El Mesón de la Cava is one of Santo Domingo's most unusual restaurants, built inside a natural cave about 12 metres below street level. The cave was occupied by pirates and buccaneers in the colonial period; today it is an upscale Dominican and international restaurant with proper tablecloths and a wine list. The setting — all stalactites and natural rock walls — is extraordinary.
The food is solid rather than exceptional, but you are not really paying for the cooking — you are paying for the experience of eating surrounded by cave walls that predate the Spanish colony. The restaurant is in the Mirador del Sur area, popular with Santo Domingo's middle class for Sunday lunch. Reservations are recommended on weekends.