OLD SAN JUAN. Fine Italian food, an extensive wine list, and an elegantly casual atmosphere make Al Dente a great dining choice in Old San Juan. The dining room has high ceilings dotted with slowly rotating fans, arches, and colorful walls filled with the paintings of co-owner Margie Amenta. Her husband, Chef Giancarlo Amenta, sees to it that his à la carte menu features pasta and fish dishes consisting of the freshest ingredients, for instance, spinach sauteed with sea scallops and topped with a velvety cream sauce. Staples of Sicilian cuisine (such as rice balls) pepper the menu. Sample a variety of dishes at the luncheon buffet, or come for supper and a show on Thursday night with live jazz performances.

OLD SAN JUAN. Franco Seccarelli has cooked for multitudes since he opened his acclaimed restaurant in 1989. Patrons from Pavarotti to Jacques Pepin to a host of local and international dignitiaries have eaten from an impressive spread of Umbrian cuisine. Traditional preparations combine with local ingredients in creations such as the pasta e gandules: a take on pasta e fagioli but using the very popular homegrown beans. Seasonal white truffles are used in a variety of preparations such as the melt-in-your-mouth spinach ravioli.

OLD SAN JUAN. Dark and light diamond-shaped floor tiles lead you into the narrow, high-ceilinged dining room of this Italian favorite in the heart of Old San Juan. Once inside, take a gastronomic tour of Italy as the menu and the wine list cover the various regions. You may prefer to dine on the patio caressed by balmy breezes while fragrant tomatoes, silky mozzarella or savory pork tenderloin tickle your palate, or snuggle up to your dining partner in an intimate nook indoors while you share a rich, creamy tiramisu.

One of the most respected and highly acclaimed restaurants in San Juan, Martino's is owned by Chef Martin Acosta who has put together a Northern Italian menu highlighting the cuisine of the Lombardy region. Specialties of the house are warm seafood antipasto and vitello à la Martino, homemade pasta and tableside flambé for most any dish. All is served up in a wonderful penthouse garden setting atop the Diamond Palace Hotel with unparalleled views of the ocean and the sparkling lights of the Condado.

CONDADO. Chef Uli Franzman brings us an authentic Northern Italian menu that features dishes like rack of lamb and veal in a pink pepper sauce. The real house specialty is the warm and hearty risotto. Pizza cooks in a wood-burning oven for a wonderful smoky flavor and crisp crust. No wonder some consider Tuscany's one of the best dining choices in the city.