Costa Rica Restaurants & Reviews 2

Costa Rica Restaurants & Reviews

Our Favorite
Restaurants in Escazu!

Café Urbano - Elite Bar-Café - Centro Comercial el Cruce - Escazú
Phone: 506 228 6697

Describing this place is difficult. It is a café and a bar; it has a bohemian
atmosphere, but is also elegant and exquisite in its decoration and details.
It is romantic, but it may get loud. It has great food, but is not a restaurant.
It is very, very "in" and exclusive.

Here, you will meet members of high society, politicians and a wide array
of artists, TV and media personalities, and models. Dressing properly and
creating a successful image are a must. European cuisine and imported
wines comprise the menu.

Carlos' n Charlie's - For the Young at Heart - Centro Comercial Multiplaza, Guachipelín Escazú - Phone: 506 288 1182

No, it does not mean that your name has to be Carlos or Charlie to get in
here. However, many well-known personalities throughout history with that
name hang on the walls with a welcoming smile. The menu at this bi-level
bar and restaurant offers Mexican specialties.

The bar is on the first floor, while the restaurant is on the second floor,
although Wednesday nights both levels fuse into one with an all you
can eat and drink special offer, which includes beer, tequila and burritos,
tacos, for just 3,000 colones! Trendy music and a good atmosphere also
enhance this place.

Cerutti - High-quality Italian Hostaria - En el cruce a San Rafael de
Escazú Phone: 506 228 4511

In a setting of magnificent elegance, with imported antique furniture from
Italy of exquisite good taste, a 100-year-old building houses the "Hostaría"
Cerutti. The taste of refinement and luxury extends well beyond décor and
into the menu.

Here, dishes are prepared with imported ingredients from Europe including
cheeses, sausages, and meat. Elaboration is carried out to the highest
standards of Haute Cuisine.

Chango - Casual Atmosphere - 500 metros al sur del cruce, San Rafael Escazú Phone: 506 228 1173

Located at the famous "golden mile" of Escazú, which is one of the best
commercial and residential areas in the Metropolitan area, you can find
Chango. No "monkey business" here, just great food, drinks and music.
This place has a casual and informal atmosphere, but surrounded by
savoir-faire and a cosmopolitan ambiance.

It is open during the afternoons, so you can enjoy coffee or tea with
pastries. You can also have drinks and snacks at the bar if you do not
feel like having a full meal. Features : Al Fresco, Steak & Barbecue,
Fish & Seafood.

Eurocafé - More than a Café - 300 metros al este del cruce de Santa Ana, San Rafael de Escazú - Phone: 506 289 5206

Amid the blue and the yellow tones of the walls that create a balanced and
warm atmosphere, Eurocafé awaits its patrons. The menu goes far beyond croissants and pies. Here, jumbo shrimps in an almond sauce dance a
waltz with sirloin medallions, while a peach strudel waits in line. No doubt,
this is a different place that well deserves a visit.

Exótico Oriente - From a Faraway Land - 100 metros al oeste del cruce,
San Rafael - Escazú - Phone: 506 228 5980

In this exotic restaurant, the smells of curry, ginger and herbs will seduce
your taste buds and entice your appetite with the promise of a delicious
Thai or Indonesian specialty. The restaurant itself is small and unpretentious,
and so are the prices, so this is a great place to experience this particular
cuisine in the tranquility of an informal atmosphere.

Ícarus - Cozy Haute Cuisine Restaurant - 2 kilómetros al norte del puente
de Guachipelín - Escazú Phone: 506 289 5330

This restaurant very well deserves such a mythological name, since the food
is absolutely "out of this world" and close to "Ambrosia" (food for the gods).

The place is small and candlelit, and the china, glassware and silverware
are exquisite. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate and offers a wide variety
of imported wines. The menu favors international Haute Cuisine with a strong European influx. Additionally, chamber music is performed live on Friday and Saturday nights.

Le Monastere - Elegant French Restaurant - San Rafael de Escazú
Phone: 506 289 4404, 1 506 228 6370

Located on the Escazú hills, a few kilometers west of San José, Le
Monastere offers a magnificent 280° view of the Central Valley. The
restaurant is completely decorated with the style of a medieval abbey,
and tries to preserve a mystic and elegant atmosphere. The menu offers delicious entrees, international dishes, a great variety of wines and
champagnes, and exquisite desserts. After dinner, you can enjoy the
casual and relaxed ambiance of La Cava, a small rustic tavern at the
restaurant's basement.

Mirage - French Gourmet Haute Cuisine - Hotel Camino Real
Guachipelin Escazú Phone: 506 289 7000

So you want to go in style? No problem! Rent a limo, buy yourself a new
suit (and the like for your companion) and make it over to Mirage. Aside
from these small extras, merely visiting Mirage may cost a small fortune
if you add some drinks to your dinner. The décor, silverware and china are absolutely elegant and exquisite, as is the attention to detail and service.
And of course, the food is superb and worthy of a Cordon Bleu distinction.

Sabor a leña - Pizza with a Special Taste - 500 metros al sur del cruce
de San Rafael Escazú Phone: 506 228 1491

What makes the difference of one pizza, from one parlor to another? Well,
aside from the quality and quantity of the ingredients and the dough, pizzas
cooked on a wood oven really give them a special flavor! This place has two
levels, with a bar on the first floor and a terrace on the second.

The menu is very large with well over 40 different pizza combinations, and
many pasta dishes. You will find salads and deserts as well. There is also
another location in San Francisco de Dos Ríos.

Barbecue Los Anonos Famous San Jose Steakhouse - San Rafael de
Escazú, 600 mts oeste del puente de Los Anonos, San José
Phone: 506 228 0180

Probably one of the oldest Steak Houses in San Jose, Los Anonos
Restaurant has a high clientele. A simple and nice décor, with long
tables and benches and baked clay tiles, gives this place a warm and
cozy ambiance. Grilled and barbecued meats are the specialty, and
the cuts are generous.

Dishes include refried black beans, salad and ripe grilled plantains
on the side. Seafood selections are also very good and you can try
the typical delicious dessert at the end of your meal.

Costa Rica Restaurants & Reviews

Our Favorite
Restaurants in "Pavas"

Bar Zulu - 250 metros al oeste de la estación de bomberos - Pavas
(Near Escazu) Phone: 506 296 3885

This is no ordinary flight into the night. At Zulu, you can enjoy a quiet dinner
in the restaurant area, or cocktails, drinks and "bocas’ in the bar - where
airplane and chopper models hang. You can even dance to the latest hits,
and the rhythm of the lasers and the spinning of the lights. No jet lag
guaranteed! Atmosphere & Fun!

La Granja - Good Typical Food - Diagonal a la clíinica Virgen del Loretto
Pavas, (Near Escazu) - Phone: 506 290 5858

This establishment is roomy and well ventilated, with long wooden tables
and benches like those in a picnic park. The kitchen is open to the
customers, so you can appreciate the preparation and cooking process.
Ladies dressed in "campesino" outfits grind the corn for the delicious
chorreadas that are served with sour cream, or cut the vegetables and
meats for a traditional meat pot. This restaurant is very typical, clean
and affordable.

Le Café - Great Café and Restaurant - 200 metros oeste de Plaza Mayor
Pavas (Near Escazu) - Phone: 506 290 1453

In the warmth of earth colors combined with antique pieces of glazed
earthenware hanging here and there, this place is ideal to gather with
a friend and to share the intimacy of a good conversation.

While you might think this is just a café for desserts and pastries, the
menu proves you wrong, as it offers a variety of full meal dishes including
meats, chicken and fish with a tendency towards French Haute Cuisine.
Great food and cozy ambiance are combined here for a wonderful
gastronomic experience.

Restaurante Isla Verde - Spicy Chinese Specialties - 300 metros al
oeste de la Embajada de Estados Unidos - Pavas (Near Escazu)
Phone: 506 296 5068

Slipping away from the traditional Chinese décor, where the red, green
and gold colors, porcelain Budas and paper-folding lamps fill the space,
this restaurant has a more neutral atmosphere. Regarding the menu,
no little cardboard "to go" boxes with fast-food versions of the real
thing either. This place is wonderful to indulge in traditional Chinese
cuisine at its finest, including some delicious spicy dishes.