Restaurant Reviews and News

Carli Cafe Concierto wins 2008 Table's Chef's Hat Award!

From CARIBBEAN BUSINESS - Thursday, April 3, 2008

New York Times

Frommer's review http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/caribbean-and-bermuda/puerto-rico/san-juan/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654638206

This stylish restaurant is owned by Carli Muñoz. The gold disc hanging on the wall attests to Carli's success in his previous role as a pianist for The Beach Boys. Nowadays, Carli entertains his dinner guests nightly with a combination of standards, romantic jazz, and original material on his grand piano. Diners can sit outside on the Plazoleta, where they can enjoy a panoramic view of the bay, or they can eat inside against a backdrop of a tasteful decor of terra-cotta walls and black marble tables. The chef tempts visitors with an imaginative international menu, including such delights as quail rockettes stuffed with dried fruits and sage. The filet of salmon and a mouthwatering rack of lamb are among the finest main dishes. The bar, with its mahogany and brass fittings, is an ideal spot to chill out.

10Best.com http://www.10best.com/San_Juan/Restaurants/Lunch/Carli_Caf%7C_Concierto_San_Juan_BID_41430/

This dark, sophisticated spot in the baroque Banco Popular also offers a terrace with great views of the ships in the harbor. Black and white dominate in a bistro space accented with marble tables and a Steinway grand piano. Owner Carli Muñoz used to play with the Beach Boys (among many other groups) and entertains nightly at the café. The menu is a continental tour that includes seared loin of lamb and duck rissolé.

My Travel Guide

http://www.mytravelguide.com/restaurants/profile-79263705-Puerto_Rico_San_Juan_Carli_Cafe_Concierto.html

 Located on the street level of the Banco Popular Building in the middle of Old San Juan, the owner and pianist Carli Munoz turned this sidewalk cafe into an Old San Juan institution. Continental creations include duck rissole, cod dumplings, breast and leg of duck, and filet of salmon with mustard-cream sauce. The seared loin of lamb is known to be one of the best offerings from this excellent restaurant. Desserts include favorites like Crème Brûlée, Tart Tatin, and the decadent Kahlua-3-leches. The restaurant has a contemporary New York-style bistro appeal.

TripAdvisor.com

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147320-d150020-r7282191-Cafe_Carli_Concierto-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

Traveler rating:

San Juan: Cafe Carli Concierto: "Wonderful intimate and relaxing!"
BlushPell, Massachusetts  Apr 4, 2007

I had the best experience at Carli´s, is the food, the live jazz music, the service, the ambience what makes an unmemorable experience. Absolutely Outstanding!!!

I actually had the pleasure of going to the wonderful restaurant/club twice. They have live music every night (except Sundays they are closed). The setting is very nice and comfortable.

There are only 12 or so tables in Carli's so if you want to get a table, eat and listen to music I would suggest calling for a reservation. Once the music starts everyone who is dining pretty much stayed at their tables. The bar is also available for seating. The tapas are delicious especially the plantain caterpillar. It is a ripe plantain with shrimp and scallop mousse. Yum!

The music is delightful! I bought Carli's CD on the way out and listened to it during my trip.

The bartender Fausto makes the world's best mojitos. Try one or several it is worth it. Their coffee is delicious as well. Fausto also has a few cocktails that he makes up himself and will gladly show you his newest creation and make one for you!

The restaurant is located in the Banco Popular building in Old San Juan. If you happen to get a cab driver who does not know where the restaurant is then just ask him to go to the Banco Popular building. It is well known in Old San Juan.

This is one of those once in a lifetime experiences in San Juan that you should not miss!!!

Traveler rating:

San Juan: Cafe Carli Concierto: "Great food, wonderful music"
A TripAdvisor Member, Northern NJ  Mar 7, 2006

My husband and I had dinner here while we were in San Juan this past weekend and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We sat in the dining room, close to where the musicians were playing, and were treated to a first rate jazz performance in a relaxing atmosphere. My husband and I both agreed that seeing the Carli Munoz Trio perform was one of the highlights of our trip.

Dinner was excellent as well. The plantain encrusted calamari was particularly fantastic. Service was also attentive and unrushed. I enthusiastically recommend this restaurant to anyone who appreciates jazz and fine food.

Traveler rating:

San Juan: Cafe Carli Concierto: "One Very Memorable Evening"
A TripAdvisor Member, Milwaukee, Wisconsin  Feb 2, 2005

I had dinner with my wife and two close friends at Cafe Carli Concierto in Old San Juan on 1/21/2005. Over the course of 3+ hours, we had some of the best food and service any of us have ever experienced. We enjoyed excellent wines too and Carli and his outstanding jazz trio played nearly the entire time that we were in the restaurant. This is an incredibly cozy and comfortable restaurant that gets my highest recommendation.

Traveler rating:

San Juan: Cafe Carli Concierto: "Carli Cafe Concierto with Carli at the piano is an outstanding experience"
A TripAdvisor Member, Shelburne, Vermont and Humacao, PR  Feb 15, 2004

Carli Munoz is an outstanding jazz pianist. It was a privilege to be able to listen to him. The evening that we were there he had a bass accompanist who was also top rate. We understand that Carli also performs with a trio and a quintet-we are definitely going back. What a terrific evening!!! The club is small and intimate with an outdoor deck. By the way we had dinner and the food is excellent. An outstanding evening-Thanks you Carli Munoz for the music that flows from your hands!!!

Traveler rating:

San Juan: Cafe Carli Concierto: "Fantastic Evening"
  May 19, 2002

I had the pleasure of dining at Carli's Cafe several times while visiting Old San Juan. The food was wonderful and the music was even better. The host, Carli himself, is gracious and charming as well as an accomplished pianist. Altogether an enchanted evening!

PuertoRicoGuest.com

http://puertoricoguest.com/magazine/re-restaurants-clubs-eng-2006-06-01-01.htm

If you can’t be here for the JazzFest, don’t worry: live jazz adds to the Island’s rich musical mix just about every week of the year, from clubs in Old San Juan to elegant hotel lobbies to starlit parks. For all jazz all the time, it’s the relaxed setting of Carli Café Concierto in Old San Juan. Carli Muñoz, a famous pianist and the venue’s proprietor, was first bitten by the jazz bug in the early ‘60s. Aside from a few detours with the Beach Boys (an 11-year stint) and his rock group “The Living End,” Carli’s number-one passion has always been jazz, and he has worked with such celebrated artists as George Benson and Les McCann. Open for more than seven years, Carli Café Concierto offers a savory international menu to go with the jazz.

A happy camper, NYC, June 2006

Carli Café Concierto. Plazoleta Rafael Carrión. Banco Popular building, Old San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tel: 787 725-4927. Top notch fine dining with world class live jazz -- Carli Café Concierto (Est. 1998) - Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the real deal; a unique world class fine dining restaurant featuring superb live jazz performances nightly. Owner and host Carli Muñoz, ex Beach Boys band member (11 years), performs solo and accompanied on his Steinway Concert Grand piano by some of the best local jazz musicians and visiting international stars from Monday through Thursday and with his famed jazz trio on Fridays and Saturdays. Its unique infusion of classic international, Caribbean and Asian infused cuisine created by Carli’s executive chefs has been consistently rated by its patrons as the best in the old city. Carli’s is romantically nested at the basement of the landmark Banco Popular art deco building, with additional open dining space Al Fresco at the adjoining plazoleta overlooking the San Juan harbor. The ambiance indoors is commonly referred to an “oasis”, with its poignantly elegant décor, hosting precious artwork from some of the best known local artist and a picture collection of many of the all time great jazz and pop superstars that Carli have recorded and performed with. Great cuisine, great jazz, great service, great wines, a great classic bar, great atmosphere, great view and a great location; it all adds up to GREAT experience at Carli’s, conveniently located in the heart of the historic old city, Recinto Sur Street, corner of San Justo; a real jewel, and not to be missed.

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for
thereby some have entertained angels unaware."