Fodor's Expert Review El Descanso

$$ San Gerardo de Rivas Breakfast

The kind of extraordinary restaurant you hope to stumble on in the most unlikely place, this intimate five-table wood-and-bamboo dining room is presided over by chef Esteban Acuña, whose family owns the attached small hotel. Drawing on his California training, Acuña gives local ingredients contemporary twists, flavored with herbs from the adjoining garden. Creamy soups are a meal in themselves. Trout, tuna, chicken, and tofu arrive in curry, vodka, red wine, and wasabi sauces. Desserts are delectable, so save some room.

Breakfast Contemporary Dinner Lunch $$

Quick Facts

Hwy. 242
San Isidro, San José  Costa Rica

2256–0304

Known For:
  • Mushroom-and-herb-stuffed whole trout
  • Creamy soups, cold and hot
  • Chocolate volcano flourless cake

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