If you’re ever in the Dominican Republic and can make your way to Cabrera, then De Norte A Norte is a must-see restaurant for what is possibly the best meal on the entire island! De Norte A Norte is the Chez Panisse of the Dominican Republic, bringing farm-to-table dining forth in a beautifully executed way that is rooted in love. Let me share my experience visiting this wonderful restaurant with you.
One of the things I was most looking forward to on our Harmony with the Elements yoga retreat agenda was our visit to a local restaurant called De Norte A Norte.
As a long time food blogger, you know I LOVE visiting cool restaurants and blogging about it. And with this one having a theme around farm-to-table and organic ingredients, this was right up my alley!
The De Norte A Norte Restaurant and Garden
De Norte A Norte is a farm-to-table restaurant featuring organic ingredients with a focus on sustainable agriculture. It is located off of the main road in a small city called Cabrera in the Dominican Republic. And the restaurant serves food made with ingredients from its own gardens.
As you’ll see below, I couldn’t help but think of De Norte A Norte as the Chez Panisse of the Dominican Republic.
Chez Panisse is the first-ever farm-to-table restaurant in the world. And like Chez Panisse, De Norte A Norte also doesn’t have a menu. You get to enjoy whatever the chef has prepared for you. And that’s such a special and fun food adventure!
When we first arrived at De Norte A Norte, we got to walk around and explore the restaurant. There were lush plants all around, but I was drawn immediately to the outdoor kitchen.
I was greeted warmly by the owner and chef who offered me a sample of one of the dishes she was preparing for us with her team. She explained it was white fish cooked in coconut milk. Yum!
It was absolutely amazing. I just knew that the rest of the meal was going to be something to write home about and couldn’t wait to experience more!
We got to look at some of the various outdoor tables set up amongst the plants. And then we got to do a tour of one of their many gardens – the one up on the hills behind the restaurant. Everything looked so happen and well cared for.
There was a beautiful community table set up for us.
The Wonderful Food of De Norte A Norte Restaurant
Soon it was time for us to all sit down together and for the eating to begin.
Our first dish was so vibrant and colorful. It was fresh fruit (I think papaya) with avocado and crushed almonds on top. Plus a delightful little sauce.
One of my favorite things about farm-to-table restaurants is that they often prepare the food very simply so the natural flavors of the fresh ingredients get to shine through.
And this was so true with every dish here at De Norte A Norte.
While we enjoyed our first dish, a couple baskets of bites were passed around. I believe this was a plantain round of sorts. It was soft, so not a plantain chip.
There was also a bowl of something that resembled a thick cracker. This one was fun because it was served with liquid coconut oil. The idea was to drizzle a little coconut oil over the cracker, and it was so good.
The next dish was one of my favorites. We got the freshest, juiciest shrimp with finely chopped vegetables and a broth-like sauce.
The chef explained that this was served on the same plate as the previous dish because the flavors went so well together. How fun!
Next, a bowl of squash was passed around. These were cooked just the way I like them – tender but still with a bit of firm bite to them.
The chef / owner wanted to show us a little more about the next dish. Some of us went to the outdoor kitchen to see how the rice was being prepared with layers of banana leaves.
I just loved the way that she smiled from her heart while she talked about the food. You could really see how passionate and caring she is about her food and restaurant.
And here is the stunning bowl of rice, which also had some vegetables and peas. The flavor of this one was so light yet also so full.
Our next couple dishes featured the same veal. One variation was ground veal with tomatoes. And the other was veal liver cooked in a tomato-based sauce. Naturally, these were both fantastic too!
And as our meal continued, the chef / owner would occasionally bring out some ingredients from the De Norte A Norte garden to give us fun little quizzes. We got to take guesses on what plants some of the leaves and berries came from.
This dish was the one I sampled at the start. It was white fish cooked in coconut milk with fresh vegetables. I’m not sure if I felt a special connection with this one since I got to sample it when I first arrived, or it is simply that delicious. But this one is a contender with the shrimp for best dish of the meal.
I’m not a big fish person, but I couldn’t get enough of this. I would order this once a week if I could. Same with the shrimp!
The flavors of this white fish entrée were so light and refreshing while also being so rich and delicious. Yum!
Annette helped translate the wonderful descriptions of all the foods and ingredients, as well as, fun facts about some of the plants around the building and other historical tidbits.
I was so glad to sit next to her so I didn’t miss any of the descriptions. I also got to sit across from Whitney and Josh of Thrive Creative Studios, and it was fun taking pictures of the gorgeous food together and chatting about life Cabrera.
Our dessert was super simple and yet one of the most unique desserts I’ve had. We had fresh mango with a cacao sauce and a sprinkling of blueberries.
And don’t be fooled by the humble spoonful of brown dessert in the back. The chef / owner surprised all of us when she told us that was actually eggplant. And let me tell you, it was so good!
Who knew eggplant could be a dessert? I’ll tell you who – the talented chef and owner behind De Norte A Norte!
One of my favorite stories from our dining experience was about this humble plant next to where I was sitting. Apparently, before the restaurant was in the building, previous owners cut down this guava tree on the property. But the guava tree grew up from underneath the building.
Not only is it thriving, but it produces fruit!
You know I love a story about resilience. Let’s go, guava tree!
We even got to try some of the guava from that tree, and it was so refreshing.
As we rounded out our incredible meal at De Norte A Norte, we were offered coffee, tea, and a taste of cacao liquor. I went with the cacao liquor (because I was curious) and coffee (because you know I love coffee). The coffee was served with fresh honey and was the perfect way to end a meal I will surely remember forever.
Summary
De Norte A Norte is a magical farm-to-table restaurant that is a must-visit experience in Cabrera, Dominican Republic. This reservation-only restaurant serves mouthwatering food with simple but genius preparation that lets the natural foods shine like edible art. Each ingredient is woven together as a true masterpiece with skillful execution and positive energy.
On top of all of this, the food here is made with such joyful love. Definitely make a reservation here if you’re ever in the area for an unforgettable dining experience!
I hope I’m lucky enough to revisit this fantastic restaurant one day!
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Thank you for stopping by to check out my blog post about my visit to the De Norte A Norte Farm-to-Table Restaurant (Cabrera, Dominican Republic)