The POP Report Guide to Local Hangouts

After three or four days of hotel food and seeing the same tourists around the bar, you might want to check out what's what's going on in town. Experienced travelers know that one of the best ways to check out a place is by getting down to the local hangouts, where you’re likely to meet a character of an owner or bartender who speaks your language and who can fill you in on all kinds of things. The customers are mostly people living and working in the area. For the most part, local hangouts are among the most educational and entertaining places to discover. Listed here are places that comply with the following criteria:

• you can simply jump in a cab and go there
• it's safe to go
• people speak your language,
• you’ll find out a  whole bunch of things you will never hear about in your hotel lobby bar...

Pat's Rum Runners Bar. A popular roadside bar about a five minute walk from the entrance of Playa Dorada complex. Owner Pat and bartender Nico will make you feel at home. Pool table, sports TV, live music and karaoke on weekends. Your rep may not tell you about Pat's because you're likely to bump into them there... Sam's Bar & Grill. A traditional Victorian hotel housing a popular American style bar & grill, a block and a half from Central Park. Tourists can get on the internet and check their email for 50 pesos per hour. Owners Al and Joanne are American; Sam is their basset hound. Open all day.... Sofy's Bed & Breakfast. Once again, Sofy is the dog. The owner is Noelle, from Ottawa, who serves excellent breakfasts on her terrace. Located on Calle Las Rosas... look for the sign for "La Batera" between the baseball stadium and the police station on Luis Ginebra Blvd. Go down that street to the third to last house on the left. 586-6411.... 
Cafe Cito. A colonial patio for dining and a rooftop bar in the old part of Puerto Plata, two blocks from Central Park. Canadian owned. Jazz music, Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine. Open from 10:30 a.m. daily.... Chris & Mady's. Located in Cofresi, a great thatched roof bar/restaurant looking over the ocean. Chris is Canadian, Mady is Dominican. Excellent seafood, good prices, sports TV at the bar. Walking distance from the Hacienda resort complex...   Papillon. Historically one of the best restaurants in town, with a bar made from a huge piece of driftwood. Owner Tomas is German and has made his place famous with a simple yet delectable menu. Located in Villas Cofresi. ... Remember, all these places you can just jump in a cab and go, and you'll find a friendly welcome from someone who speaks your language.  And don't let the cab driver recommend some other place where he may have a commission deal. 

A note to British folk... your rep may not be able to recommend some of these places because they can only talk to their passengers about establishments that subscrie to an expensive hygiene control watchdog service out of England designed to oversee the big industrial hotel kitchens. This service is just too expensive for most of the little one-owner establishments to afford. All of the places mentioned here are clean and properly run, and many of the British reps (as well as the personnel from the watchdog service itself) are frequent customers. It's just that they have to follow the company rules. However, if you ask them about any specific place, they will answer your question.Top of Page