San José does not get classier than this restaurant, where formal service and traditional sauce-heavy French dishes are part of the experience. The dining room is elegant, with wicker chairs, a tile floor, and original paintings. The Swiss chef, Claude Dubuis, might start you off with saffron ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese and walnuts. His main courses include such unique dishes as corvina in a pejibaye (peach palm) sauce, hearts of palm and veal chops glazed in a sweet port-wine sauce, and the more familiar pato a la naranja (duck à l'orange), or for a tropical twist on that classic dish, try Dubuis's pato a la maracuyá (duck in passion fruit).
Reviewed by infotrop from Costa Rica on 9/8/07
Le Chandelier is indeed French...but the clever use of local ingredients makes this as much as gourmet Costa Rican restaurant as a French restaurant that happens to be in Costa Rica. It's very expensive compared to most other restaurants, but the romantic atmosphere, attentive service and wonderful food make it the perfect place to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or surviving a really tough work week.
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