Imagine yourself casually strolling through the stunningly picturesque and historic waterfront, of a Caribbean island on a starlit evening, just as the clouds have broken up from a well deserved seasonal shower which suddenly cooled the night, and the sultry breeze from the nearby bay kindly brushes your face, as you catch in your breath the slightly tangy whiff of salt spray. After this soothingly therapeutic and relaxing walk, you have reached about the very beginning of the waterfront piers, and as you instinctively glance northward towards the Atlantic, your ears barely catch the amplified sounds of a cool Jazz piano coming from a patio cafe's speakers, located at the base of a massive building housing this island's first banking company.  

You could either be a savvy cosmopolitan world traveler, stopping on this sensuous tropical island to catch your breath after crossing so many time zones, that your extreme jet lag is hardly giving you enough leftover energies to think, or perhaps you're another snowbird on your first vacation in these southern latitudes, or maybe you're blissfully enjoying your romantic honeymoon with your soulmate. Whatever the case may be, you could be a confirmed Jazz buff who likes to joke with fellow drinkers at the bar, that you consider yourself a "frustrated Jazz critic."  Or maybe you're someone, who simply enjoys to hear the old standards from the American pop music repertoire.

Either case, you can't fight the temptation to finish your long stroll along this impressive Caribbean waterfront, & suddenly you decide to walk uphill gingerly navigating through these very unusual blue grey cobblestones, who as some locals like to brag, were brought in as ballast from the Iberian Peninsula in Spanish galleons many centuries ago.  

So here you are in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, arguably the best restored colonial port city in the entire Central American-Caribbean Basin, and just about ready to immerse yourself in probably one of the most wonderful experiences you've had in a very long time.  You've arrived at this compact and airy plaza at the base of the Banco Popular building in Old San Juan, incidentally graced by some artsy sculptures.  You enter this local bistro known as Carli's Fine Bistro and Piano, and as you instinctively find a strategic place at the bar, you suddenly recognize the unmistakable sounds of one of your favorite Jazz standards.  Round Midnight, the classic composition by Thelonious Monk, which was eventually immortalized by legendary saxophonist Dexter Gordon, is being played on the grand piano.  And as though by some supernatural act of telepathy, the pianist guessed this was one of your favorite mainstream Jazz tunes.

You order a "Mojito" from the bartender, since you remembered an old friend wisely suggesting this drink when you visit this part of the world, as it is not only quite refreshing, but it also gives you a slight buzz to relax with.  To your amazement, you realize that this is no run of the mill bartender serving you, as you watch him prepare the Mojito with the utmost of artistic detail, down to the labor-of-love crushing of the mint leaves, with the wooden plunger.

And as you begin to delightfully sip your perfectly prepared Mojito, you hear a customer sitting nearby telling the bartender......"Fausto preparame uno tambien, por favor"......Lucky for you of course, you remembered enough of your basic conversational Spanish to be able to tell, this customer picked up on your lead, ordering a Mojito as well.  You also recognized the bartender's first name, from a fascinating article you recently read from a local tourist magazine. This is no run of the mill bartender though, as you remember from the extremely well researched article, that he is the local legend known as Fausto Molina, a master bartender who has won many coveted prizes in international competitions.  

So what more do you want?  Either you're relaxing from an exhausting round the world trip, winding down in this part of the Eastern Caribbean, or you're the typical snowbird on your first tropical vacation, or yet still you're with your soulmate putting the finishing touches, on a virtually perfect honeymoon.  You're by now fully convinced you've made the right choice; mainstream Jazz mixed with some traditional American repertoire standards, perfect drinks by a master bartender, all this not to be outdone by the fantastic food.  The perfect combo that spells the closest thing to heaven on earth.  You've arrived at Carli's Fine Bistro and Piano in Old San Juan, close to Pier 1.  The perfect place to stop by, when in this sensuous Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.