We will be in San Jose prior to our liveaboard dive adventure and would like to eat at a nice restaurant in the San Jose area. We are staying at Hotel Bougainvillea and ate at their restaurant the last time we were in town. No special occasion or anything, we just like trying new places. Thanks in advance.

The Grano de Oro Hotel has a very nice restaurant with good food; the hotel is built in an old mansion - we found it charming.

Definitely the Grand de Oro downtown. My daughter and I enjoyed lunch there.

How far from Hotel B is the Grano de Oro - 10-15 min cab ride?

La Piazzeta Italian located in Paseo Colon.

Fogo Brasil, also near Paseo Colo, incredible good steak house!

Machu Pichu , Peruian cuisine!

Rocio

Machu Picchu is a wonderful place for seafood. The seafood platter for two is one of their most popular items. A huge platter piled with lobster, prawns, fish, etc. (each item cooked a different way) for about $28. Grano de Oro is nice too - they suggested Machu Picchu to us for a change of pace.

I would also recommend Machu Picchu very highly. The food was great and there was a lot of variety on the menu. They served a lot of unusal seafood dishes, mixed with more standard items for those who aren't too adventurous. They have a location downtown, but we ate at their restaurant in Escazu, which is closer to the airport area.

We also had a great dinner at Cerutti when we were in San Jose. They had great Italian food but it was very expensive.

I have just discovered that Machu Pichu restaurant is in downtown San Jose. We are staying near the airport so does anyone know of a wonderful Peruvian restaurant in Heredia or Alejuela?

I hear they have wonderful sea bass.

tripinink
Heredia and Alejuela are not far from the airport - maybe 10-15 minutes. I believe out taxi ride was $12???

Yep, yep, yep! There is a very nice Peruvian restaurant in Alajuela (very close to the big McDonald's on the corner) called Inti Raymi--it's acutally about 2 blocks straight ahead from that McDonald's, but the road is one way, so you have to go around to the right. Good seabass there. Very small little place, but good.

Turn right at McDonald's and go a block or two and you'll see an Argentine restaurant on your right. I can't remember the name, darned it, but it, too, was very good. I can find out, if you'd like!

A Peruvian GEM is Chan-cay. This is in the Itscazu Plaza (Escazu). Another great place is the White House...

Thanks, all. Shillmac, I was trying to remember the McDonald's in Alajuela, but I found another "tool" on the Villa Bonita site - the perfect little printable map of the area, and of course McDonald's exactly where I had hoped.

Yeah, that little map is a great help. Are you staying at VB? If so, ask Humberto the name of the Argentine restaurant (within walking distance) back over on that main road. The food there was very good, we thought.

The Argentinia restaurant in Alejuela is called Casa de Comera. We had a wonderful steak dinner there.

Thanks cherbear! You are probably sitting 2 blocks from me right now and here we are communicating on Fodors! I knew the name was something very simple, but had forgotten to make a note of it when we were there.

Where is the Macchu Picchu restaurant in SJO? I've been to the one in Escazu and highly recommend it. Especially the pisco sour!!!

How about Cochina de Lena in San Pedro?
Excellent place and tons of shopping for the trip home.

Machu Picchu in San Jose is just off Paseo Colon, Calle 32, just north of KFC.