Serves meat, vegan options available. Restaurant in Old San Juan specializing in Puerto Rican cuisine. Has extensive vegetarian/vegan menu offering appetizers, mains, and desserts. No red meat. Example of dishes include include bbq guava loaf, vegan burger with sauteed mushrooms, spicy tacos, malanga with mango salsa, gluten-free pizza, pancakes with berries. Rotating desserts include vegan cakes like carrot cake and tres leches. Serves cocktails, margaritas, beer, and juices. Food is prepared to order and takes time. Reservations suggested. Open Mon-Wed 9:00am-9:00pm, Thu-Fri 9:00am-6:00pm, Sat-Sun 8:00am-9:00pm.
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407 San Francisco St (at Plaza Colon), San Juan, Puerto Rico
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 22 Feb 2023 by OldCityVvibes
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136 Reviews
First Review by VeganPike
JamieHeis
Points +306
Charming - Edit
We came to Cafe Berlin for our anniversary dinner. As mentioned in other reviews, the have a vegan section in their menu.
Read moreWe had the vegan empanadas which were amazing and piping hot! Super flavorful!! For the main meal, my husband ordered the Ciollo Tofu and I had the Vegan Puerto Rican Mofongo. He said that as good as his dish was, the Mofongo was the bomb! The owner came to greet us and was delightful. This place is a gem for sure. We highly recommend.
Updated from previous review on 2024-12-17
Pros: Authentic Puerto Rican flavors, Cozy atmosphere, Great coffee
Guest
mohanaholloway
Points +1192
full vegan menu - Edit
there are so many options here, it could be a vegan restaurant. delicious food in a quaint setting right in the heart of old san juan. both puerto rican classics and american cuisine too. pricey but worth it !
Read morePros: Many vegan options
Guest
varunshetty00
Points +126
Perfection - Edit
Okay this place is so charming with its old buildings and large windows. Also, the service is friendly and efficient. They have an entire vegan menu which is SO good! (Also they have vegan pancakes for which they get bonus points). Do check it out!
Read moreGuest
andjanine
Points +136
High prices but HUGE portions - Edit
I got the criollo tofu which is amazing, especially if you love tomato-based sauces like me. It came with sides of mamposteao and tostones. It was huge and easily could’ve been two meals. Given the portion sizes and quality, I felt like the prices were justified.
Read morePros: Chill atmosphere
Cons: Inconsistent hours
Guest
Sinth
Points +34
Wonderful! - Edit
Great food and friendly service
Read moreGuest
MarisaRain
Points +63
Great first meal in San Juan! - Edit
First thing off the plane I was super hungry and craving pancakes that my boyfriend usually makes me at home. I just got super lucky when this was the first recommendation to pop up on Google Maps. I’m visiting in the off season but we went around noon and it wasn’t very busy, however, at least four other tables in there at the time. The waitress was attentive, the atmosphere was lovely, and GUYS… these pancakes are awesome. They have a griddle cook like how I used to enjoy diner pancakes. I would give it a try and please remember that everyone’s food preferences are different, but I truly do recommend this place as there are multiple options and makes for a great place to eat with non-vegans.
Read morePros: Service , Plenty of Options , Tasty Food
Guest
PaulHBrown
Points +40
Just right - Edit
Breakfast Bowl is fresh and delicious
Read moreLliguerPR96
Always upload your pictures, please. We need to see them!🙏🏼
Read moreGuest
its.hebe
Points +94
Consistency is King - Edit
i used to go to this place back in 2018 a LOT because my partner discovered it randomly when he was looking up vegan options for me to have. the first time, our meal was nothing short of spectacular. the sesame tofu was crispy, crunchy, the sauce was exquisite and the soy milk cappuccino i ordered with it was on point. my partner had a spaghetti bolognese and he loved it.
Read morethe next time we came, we ordered other items, i believe the pizza and i forget what else. it was good, i don't recall otherwise. we weren't as wowed as the first time, but we left satisfied.
that was the last time it was good before i had to stop going :(
the next few times i went alone, craving that amazing sesame tofu. i ordered it again, and... i don't know what happened, but the tofu wasn't even cooked! not fried at all or anything, it was like they just dumped some slabs of raw tofu that looked like it just came out of the package on a plate with some overly sweet sesame sauce. it was honestly inedible. the cappuccino this time was flat and bitter.
i decided to give them a few more tries, thinking it was a fluke. i've worked in restaurant service for over a decade and i'm very understanding of mistakes. but the sesame tofu was never the same again, and after the 3rd terrible meal, i gave up...
i haven't been back since the pandemic but i heard the place survived and is still open. i'm willing to give them another chance, but this time if they serve me raw tofu on a plate i will have to say something.
you guys at cafe berlin have an amazing vegan menu. i get that maybe some of the chefs aren't vegan and don't care for vegan food, but that's not okay if half your menu is vegan. you need to put the same care and quality control into the vegan side of the menu as you do the regular one. i hope when i go back this issue will be fixed because i really fell in love with this place before the inconsistency broke my heart :(
Updated from previous review on 2021-08-12
Guest
shaunf17
Points +42
ehh - Edit
Server was really nice and they were clearly understaffed. Food was just okay not much flavor, took about an hour to receive food, drinks came after, and very expensive, $36 for vegan tacos
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-02-27
Pros: Very friendly staff , Good coffee
Cons: Overpriced , Food wasn’t great , Very Long wait
Guest
Cgmnam3184
Points +16
Excellent vegan options - Edit
The vegan options we ordered were delicious, although they were out of several of the vegan menu items. They tasted even better as leftovers.
Read morePros: Food was very good
Cons: Several menu items were not available, Service was ok, Very expensive
Guest
AdamT319
Points +103
Can’t recommend - Edit
The ambience is nice the view is great… just order coffee and leave it at that. The staff is good. We got the vegan bowls. The breakfast potatoes were good , I think cooked with rosemary nice crisp crust on them.
Read moreThe GF cauliflower Pita wasn’t bad or great if given a choice I would choose anything else.
The Tofu scramble looked nice, but it tasted like nothing like clouds of nothing. I don’t mean to be overly critical but for $24 I expected more. The portion size wasn’t filling.
Updated from previous review on 2024-02-17
Cons: Extra charge for non dairy milk in coffee, Side salad was wispy and not dressed.
Guest
DanMiller
Points +183
Just ok - Edit
We looked for this place, walked by at first cuz not much signage. Sat at the bar. Good selection of vegan dishes. Beer tap was not working. I pulled rotting leaves out the spinach salad side. I mean really?
Read moreArroz con gondules was very good, wife liked the red snapper
Pros: Location, Ambiance, Very friendly
Cons: Served rotting spinach leaves, Expensive, Mofongo side was very dry, not served with broth
Guest
JohnFalstaff
Points +189
Good but really expensive - Edit
Food was good, extensive vegan menu. Good service.
Read moreBut wow the prices. Be warned, it’s expensive, really expensive.
Pros: Good menu, Good food, Good service
Cons: Super high prices
Guest
andrew_waz
Points +83
Worth the Wait! - Edit
I ordered the mofongo, and although it to awhile it was delicious!!! I would definitely go back and try other things on the menu, as they have a quite large dedicated section to vegan/vegetarian. I always explain the wait for food here with the one statement “we are on island time.” Also, although I will say it is worth every penny, the food is quite expensive.
Read morePros: Delicious Food, Vegan Section on Menu, Cool Atmosphere
Cons: Long Wait, $$$
Guest
LuisOPedraza-Soto
Points +40
Not what I was expecting… - Edit
Sadly food was cold. Not to much flavor. Slow service.
Read morePros: View, Historic building , Air conditioning
Guest
MarielQuinones
Points +76
Great vegan options in Viejo San Jun - Edit
They have a vegan menu with several entrees and two breakfast dishes. The tofu breakfast bowl was okay but the Criollo tofu with arroz mamposteao was out of this world!!!
Read morePros: Vegan Menu, Staff understands vegan, Big portions
Cons: Pricier than usual fare, Recommend for lunch, not breakfast
Guest
jete201
Points +16
Best restaurant in Old San Juan - Edit
Do you ever have a vegan meal where you say,”Let me eat these mediocre parts so I can get to the good part?” Well - everything about this restaurant is the best part. This is definitely a must for anyone coming to San Juan. I ordered the Ropa Vieja Vegana. It was fabulous. My husband had the Criollo Tofu. He mentioned heaven while eating it. I think he loved it. The best part of the meal was our waiter Nico. He has a manner with people that makes them feel at ease. He suggested some Sangria that complemented the meal perfectly. He even made it himself. What a great experience!! Memories of this meal will be one of the things that brings us back to Puerto Rico.
Read moreGuest
KellyT_MKE
Points +50
Overpriced - Edit
Super nice to have so many vegan options, an attentive server, and has very lovely atmosphere but it was pretty expensive. For an order of pancakes (2 average sized cakes with a few strawberries, blueberries, & sliced almonds), an iced almond milk latte, and the 20% tip it cost almost $39. Pretty hefty for a mediocre breakfast. Maybe it’s worth it for their dinner menu, but not for breakfast.
Read moreGuest
SandraDee64
Points +22
A must on Old San Juan - Edit
We ate here two days in a row. First day was a little slow, but well worth the wait. Between our two visits we had the spicy tacos, Cuban dish, cauliflower crust pizza and the cheese burger. Everything was delicious!!!
Read morePros: Around 8 vegan options
Cons: A bit pricey, but it’s worth it
Guest
SamA1008
Points +37
Flavorful - Edit
Went there twice and ordered criollo tofu and the vegan mofongo. Expensive, but large portions. Ate half and brought the rest home for lunch the next day. I really enjoyed both dishes. I don’t feel like I waited too long for the food to be brought out.
Read moreGuest
jessicabutcher
Points +54
Delicious Vegan Food in Old San Juan - Edit
We were able to walk in on a Saturday and were seated immediately. The location is in the heart of beautiful Old San Juan and the staff were very friendly! I had the vegan pancakes with berries and my husband had the Criollo Tofu. Both were delicious! In our experience, vegan & gluten free pancakes tend to be flat and dense, but the pancakes at Cafe Berlin were fluffy and light!
Read moreGuest
sunflowersunshine
Points +44
Great food & lovely atmosphere - Edit
Cafe Berlin was an excellent experience. We both got the breakfast bowl, which was enjoyable as well as yummy coffee drinks. Our server was great. The food is very overpriced, but it’s a super touristy spot and you’ll get prices like that in all of Old San Juan. Lots of vegan options!! I hate that people comment on the wait time. The wait time for food is long in general in Puerto Rico. It’s not particular to this restaurant. It’s a more laid back dining experience.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Cozy atmosphere, Great location
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Dr.Gary!
Points +56
This spot is the truth! - Edit
Vegan mofungo is incredible. Vegan bloody mary is fantastic too. Wonderful ambiance. I just stumbled upon it...didn't use the app. Experience all the PR must-haves here. They have Vegan versions of everything.
Read moreOnly con is the price. My vegan mofungo is $32. I was a huge plate, though. Don't get a app.
Updated from previous review on 2023-04-02
Pros: Lots of vegan options!, Everything is ah-ma-zing!
Cons: Pricey
LliguerPR96
Way too pricey for a mofongo😬💲💲💲
Read more$32 sounds like the price carnists pay to eat the cadaver of a murdered 🐄cow who didnt want to be murdered against her will.
Guest
kyoungbird
Points +1779
Not worth it - Edit
Waited an hour for our food which was ok but not worth the wait or the price. Our meals were $28 , $5 for an iced tea and it’s not even a fancy place.
Read morePros: Vegan menu
Cons: Poor service , Very expensive
Guest
vegandenis
Points +296
Nice selection of vegan entrees - Edit
Super friendly service and very tasty vegan options. The empanadillas were awesome and the salsa verde that came with was worth an extra order. We also had the vegan tacos which were outstanding and came with a cilantro rice that was the perfect accompaniment!
Read moreGuest
NWatlington
Points +715
Vegan Options with Actual Protein Sources - Edit
Rarely can you find a non-vegan place that offers options with filling plant-based protein sources. This place is it. They have an extensive list of vegan options with protein sources ranging from soy strips, tofu, and “ground beef” made of black beans and carrots. They also have vegan dessert and a vegan children’s menu. Flavors are good. It’s very touristy (I’m a local), so all of their options are vegan versions of Puero Rican dishes.
Read moreGuest
alysmsmith
Points +229
Cute Cafe, Decent Brunch - Edit
Cute cafe in Old San Juan! I got an almond milk cappuccino and their vegan-gluten free pancakes. While the cappuccino wasn’t exactly a cappuccino, it was still good. The pancakes were yummy (and large!), topped with berries and sliced almonds. My husband got the dulce de leche pancakes (these are not vegan, but vegetarian). Unfortunately one of the cakes was burned, but other than that he said they were good.
Read moreI wish we were able to come here for dinner, as it sounds like the vegan mofongo is to die for. Maybe next time!
Updated from previous review on 2023-02-27
Pros: Vegan options, Friendly staff
Cons: Pricey
Guest
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