While in the Dominican Republic I spent a week in Punta Cana. And as I have mentioned before, I love food, and love all sorts of cuisine. Of course I turned to Tiktok for recommendations and went to the top few options that popped up. I often feel that Tiktok can show the good sides of things but doesn;t often show the downside of things especially restaurants. We often see the decor and they show the vibes but not the menu or prices. I wanted to write a quick review on the places that I tried as I know they are go-to’s for tourists in Punta Cana.
Citrus Fusion Cuisine
This was the first restaurant I tried and it was, in my opinion, the best when it came to ambiance, price and flavor. This restaurant is Asian fusion which is my favorite type of food so I may be a bit biased. When I first walked in it was quite quiet, I had a 7 o’clock reservation. Throughout my meal the restaurant picked up and the vibe was really good. I would recommend going around 8 o’clock. The decor, service and music were all nice and not overwhelming. People were dressed mostly business casual but a more casual outfit would be appropriate too.
I started off with the Reka Tiki to drink which was a nice fruity drink. I am not a huge fan of alcohol so I liked that it wasn’t too strong either. I had the Gyozas to start and they were also really good. They had a nice texture and flavor with a good sauce as well. I followed it up with a Crab Roll and the Frito Roll. Both had good flavor but were nothing special in terms of sushi, however, with my simple pallet I was very happy with both dishes. I finished it off with the brownie which was nice as well and a good way to finish the meal.
Cost: ~$60.00
Rating: 8/10
Jellyfish
Jellyfish is probably the most commonly known restaurantin Punta Cana. The location is right on the beach with two stories and seating on the sand. The ambience is really nice, good lighting and music in the entryway and bar area. The area on the beach is also really cute and would make for a romantic dinner.
There is a singer that comes around and will perform a song at your table as well for tips which was nice. I would recommend dressing up business casual or more formal if you desire.
Now onto the food. I had the Calamari to start and it was underwhelming. I found the coating did not have much seasoning and the sauce was a simple marinara sauce. I had a Lobster with a side of risotto and plantains for my main meal. The Lobster again as a bit underwhelming, it didn’t have any seasoning and was a bit tough. The risotto was amazing but the plantains could have used some salt as well. Over all the meal was pleasant but he food was nothing to write home about
Cost: ~$75.00
Rating: 6/10
SBG Punta Cana
SBG was highly rated on Tiktok so I had to give it a try. There are two separate rooms in this restaurant both with a different aesthetic. The main room that I sat in was quieter and brighter and the back room is a bit darker, as more decor for photos but it a nice vibe as well. I would recommend dressing up for the restaurant as there are good photo opportunities and it is quite nice inside.
I started with a Run Cloud which was a great cocktail with egg white foam on top which was really good. It was a bit strong for my liking but as I mentioned, I don’t like alcohol, so take that with a grain of salt. I then had the Roasted Provoleta which was 
incredible. It cooled quickly and then was a bit difficult to eat but the flavor was good and this would be a great dish to share. For my meal I had the Cheese Wheel Spaghetti which they bing out in the Parmesan wheel and mix it right at your table. This was a nice light pasta and the flavor, again, was incredible. My meal was quite heavy so I skipped dessert at this restaurant but the option available did look quite good when I saw them coming out of the kitchen.
Cost: ~$60.00
Rating 8/10
Dalia’s Cafe
I popped into Dalia’s one morning for breakfast and coffee. The ambiance is good here with both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is facing the road so it can be a bit loud. In addition to a sit down menu there is a bakery inside where you can buy a variety of pasties, cakes and trinkets. I got a frappuccino which came with whip cream and..rainbow sprinkles. Which was an interesting take, it seemed a bit more like a milkshake but the flavor was good so no complaints there. I got a sandwich, cannot remember the name of it, but it was also good but nothing to write home about. Before leaving I grabbed some bakery items to take home and they were all amazing. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a coffee or item from the bakery but could skip it if you are looking for a full breakfast in my opinion.
Cost ~$25.00
Rating: 6/10
All of my meals in Punta Cana were a nice night out. They were good reason to get dressed and I felt a reasonable price compared to a similar meal back home. If I ever came back to the area, I would definitely put more time into finding nice local restaurants with Caribbean cuisine to try. The few times I went to smaller lesser known restaurants I always had an amazing meal and it was way cheaper as well. Don’t be afraid to try the hole in the wall locations as they typically have the best food in the area.