Inside view of bakery shop Kasalta.

Kasalta

San Juan


Tucked into Ocean Park’s residential enclave, Kasalta is the sort of authentic Puerto Rican bakery and diner that you'd cross town to visit. The coffee here is as legendary as the pastries that fill a long, long glass display case and include everything from Danish to iced buns. The garbanzo (chickpea) soup is good too.

Plentiful seating, myriad newspapers and a buzzing local ambience add even more icing to the cake. Breakfasts are divine, while the lunchtime specials are scrumptious. The melted Manchego-cheese sandwich is extraordinary.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San Juan attractions

1. Playa Ocean Park

0.36 MILES

Protected by offshore reefs and caressed by cooling seasonal trade winds, this wide sweep of diamond-dust sand is a favorite of locals. But this…

2. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

0.81 MILES

San Juan boasts one of the largest and most celebrated art museums in the Caribbean. Housed in a splendid neoclassical building that was once the city’s…

3. La Placita de Santurce

1.04 MILES

Built in 1910, the Mercado de Santurce has been the center of activity for over a century, vendors doing a roaring trade in fruits and vegetables from…

4. Playa Condado

1.28 MILES

Hemmed in by hotel towers and punctuated by rocky outcrops, Condado’s narrow beaches are busier than Ocean Park’s and less exclusive than Isla Verde’s…

6. La Ventana al Mar

1.4 MILES

This small grassy park – the window to the sea – has contemporary sculptures, benches and shade trees. Best of all, it has great views of and easy access…

7. Parque Jaime Benítez

1.41 MILES

Sitting alongside the calm waters of Laguna del Condado, this park is a popular launching spot for kayakers and paddleboarders. On the first Saturday of…

8. Instituto de Subcultura

1.73 MILES

This modern gallery in a bohemian corner of Santurce often has thought-provoking work from emerging artists and musicians. Expect contemporary, conceptual…