“Taste this.”
Chef Michael White sets a dish of small and round orange fruit in front of me. Its thick, leathery skin gives way to greenish-yellow flesh speckled with tiny seeds. I take a bite: it’s citrusy, but far less tart than I imagined, with a surprisingly soft finish. White continues, “It’s called lulo, and I learned about it from my staff here.”
We’re at his new restaurant Levant, taking up residence in the crown jewel of San Juan’s La Concha Resort: the iconic 1958 concrete seashell-shaped structure by architect Mario Salvadori. Its very first service in just 30 minutes, but White remains present and engaging.
Though the chef is well-regarded for his expertise in Italian cuisine, particularly seafood and handmade pasta—his 30-plus year career includes six Michelin stars, and ranges from New York City institution Marea to Paranza at Atlantis Bahamas—Levant is one of his most unique and anticipated concepts to date.
Unlike his other spots, Levant takes inspiration from the titular geographical and historical region in the eastern Mediterranean, which roughly corresponds with modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. As Southern Italy, especially Sicily, was deeply influenced by this part of the world, White felt Levant was a natural way to bring its flavors to a city with already flush with Italian restaurants.
“We’re very much rooted Italian cooking in terms of technique, but use lots of spices from the Levant since Italy isn’t very spice-driven,” explains White of his restaurant’s cross-cultural approach.
Whether it’s your first visit or you’re a regular, he recommends beginning with mezze like muhammara, baba ghanoush, and taramasalata—all of which arrive with fresh-from-the-oven sourdough pita. “It sets the tone for sharing and having fun,” says White. From there, it’s up to you: slurp raw oysters bathed in mignonette with lulo, the fruit that piqued White’s attention. Try fetteh, a layered dish of chickpeas, yogurt sauce, and crispy pita. Dig into the rack of lamb, redolent of Moroccan spices, or a whole branzino simply accompanied by charred lemon. Most important: save room for one of pastry chef Nasha Fondeur’s exquisite desserts.
The wine list, too, was just as considered, with a strong showing of women and smaller producers alongside rarer bottles from the Mediterranean. It’s rounded out by a nice selection of original cocktails, including as the saffron-scented, tequila-based Levant Sunrise.
In true White style, every detail, from the custom-etched Champagne glasses to the shell-shaped bowls for the mezze, was taken into account. And though pasta isn’t a Levantine staple, White couldn’t help put his famous handmade pastas on the menu. (The saffron- and fennel-perfumed squid ink pansotti is a lovely bite.)
But what makes the chef especially proud is Levant’s staff. “We have such a great team with Sebastián [Rosado] (executive chef) and Nasha [Fondeur], (corporate pastry chef), and so many young people working here,” he says. “I’m humbled; I’m a very fortunate guy.” On opening night, a server who’d been promoted from working at one of La Concha Resort’s pools to Levant echoed White’s sentiment: “This is also a new beginning for us; we’ve never had anything like this here.”
Despite all the well-deserved buzz, Levant is just one way to plan a delicious vacation to San Juan. La Concha Resort is part of The Condado Collection, three distinct properties located in close promixity along Condado Beach—making it easy to enjoy all the restaurants and bars across the portfolio.
Fresh off a sweeping renovation including refreshed suites, new Elemara Spa & Salon, and new dining concepts like Levant and quality-casual concept Tekka Bar Handroll & Sake, the 483-key La Concha Resort is a perfect home base if you’re traveling with family or friends. Since the property is being reflagged from Renaissance to Marriott’s Autograph Collection, you’ll be able to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points on your next stay.
Just down the street is the sophisticated Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, a commanding Spanish Revival building with 317 classic guest rooms and suites, and 1919, San Juan’s premier fine dining destination with farm-to-table tasting menus by the visionary chef Juan José Cuevas—many credit him for pioneering the movement on the island—and an award-winning wine list featuring Krug Champagne. A couple of blocks away from Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is Condado Ocean Club, an adults-only boutique property with a breezy, convivial vibe and Social, a dining outlet pairing breathtaking beach views with globetrotting fare such as spicy tuna tacos, chimichurri-smothered ribeyes steaks, octopus-stuffed mofongo.