Top 10 Romantic Restaurants of Costa Rica
San Jose
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La Cava Grill
Contact:
- 2289-4404
Location:
- 1.5km (1 mile) south of Centro Comercial Paco; follow the signs to Le Monestère
Description:
This place is a cozy and warm spot built underneath the popular yet overpriced and overrated Le Monestère restaurant. While the decor is much less ornate, the service much less formal, and the menu much less French, the view is just as spectacular. Grab a window seat on a clear night and enjoy the sparkle of the lights below. The menu features a range of simply prepared meat, poultry, and fish. More adventurous diners can try the tepezquintle (a large rodent, also called a paca), which is actually quite tasty. There's live music and a festive party most weekend nights in the attached bar. My big complaint here is that the wine list is borrowed from the upstairs restaurant, and is pretentious and expensive.
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Park Café
Contact:
- 2290-6324
Location:
- Sabana Norte, 1 block north of Rostipollos
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Map
Description:
Having opened and run a Michelin two-star restaurant in London and another one-star joint in Cannes, Richard Neat now finds himself turning out his impressive fusion cuisine in an intimate space spread around the interior patio courtyard of a stately old downtown mansion, which also doubles as an antiques and imported furniture store. The menu changes regularly but might feature some roasted scallops with ricotta tortellini in a pumpkin jus, or some expertly grilled quail on a vegetable purée bed, topped with poached quail egg. Presentations are artfully done, and often served in such a way as to encourage sharing. The well-thought-out and fairly priced wine list is a perfect complement to the cuisine.
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La Piazzetta
Contact:
- 2221-8451
Location:
- Paseo Colón near Calle 40
- Opposite Banco de Costa Rica
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Map
Description:
With a long menu and formal service, this restaurant reminds me of the Italian restaurants of old in New York's Little Italy. The menu includes quite a few risotto dishes, as well as several lobster offerings and some Sicilian fare. The veal scaloppini in a truffle sauce is excellent. Salads are colorful and artistically arranged. For dessert, sample a classic chocolate mousse or tiramisu. The wine list is quite extensive, with good and reasonably priced offerings from Italy, and most other prominent wine producing regions around the world.
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La Luz
Contact:
- 2282-4160
Location:
- In the Alta Hotel, on the old road to Santa Ana
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Map
Description:
La Luz was one of the first fusion restaurants in Costa Rica, and it continues to serves up some of the better prepared and more adventurous food in Costa Rica. I keep coming back for the fiery garlic prawns, which are sautéed in ancho-chili oil and sage and served over a roasted-garlic potato mash. The whole thing is served with a garnish of fried leeks and a tequila-lime butter and cilantro-oil sauce. I also enjoy the passion fruit-glazed duck breast. On top of an extensive menu, there are nightly specials and a wide selection of inventive appetizers and desserts. The glass-walled dining room is one of the most elegant in town, with a view of the city lights. The waitstaff is attentive and knowledgeable.
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Machu Picchu
Contact:
- 2222-7384
Location:
- Calle 32, between avs. 1 and 3
- 150m (1 1/2 blocks) north of the KFC on Paseo Colón
Description:
Machu Picchu is an unpretentious little restaurant that is perennially one of the most popular places in San José. The menu is classic Peruvian. One of my favorite entrees is the causa limeña, lemon-flavored mashed potatoes stuffed with shrimp. The ceviche here is excellent, as is the ají de gallina, a dish of shredded chicken in a fragrant cream sauce, and octopus with garlic butter. For main dishes, I recommend corvina a lo macho, sea bass in a slightly spicy tomato-based seafood sauce. Be sure to ask for a pisco sour, a classic Peruvian drink made from pisco, a grape liquor. These folks have a sister restaurant over in San Pedro (tel. 2283-3679), and another in Santa Ana (tel. 2203-7657), set on a hillside with a great view over the valley below.
