Puerto Rican Pastry Perfection: A Q&A with Chef Lucía Merino

Chef Lucía Merino crafted a beloved local bakery that will delight you with every bite.

From Miami to Madrid, Barcelona, and Dallas, Boricua Chef Lucía Merino forged her culinary path by training under renowned pastry chefs while dreaming of opening her own bakery. In 2015, after more than a decade of dedication, she returned to Puerto Rico to bring that dream to life with Lucía Patisserie. Blending French-inspired techniques with local Puerto Rican flavors, Lucía Patisserie has transformed the local pastry scene, delighting customers with creative and delicious treats.

Her bakery has become a beloved spot for seasonal, high-quality pastries, along with classics like the chocolate chip cookie and signature quesitos, all perfectly paired with locally sourced coffee. In this interview, Chef Merino shares her culinary philosophy, the inspiration behind her creations, and her dedication to using local ingredients.

Exploring Culinary Paths: Share your journey of becoming a chef in Puerto Rico.

What sparked your passion for cooking?

I’ve been obsessed with pastries and sweets my whole life and started baking in my early teens when my titi Millie gave me my first cookbook. I attended pastry school in Miami and began working in the culinary industry when I was 19, at a catering business where I was illegally underpaid for deveining endless buckets of shrimp. For the next decade, I trained under acclaimed pastry chefs, worked in Miami, Madrid, Barcelona, and Dallas, and supervised kitchens while dreaming about opening a bakery someday. In the middle of it all, I reunited with my high school sweetheart, Johan, and he journeyed with me everywhere.

Johan and I drew our dream bakery on a napkin when we were 25 years old, while sitting at a café in Barcelona. We wanted to build a homey neighborhood spot and bring quality pastries to our Island. Some of my previous work experiences had been quite negative and abusive, so we also wanted to create a respectful and encouraging work environment for our future team. After 10+ years working in different kitchens—and having no money to show for it—in 2015 Johan and I returned home to Puerto Rico to start working on Lucía Patisserie.

Guide to Puerto Rico's Top Chefs

Culinary Style and Philosophy

How do you define your approach to cooking? Can you explain your culinary philosophy?

As a French-inspired bakery using local flavors, we’ve pioneered a shift in our community’s taste buds. Puerto Ricans have been deprived of creative, high-quality, delicious pastries for decades. We are thrilled to bake for them, satisfy their cravings, and help them try new things, some utilizing local ingredients and always paired with hot 100% Puerto Rican coffee.

Influence of Puerto Rican Culture

How do you strike a balance between traditional methods and innovative practices in your kitchen?

We started with an idea for a beautiful bakery to serve people French-inspired baked goods with local flavors. Almost 7 years later we are still bringing to life this idea, letting the produce that is local and in season guide us on what we put on the menu. Even though there is constant innovation happening, my passion is traditional French pastry, so I am constantly finding ways to give our deliciously perfect French classic pastries a Puerto Rican twist.

Must-Try Dishes

What is one signature dish that every visitor should experience at your restaurant or through your culinary services?

In Puerto Rico, it’s very traditional for a local bakery to serve you a quesitos, a delicious Puerto Rican pastry made from puff pastry and a sweet cheese filling. We make our own version of quesito using our flaky croissant dough and filling it with our cheese mix and brushing them with a honey glaze when they come out of the oven. It’s perfectly balanced with the sweetness and textures. Even though we make lots of tasty pastries, I would recommend that everyone try our question or any pastry that has local fruits, which rotate weekly.

Learn More about Puerto Rican Pastries

Puerto Rican Cuisine Essentials

From your perspective, which dish quintessentially represents Puerto Rican cuisine and why?

A dish that represents Puerto Rican cuisine is a plate full of our Christmas food: arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), pasteles, and lechón asado (slow-roasted pork). It’s tradition to eat this or something like it during Christmas time. We Puerto Ricans look forward to cooking and enjoying this food every year!

Visitor's First Bite

What dish would you recommend to someone new to Puerto Rican cuisine?

Mofongo relleno is one of my favorite things to eat. It’s delicious and a staple here on the Island. It’s deliciously fried and smashed green plantain with garlic, and sometimes, they add pork rinds to it. They fill it with either beef, chicken, shrimp, or fish. So good!

Guide to Traditional Puerto Rican Food

First-Time Diner Tips

Do you have any advice for individuals dining in Puerto Rico for the first time?

I suggest trying to stay away from touristy areas and finding out where the locals eat before choosing a restaurant.

Local Dining Favorites

Could you share a few of your favorite local eateries?

Some of my favorite places to eat are Cocina Al Fondo, Vianda, Leña Eh, Sur Barra Nikkei, Berlingeri, La Santurcina, Verde Mesa, La Estación… There are so many good places!

Discover More Restaurants in Puerto Rico

El Escambron beach — El Escambrón Beach offers clear-blue water and snorkeling right in San Juan.

Hometown Pride

Which municipality in Puerto Rico do you hail from? What do you cherish most about your hometown?

I was born and raised in San Juan. I love San Juan for its easy walking access to a variety of beaches and great restaurants.

Local Exploration Recommendations

Where should visitors go, or what activities should they take part in when visiting your town?

I would suggest going to see the sunrise at Escambrón Beach and then grabbing breakfast at Café Regina. Walking around Old San Juan is always a good idea, just make sure you wear sunblock. Old San Juan has a lot of very delicious places to eat like Spiga and has many beautiful historic monuments and views.

Take a Culinary Tour of Old San Juan