably know, I now live in the gorgeous country of El Salvador. I’m settling in pretty nicely here and now feel like I have been here long enough to have a list of some of my favorite restaurants to eat at while in the city of San Salvador. While I spend a lot of my time in San Benito, I’ve been able to try restaurants all over the city. So today, I’m here to share my top 5 with you!

VERDI

Address: Calle La Mascota 520, Local 3 y 4 Centro Comercial Hillside

Verdi is a beautiful and cozy restaurant & deli located just north of San Benito where they supply the best imported products such as proscuittos, salamis, and hand-picked meats and cheeses. All of their products are free of preservatives, colorants and chemical additives and also offer gluten free options. The menu is small and carefully chosen by the owner of the restaurant who spent a lot of his life in Europe, particularly France. He’s usually there at night and will give you great recommendations. So far, the most popular dishes have been the steak with rosemary and garlic, as well as my personal favorite – (which is off-menu!) the mushroom pasta. You also can’t go wrong with any of their wine selections, but I like to ask the waiter what he suggests based on what I end up ordering.

LA ESQUINA DE KURT

Calle Juan Jose Canas 2, San Salvador

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La Esquina de Kurt is one of my favorite restaurants I’ve been to so far. The owner & chef, Kurt Nottebohm is a local Salvadoran with family roots from Germany. They have some of the best seafood and drinks that are not only delicious, but will look great on your Instagram feed (ha!) My favorite items to order so far have been the calamari, Krab tatare, tiradito nikkei, krispy tuna, and I can’t forget the margarita de maracuya! While the food is absolutely amazing, the service there is also excellent. Everyone is very friendly and the food comes out quickly. Thursdays & Fridays can get a bit busy, so if you plan on dining on one of those nights, try to make a reservation!

MINH’S

Calle La Mascota &, Avenida El Almendro, San Salvador

Being from LA, I was missing my local Vietnamese restaurants so you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find Minh’s. They are located in San Benito and make a deliciously authentic pad thai. I also really enjoy the summer rolls, the curry (perfectly spicy!), and pho. They have both indoor and outdoor seating and the service is really great.

ANDIAN

Boulevard El Hipódromo #626, Colonia San Benito Boulevard

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Andian is one of my favorite breakfast places in the city! Whether you just want a croissant and a coffee or a full blown omlett, you really can’t go wrong. I like going on Saturday mornings because there’s a lively crowd and even though it can be busy, the service is still excellent. Even if there’s a little bit of a wait, there are so many cute shops right below you can check out, like my friend Andrea Ayala’s boutique.

IL BONGUSTAIO

Bulevar Del Hipodromo 605, San Salvador

Il Bongustaio is one of the more well-known restaurants in San Benito. It’s a bit up-scale, but perfect for a romantic evening or if you’re just in the mood for something fancy. It’s located in Hotel Nico (which to me, has some of the best rooms in the city!) where you can grab a drink in the lobby bar if there’s a wait. I love the Burrata con arúgula as a starter and the Salmón a la patata for my main dish, but everything on the menu looks just divine.

These are just a few of my favorite restaurants I’ve been to so I’ll keep adding to the list as time goes on! Hope you enjoy and if you have any recommendations for me, feel free to suggest new places for me in the comments below!