El Mesón de la Cava

Useful Information

Location:	Western part of Santo Domingo, Av. Mirador del Sur. Behind the Hotel del Embajador.
Open:	All year daily 12-24. [2009]
Fee:	free. Meals RD$ 350 to RD$ 1,400. [2009]
Classification:	Karst cave Cave Restaurant with first class restaurant/bar
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	El Mesón de la Cava, Av. Mirador del Sur #1, Santo Domingo, Tel: 809-533-2818, Fax: 809-533-8150. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1967	opened as a restaurant.

Description

El Mesón de la Cava is a rather expensive, first class restaurant and bar. It is popular with both Dominican and foreign tourists. The cave restaurant is located inside a karst cave.

The city Santo Domingo was built at the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, at the estuary of Rio Ozama. West of the estuary a coastal plain some 1.2 kilometers wide is followed by a cliff, a former coastline. The city was built both above and below the cliff. The cliff is too steep for building and so it form a long park running parallel to the coast, with various miradors (outlook) at the edge. The foot of the cliff is riddled with caves, karst caves which were widened by the action of the waves while this was still coastline.

The caves were used by indigneous people, and many remains of the native Taino Indians have been discovered in the caves. Later they were frequented by pirates and buccaneers. During the 1930s they were the hideout of freedom fighters called Gavilleros. During the youngest history some caves were used by the OEA, the Organization of American States, to store provisions for the troops.

The restaurant is entered from the plateau above down a long spiral staircase into a collapse doline. Here is a central bar and the tables are placed around in the many niches and corners of the cave. The menu is international with amphasis on grilled dishes and seafood.