Country Information

Native Dominican cooking combines Spanish influences with local produce. There is plenty of fresh fish and seafood, island-grown tomatoes, lettuce, papaya, mangoes and passion fruit and all citrus fruits are delicious.

Things to know: Beef is expensive (Dominicans raise fine cattle, but most is exported) and local favourites are pork, chicken and goat meat. Locally produced beer and rums are cheaper than imported alcohol which tends to be expensive.

National specialities:
• La bandera (meaning ‘the flag’, comprising white rice, red beans, stewed meat, salad and fried plaintain).
• Chicharrones (crisp pork rind).
• Chicharrones de pollo (small pieces of fried chicken).
• Sopa criolla dominicana (native soup of meat and vegetables).
• Pastelón (baked vegetable cake).

National drinks:
• Presidente (Dominican beer) is very good.
• Rum drinks such as the local Brugal or Bermudez.
• Rum añejo (old, dark rum) with ice makes a good after-dinner drink.
• Native coffee is excellent and very strong.

Tipping: Hotel and restaurant bills automatically include a 10% service charge (on top of a 12% charge for tax purposes) but an additional tip may be given as an appreciation of good service.

Choice varies from discos and casinos to cafès and festivals. Hotels offer more traditional shows, including folk music and dancing. Popular dances are the inescapable merengue, played at head-shaking volume almost everywhere; bachata (a less frenetic, guitar-based genre becoming very popular across the country); son (a slow-dance imported from Cuba and especially prevalent in the capital); perico ripiao (a type of merengue); and salsa. The Malecón, Santo Domingo's long waterside boulevard, is known for its nightlife. Concerts and other cultural events are often held at the Casa de Francia and Plaza de la Cultura in Santo Domingo.

Best buys are products made on the island including amber jewellery and decorative pieces. These are a national speciality; some pieces encase insects, leaves or dew drops within the ancient petrified pine resin. Larimar or Dominican turquoise is another popular stone. Milky blue and polished pink pieces of conch shell are also made into jewellery. Rocking chairs, woodcarvings, macramé, pottery, Taino artefacts, Creole dolls, baskets, limestone carvings and CDs of salsa and merengue also make good buys. Bargaining is recommended, and in most cases expected.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1430-1830.