doublebara

Hello All. I'll be staying at The Alta Hotel for three nights. December 25 we're having dinner at La Luz (Alta Hotel restaurant). Can anyone suggest other restaurants - not necessarily fancy just great food? Along the same lines, do I need to be concerned about what I eat during my stay in Costa Rica? Only bottled water? Our itinerary is sea kayaking in the Curu ational Wildlife Refuge and visiting Tortuguero National Park. Thanks in advance for any information.

glover

We like the Tin Jo in San Jose. Nice atmosphere, not particularly fancy. Huge menu of all manner of Asian food - Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, etc. etc. Surprisingly all done well. It's been around for quite some time.

sandyc

Go to La Casona in San Jose. It's a Tico place with delicious fresh food. Really good! For the most part you don't have to worry about what you eat or drink. It's a very clean place w/ good sanitation practices. I try to stick to bottled water, but I've very often drank from the tap w/o problems. No problems w/ fruits or veggies. I've been to CR many times and only got sick once. If it happens and you don't have any meds w/ you, I recommend Diacort. You can get it in the farmacias along w/ a hydrating fluid and you'll be back in shape pretty quickly.

Sandy

doublebara

Thank you very much to the two posters!

raderbarbarian

Lots of suggestions - but I'll limit it to three or so.

For breakfast, go to Cafe de la Posada on the pedestrian mall that is Calle 17. This nice spot is just across Avenida 2 from the Museo Nacional.

For lunch, try Mama's Place on Avenida 1 (the first block north of the main pedestrian mall that is Avenida Central). Mama's Place is one half block east of the post office (the big green building) on the north side of the street. This place is famous for its lunchtime pasta deals.

For dinner, I wouldn't miss Cafe Mundo in Barrio Otoya. Just be warned: portions are huge! So think twice before choosing an appetizer as well as an entree. This delightful choice has a new patio with a fountain in front. Try the pechuga salteada con brocoli, oregano, limon y vino blanco. Two huge chicken breasts salteed with broccoli, oregano, lemon and white wine (but you had figured that out, hadn't you?). You'll escape having spent less than $15 per person, including a couple of drinks, taxes and tip.

(The tip is included in the bill in many restaurants in Costa Rica and no additional tip needs to be added. In fact, when you do add to the tip, it irritates tico diners who believe that tourists tip too much and that it puts pressure on them to do so as well. Please consider this before becoming "Mr. or Ms. Big Spender" in Costa Rican restaurants.)

And Buen provecho!

slofan

The Bakea in San Jose. It was top notch gourmet food in a great atmosphere. It's in an old restored victorian house. It's a great oppourtunity to have truly world class eats at a very reasonable price. Reservations are probably a good idea. Ask for the patio or garden room.
Enjoy

glover

Forgot to mention that there is (at least when we were there in 2004) an excellent French restaurant (go figure) in Le Bergerac Hotel (I'm blanking on its name). It's small place with limited menu of excellent food. Just a block off Avenida Central on eastern end of SJ toward San Pedro.