Costa Rica
Restaurants & Reviews

San Jose 2

*Special List of Fine Restaurants
and Restaurant Reviews in Costa Rica!

Restaurants Listed by Locality
in Costa Rica!

All Budgets!

Costa Rica Restaurants & Reviews

Our Favorite
San Jose Restaurants 2
 

The menu is simple and well balanced: soups, salads, pizzas, chicken, fish
and red meats, complimented with delicious fruit juices, different types of
coffee and exquisite desserts.
 

In Mexican jargon, a molcajete is a mortar to crush herbs and spices. This
is the way that this establishment evokes its traditional Aztec cuisine,
to offer its guests, in a cordial atmosphere, their wonderful dishes.

As a family enterprise, dad, mom and children all take care to make you
feel at ease with their attentions. You will find all sort of specialties, from
the traditional tacos, to the superb cochinita pibil. Sundays are ideal for
family and children since they open at 8am.
 

The Lukas Restaurant is one of the first and well-known businesses in
the Centro Comercial El Pueblo.

Their international menu includes meats, chicken, seafood and salads,
along with selected and varied typical plates that feature local Costa Rican cuisine. A prime location for business travelers.
 

Manolo's Restaurant is located in the heart of the capital city in a building
considered to be a national landmark. It is one of the few places in the city
where you can enjoy your coffee and sandwiches outdoors, as in Europe.
In the afternoons and evenings, live folk music is a featured. Because of this ambiance and style, both locals and tourists tend to visit.
 

This is one of the finest restaurants in town, located on the slopes of
the Escazú hills, providing one of the best views of the whole Central
Valley. It is amazing by night when visitors from around the world and
Costa Rican locals get together, or romantic couples gather here for
dinner or drinks. They serve delicious gourmet food, international and
Costa Rican dishes, and a variety of wines. They also offer a show on
Wednesdays.
 

A large stone chimney keeps the place warm and invites intimate and
soft conversations. The menu is typical Costarrican food, and you can
choose from gallitos (small tortillas topped with assorted meats, cheese
or picadillos), grilled meats, chicken and fish. Sensational!
 

You can eat traditional Costa Rican food in this roadside restaurant,
and enjoy the view of the green valley spreading out before you. This is
a good place to stop for lunch or a snack if you are heading south. The
food is relatively simple, but tasty—try the fried fish, which is taken
directly from a nearby lake. If you are planning to attend as a large
group, call ahead to plan a special menu and arrange a group price.
 

It is difficult to find vegetarian food in Central America; even the vegetable
dishes are usually made with chicken stock.

But if you are a vegetarian you will be happy here. Come at lunchtime to
enjoy soup, a main course and a dessert. Drink fruit juice or delicious coffee.
The establishment is very popular with students and young people, making
it a good place to ask about concerts and other events in the city.
 

Very much in the style of the "Big Apple," Piccadilly Circus, or Paris, this
new café of sophisticated and urban elegance is a symbol of good taste
in the heart of San José.

Located at the street level of the Presidente Hotel, it offers a wide and
attractive menu, which includes sandwiches to full main courses,
desserts and breakfast service. The venue is small, but the atmosphere
is relaxed and easy going.
 

This restaurant is housed in an old mansion in the traditional and elegant
Barrio Escalante, a residential area for the rich and famous. Restored with meticulous care and good taste, the ambiance recreates a European bistro. There is a large main area painted in wash colors and high ceilings, two
terraces, and a small bar, and although the menu is based on Peruvian specialties, there are dishes of international contemporary cuisine to
choose from as well.
 

Tempura, ten don and yaki udon are among the most recommended.
All-included dishes are a real treat, and they really save you money
(1,800 colones plus tax and service). The chef and owner come out
every now and then to check on the clientele.
 

Cubans put a good amount of flavor into everything they do.
Starting with their tropical rhythms, capable of making a dead man
dance, up to their native food, which is so rich and tasty that it can
get everyone's appetite going.

Oh, and their drinks, rum with something plus something, will turn
even the worst singer into a musical superstar!  If you do not believe
it, go to Mi Mojito and try it for yourself!
 

Three years in existence, the Papa Pez Restaurant has filled the
expectations of those seeking to enjoy the delicacies of the sea in a
central location. During happy-hour, you can serve yourself from the
buffet located on the terrace, in front of the garden.
 

At the Hotel Hacienda San Miguel, surrounded by mountains in
a cold weather and magical setting, this restaurant caters to its
guests and visitors in what use to be an old farmhouse. With a
romantic and cozy ambiance, the house maintains its olden days
glamour in three separate areas to eat.

In a beautiful verandah where an informal setting is achieved, you
can enjoy a wonderful view to a small lake. The menu ranges from
typical to international cuisine.    Horseback riding, boat tours and
visits to dairy farms are offered daily.
 

The service and décor of this small and simple restaurant bring guests
one step closer to the Caribbean coast. Dishes include some of the
most typical of the region, such as rice and beans with chicken
(cooked with coconut milk) at 1,750 colones, Scobiech (1,900 colones),
a variety of seafood dishes (1,500-4,000 colones) and delicious desserts
(300-750 colones).

The location of this restaurant is appealing to office employees during
lunch breaks, while dinner is served in a quieter atmosphere.
 

Housed in what once was Costa Rica's National Library at the turn of
the century, this place breathes tradition and history on the walls but
fashion and glamour on the ambiance. It has different levels for different
audiences, so if you are in the mood to dance, the disco is your place,
but if your idea of fun is something quieter, the bar is just perfect.

Burgers and light snacks fashion the menu in case you get hungry.
Also, modeling and maripepinos (male stripper) shows are performed
some Wednesday and weekend nights.
 

A great place for pizza-lovers, as they come in all flavors here, in
addition to a range of pastas and salads. Meat-lovers and vegetarians
alike can find something to suit their tastes in this well-located
establishment. Drink a bottle of wine or a well-chilled beer, and do
not forget to try the delicious desserts. The restaurant is popular with
people of all ages, and with both locals and foreigners.
 

You can eat al fresco in a nice verandah, or climb to the second level
for a couple of drinks in the bar along with the best stars of Hollywood,
which surround you on the walls.
 

   If you have a craving for Italian food, come here to enjoy a pizza, pasta
or salad with the characteristic flavors of olive oil, garlic, tomato and
salami. There are also a number of Costa Rican dishes available. The salads
are very refreshing, and you can accompany your meal with a bottle of wine
or a glass of well-chilled beer. The restaurant is popular among local people,
and the prices are very reasonable.
 

If you are an enemy of fat, cholesterol and chemical fungicides in your
food, you will notice that at Shatki´s restaurant they are practically
nonexistent. This establishment has become, with time, a macrobiotic
and organic tradition in good eating. Some white-meat options are found
on the menu, for those who cannot live without animal protein, but
always under the norms of healthy cooking. They sell pastry and
baked goods, and organic and natural products as well.
 

How would you like to be welcomed with a tall glass of complimentary champagne?  Well, in this excellent café, restaurant and wine cellar,
that is exactly how you are treated. The place is cozy and warm, and
has three different sections to fit your mood.

The music is soft and peaceful, and the menu ranges from pizzas to
European Haute Cuisine and delicious desserts.

Imported wines and beer, as well as a delicatessen are part of the
offering. It is a special place for those special moments.
 

Envision a bowl of chopped tropical fruits: ripe sweet bananas, fragrant
papaya, red watermelon and pineapple, topped with vanilla ice-cream,
sour cream and jelly, and you will be transported to paradise!    Or,
how about a Sandwich Lorenzo, where thin layers of meat, tomato,
lettuce and smashed beans, inside a loaf of baguette bread awakens the
lust of the holiest dieter. Soda Castro is this and much more. If you get
lost, ask anyone.   Everybody knows where it is!
 

Very popular among students and young people, this inexpensive
restaurant offers great coffee, snacks, drinks and a variety of light
meals, including deep-fried meats in corn dough, chicken with rice or
eggs, sandwiches and jellies. Its central location makes it very
convenient, especially if you have been shopping in the commercial
areas.
 

Great place for business meetings, with friends and business
associates, super breakfasts & Lunches - Outdoor Verandah-nice
variety of sandwiches and yummy fruit salads, enjoy a cold cerveza
with your meal-relax & "people watch"!  Also Bar - after work watering
hole occasional Live Music!
 

Delicate Japanese dishes are served here in a familiar atmosphere.
Located in the western side of the city, they offer a delicious sushi bar
and an extensive 60-dish menu, including some original recipes.
Exquisite Sake is served in the traditional way. If you are not a big
connoisseur of Japanese food, the waiters are always glad to give you
some advice.

The chicken or pork yakitori is highly recommended, as is the fried
gyoza and the tako sashimi. Most of their plates are known because
of their original combinations of meat, pork, garlic, ginger and other
ingredients.
 

More, much more than a Chinese restaurant, this is a culinary
experience of different tastes and flavors from all of Asia. Here,
you can try specialties from India, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma,
Vietnam, Japan and, of course, China.

It is not unusual, then, that a mixture of smells comes from the
kitchen including curry, ginger, soy, lemon grass, garlic and onions,
in a parade of magical olfactory seduction. When you feel it is time
for a gastronomic change, the Tin Jo can give you a marvelous
culinary tour through those exotic places.
 

*If you have a Costa Rica website that you would like to include in our directory categories, please email me with the specifics, and we will add your site, for a reciprocal link.

Link to:  Tropical Delight Costa Rica Directory and Market Place


Description:  The Most Intensive and interesting Costa Rica Directory... complete with a Costa Rica Market Place, E-Commerce, Shopping, Costa  Rica Exports & Imports!  It's the Max!  A true Tropical Delight!  Must See!  
 

Website:  http://www.strayreality.com/costarica.htm

E-mail:  lani@strayreality.com