“Enjoy the greatest variety of foods prepared with the freshest ingredients.”
Come by with friends, family or on you own. Enjoy the drinks. Have a remarkable dining experience. Sit back, relax and delight in the view. The prices are very reasonable for the superb locale. Here at Harry’s Bar and Restaurant you are always welcome.
Harry’s is located in the most beautiful section of Colonial Zone known as Plaza España
. Sitting in this the first restaurant on the Atarazanas you can have an impeccable view of the plaza and the Alcázar de Colón also known as Columbus Palace. Luxuriate in the pleasant breezes. Savor the great food and cold drinks. Soak in the atmosphere of the old city in a secure setting.
We are proud to offer the finest selection of whiskeys from the world over.
You will be amazed by the many different varieties we carry, especially the Single Malts. If you are a fine whiskey connoisseur and lover this is the place you will want to be. Our 69 bottle whiskey collection is similar to the famous Harry’s American Bar in Paris, France.
Be sure to try one of our signature drinks and cocktails created by Harry himself. Some of these interesting and tasty cocktails are named after different towns located in Dominican Republic. We can also prepare over thousand classical drinks that will be sure to please. A must try drink is the San Zenón. Be careful, Harry did not invent just an other sex on the beach! If Harry is around ask him about the history behind some of these drinks. He will gladly share the stories with you, just ask.
Harry’s plays music from the world over
focusing on Blues and Rock. We have an extensive collection of music styles and we want you, our guest, to let us know what you wish to hear. If there is something special you want to listen to bring it with you and we will be more than happy to play it.
When you visit our full service restaurant the friendly staff will pay close attention to make sure that your dining experience is beyond compare. The extensive menu has both National and International dishes. Selections include appetizers, sandwiches, seafood, steaks and more. If you do not see it just ask. All the food is cooked to perfection, just the way you like. You can finish off the meal with one of our sweet, luscious deserts.
We have a wide selection of Sirloin Steaks
prepared in a multitude of different styles, including a melt in the mouth Filet Mignon surrounded in bacon and smothered in a savory mushroom sauce.
Harry’s offers a large selection of fresh Seafood and Fish from which to choose. We have Shrimp, Calamari, Lambi (conch)and Langosta (lobster). All are served in various flavors and styles.
Tobacco smoking is still permitted at Harry’s (there is a law in Dominican Republic that does not permit smoking in enclosed areas). On Harry’s Terrace you may smoke without disturbing anyone.
Live Music in the Plaza: Friday and Saturday from 8PM to 11 there is always entertainment in the Plaza. Come sit with us and enjoy these live performances.
The food of Dominican Republic / Comida de República Dominicana is a blend of many different cultural dishes all combined to make a style of cooking that is unique to this island. With influences from the Taino Indians, Spaniards, African Slaves and many other immigrants, the Dominican dishes or comida criolla has evolved. The Dominicans have created their own food and cooking styles into dishes that have their own distinctive flavors, tastes and appearances.
Dominican food is high in carbohydrates and starch. Most recipes are not complicated and are made from very natural and locally grown foods that are readily available in gardens, trees and from local vendors. Add a little locally raised meat or a fresh catch of fish, and some sazóne (spices) and you have a typical Dominican meal. Remember that typical Dominican foods are usually not spicy. In local type eateries there is a high chance that you will not see any black pepper. If you ask many will give you a bottle of hot sauce instead. They, in general, do not like their foods hot/ pica.
Breakfast – Desayuno
Breakfast Dominican style has many options from which to choose.
One of the traditional foods served for breakfast is Mangú, which is mashed plantains with some flavoring added and topped with lots of red onions. The orange squash/ auyama is used to make mazamorra that is also served with onions. Spaghetti is also a favorite of the Dominicans. Fried cheese is also a favorite served with fried salami and eggs. People love their oatmeal/ avena that usually a bit runny cooked with milk and is very sweet. Of course, there is always a good variety of fruits from which to choose. I have seen many people eating Sancocho and Mondongo for breakfast as well. To wash it all down have some jugo de avena, hot chocolate made with water or milk, some fresh juice and of course a hot cup of espresso style coffee made fresh to order.
Lunch – La Bandera Dominicana
The typical Dominican lunch, called La Bandera Dominicana/ The Dominican Flag (La Bandera recipe), consists of beans/ habichuelas and rice/ arroz, meat/ carne or fish/ piscado, and a salad/ ensalada of some sort.
First, the plate is filled with the most rice I have ever seen heaped on a plate. The habichuelas/ juicy beans come in black, red, white or green, depending on the type of bean used. These beans are usually served in a small bowl or cup on the side and you pour this on top of the rice, along with some of the sauce from the meat if you so desire. You eat this with a large spoon and a knife used for pushing the food onto the spoon. The meat is usually cut into pieces and is stewed. The portion size of meat is dwarfed when it sits next to the hugh amount of rice on the plate. There are different varieties of salads that can be served the most popular being, Green Salad / Ensalada Verde, Avacado Salad/ Ensalada de Aguacate, Russian Potato Salad/ Ensalada Rusa, and a boiled salad I love with tayota, carrots and potatoes. When the beans are made just right and the rice has the perfect amount of salt, along with a little concón/ crispy fried rice from the bottom of the pan, this meal is wonderful.
I can see why most Dominicans eat this meal everyday of their lives. It is a joke among my Dominican friends, if they do not eat rice everyday they will not live. After living here for many years I have come to believe this as truth.
Sancocho
Sancocho is the national dish of the Dominican people. It is made with a variety of meats and vegetables such as pork, beef, goat, fish, sweet potatoes. The recipe for sancocho is on our recipe pages. There is also another type of soup – stew type dish called asopao which is meat, veggies and rice in a flavorful broth. Make some for yourself, here is the recipe for Sancocho.
Dinner – Cena
The evening meal is usually something light because the main meal is served midday. You will see Dominicans eating a sandwich or a soup or stew such as Sancocho.
They do eat full dinners if they go out to a restaurant in the evening but at home it is usually light. Maybe they will pick up a snack on the street such as Chicharones, pasteles en hoja a hamburger or some fruit. Along many of the streets throughout the country you can find small trucks selling all types of fried foods and sandwiches. The roasted pork sandwiches are wonderful. Some snacks/ picadera consisting of olives, cheese and salami to go with a cold drink with friends are also popular.
Dessert – Postre
The Dominicans know how to make desserts and sweets just right. They use all the local ingredients to make candies and cakes like no other place in the world.
Try out a mixture of beans, condensed milk and some other sweet and interesting ingredients. The name of this sweet mix is Habichuelas con dulse (habichuelas con dulse recipe *the link is to the old html web site). It is a traditional dessert served during Easter but can also be found the year round if you make your quest in the right places. It is also made into an ice cream that can be bought at Bon’s Helados. I never thought of beans as a dessert and ice cream. This is a must taste for sure. There is also the Dominican cake called Bizcocho that you can get with or without icing. The Flan is sweet and creamy and the candies made from coconut, papaya, almonds and other local fruits are yummy.
Fruits – Frutas and Juices – Jugos
The fruits grown here are the best. There are a wide variety of fruits that you have never seen or heard of before. Some do look ugly but don’t snub them because of the way they look. You have never eaten a pineapple/ piña until you have tried one here in República Dominicana.
The Mangos (season May thru September), of which there are many types, sizes and textures, are wonderful and very messy.
Mangos are best eaten with a knife as the little strings of fiber get stuck in the teeth. Do not let the mango juice get on your clothes because it stains.
Papaya/ lechosa is unbelievably tasty and nothing like what you will find in other countries.
An Avacado grown in DR has so much more flavor than any I tasted elsewhere.
Buy a banana or a peeled orange for a few pesos while walking the street for a quick pick me up. Just make sure that when you visit you do not pass up a taste you will always remember.
You can buy a juice on the street fresh squeezed and many restaurants serve their juices fresh as well.
There are a few different types of oranges. The china, which is the sweet orange, is used to make juice (sometimes it is mixed with sugar to make it even sweeter) and to eat whole. Then there is the bitter orange/ naranja sevillana that is used for cooking.
The Guava/ guayaba, a pink colored, pear-shaped fruit with yellow skin, is wonderful when made into juice or a greenish colored jelly (try it made into a paste and eaten with some cheese, I was shocked that this tastes so good).
I highly recommend everyone tries some zapote juice, the fruit is ugly but the juice is sooo yummy. The Guanabana and Passion fruit/ Chinola also makes a scrumptious juice. To learn more about the products grown in Dominican Republic go to our Grown in DR page.
Whatever you choose to eat while you are in Dominican Republic you should try new things. Things that may look strange to you might be a new yummy for your pallet. Some you might not like but I am sure that most of the cuisine in this country you will enjoy. You should keep your mind open to new taste sensations and try new foods. Whenever you visit a new place it is always important to try something different. You just might be pleasantly pleased. Try going to a restaurant and asking for something typical Dominican. If invited to a persons home for dinner make sure you try everything, no matter what it is. Even if your not crazy about what is served let them know how much you enjoyed everything. They are always hospitable and will probably be watching you while dining to make sure you are comfortable and happy. Many times when you are sitting in a restaurant, having a drink or snack in a Colmado or enjoying any type of food or drink Dominicans will pass by and say “Buen Provecho”. This means “Enjoy your meal”. Dominicans are friendly people and they use this phrase often.
Each part of this small island country has their own foods and recipes. Each dish is cooked in different ways depending on which part of the country you are in and which part of the country the person cooking comes from. There are also have different fruits and veggies that grow and thrive in certain parts of the country. Strawberries are grown best in Constanza, the Bani area is known for its Mangos. No matter where you are in our small island country you will find the most amazing tasting fruits, vegetables and foods all with its own Dominican taste and flavor. Be adventurous and enjoy our original Dominican sabor. Check out our Dominican Recipes and cooking terms.
We have our food words list so you will know how to say the different foods and exactly what they are. Impress your friends…
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