For dining , stick to the two excellent Italian restaurants along Juan Dolio's main strip. The best place for nightlife depends on which night of the week it is. The entire Juan Dolio crowd heads to Café Giulia (Vila del Mar 288) on Mondays, Chocolate Bar (Calle Central 127) on Fridays and El Batey disco (Calle Central 84) on Saturdays.

Fior di Loto Calle Central 517. Tremendous pastas, traditional Dominican seafood dishes and some really excellent Indian curries set amid a pleasantly off-beat dining room of Far Eastern artefacts and private couches shielded by billowing curtains.

Restaurante El Sueño Calle Central 486. Formal Italian fare in a relatively swank outdoor patio and with outstanding service. In addition to the pastas, which are excellent, try the chicken scallopini in white wine sauce or bass filet in mushroom sauce.