Every budget and palate will be first tempted and then satisfied by the variety of restaurants and food services offered within Costa Rica. From humble sodas (inexpensive lunch counters) to fine dining restaurants, a wide selection of dishes will satisfy discerning taste buds. But no matter which place you choose, your dining experience will be enhanced by an extra special feature – a spectacular view of the tropical paradise that is Costa Rica.
Costa Rican cuisine is simple, relying mainly on rice and beans. Gallo pinto, a rice and black beans dish, serves as the traditional breakfast. Casado is a variation of gallo pinto with fried plantains, meat, chopped cabbage and egg or avocado and is served for lunch. Arroz con pollo, chicken and rice; arroz con tuna, tuna with rice; beefsteaks; fish and chicken round off the regular Costa Rican menu.
Diners in the mood for inexpensive but hearty lunch should stop by the sodas scattered all over Costa Rica. Most sodas offer tamales, steamed cornmeal stuffed with chicken or pork and wrapped in a banana leaf; patacones, sliced fried plantains; pupusas, fried cornmeal and cheese cakes and other local snacks.
Most pubs and bars serve bocas with drinks for free or for a minimal charge. Bocas are yummy bite-size treats such as tortillas with cheese and arreglados, little puff pastries filled with beef, chicken or cheese.
San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, boasts of a variety of dining choices. The formal restaurant of Hotel Grano de Oro is one place where you will not only partake of gourmet cuisine but get to observe the local elite close business deals over sumptuous meals. The cuisine is old-fashioned European. Prominent on its menu is native tilapia sautÈed in butter and finished off with vermouth. Another specialty is the rack of lamb crusted with fresh herbs. For dessert, there is Tican tres leches, a rich cake infused with condensed milk.
In a city teeming with Chinese restaurants, Tin Jo beats the competition. In addition to its rich selection of traditional Cantonese and Szechuan specialties, there are other Oriental dishes on the menu. Bokea housed in an old rambling colonial house serves fusion cuisine at its finest. For native Costa Rican food fare, check out Nuestra Tierra and Ti-pica, an open air eatery mirroring a rough-hewn country house.
In Manuel Antonio, the top picks are the in-house restaurants of posh resorts such as the Makanda-By-The-Sea and the Casitas Eclipse. Some stand-alone restaurants also provide extraordinary culinary delights. Along the beachfront road, Marlin Restaurant is a brilliant mix of Latin/Tex-Mex food and cozy ambiance. Just down the street, Mar Y Sombra provides simple yet scrupulously fresh local chow at affordable prices. El Gran Escape in Quipos serves fresh seafood dishes in generous proportions and just right on the pocket.
El Galeon at Los Suenos Resort is an epicurean delight. Its menu is pure genius – tempura tartar, ceviche and bisque; rack of lamb with jumbo shrimp; ravioli made of saffron, snow crab and toasted mushroom; whole red snapper with lime-caper sauce; pepper steak and capped off with brownie-a-la-mode with tropical fruit puree.
As with other resort towns, the finest and most exclusive restaurants in Arenal are at the uphill resorts. Los Tucanes at Tabacon and Acuareles at Montana de Fuego serve superb local dishes with a touch of international flair. In La Fortuna, good choices include La Choza de Laurel, Rancho La Cascada and Los Nenes all offering affordable menus.
The restaurants in Costa Rica provide just about every need for every palate. Think of any cuisine, chances are, Costa Rica has a restaurant offering a version for you.