Costa Rican Food
I'm heading down to Costa Rica, and I'm wondering if anyone has some advice on places and types of food to eat while I'm there.
I know that I'll be in San Jose, Cahuita, and on the Nicoya Penninsula, if anyone has some actual restaurant recommendations.
Thank you!
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10 Comments:
My favorite was eating at the sodas - casual, typically roadside places offering cheap daily specials. Casados are like the blue plate specials - rice, beans, some kind of protein and veg, maybe a fried egg. Gallo pinto is mixed up beans and rice with seasonings that they serve for breakfast, can come with eggs, tortillas, a soft cheese, etc. The fruit there is incredible, so I'd often order a fruit plate. There's also fruit drinks that are delicious with some type of fruit blended with water or milk - liked the pineapple with milk combo best.
LilAlli at 3:00PM on 02/26/09
I looooved Costa Rica. Especially bartering at the markets. That was my senior trip. I'm in France now and I prefer Costa Rica to the Franceland.
meg3j at 3:15PM on 02/26/09
@LilAlli: You covered the bases for eating out. Those fruit drinks are so addictive -- I usually got guanabana (white soursop) and mora (blackberry) when I was there. Also, there's a decent Mexican place in San Jose called Los Farolitos, but you should stick with typical CR food though. It's good.
I stayed in San Jose with some Ticos a while ago during the summer and they always served coffee, fresh bread, butter and jam for breakfast and served a lot of yucca-chicken soup paired with an onion, tomato and heart of palm salad for lunch. I usually went to the sodas for dinner, got gallo pinto and slathered it with Salsa Lizano, which you'll see on nearly every table. Tastes a little bit like A-1 sauce.
I picked up a habit in CR . . . one of the local kids in the house I stayed in got me eating unripe mango slices with pickled jalapenos. Delicious!
Susquehanna at 5:41PM on 02/26/09
Gallo pinto, Salsa Linzano - I have been instantly transported back to CR. Yum, yum, yum!
Fried chicken is also very popular and quite tasty.
erinlovestoeat at 5:53PM on 02/26/09
i second the sodas (they're kind of like small restaurants the locals go to), the fried chicken, the fruit and the fruit drinks. i got tamarindo with water and watermelon. and the fried chicken and arroz con pollo i had at the sodas were good. one day we decided to go to a "nicer" restaurant and it was a disaster. we promptly went back to eating food at the sodas. and dinner was never more than $8 per person.
korovka at 7:00PM on 02/26/09
When I was there, I found breakfast to be the 'creme de la creme' of meals. The coffee was superb. The juices enlightening and fresh. Variety of pastries I've never seen in the states. The bacon / sausages were meaty and well seasoned. And the fruit was fabulous.
When I asked my business host to take me out for 'Costa Rican Food' we ended up eating something akin to bad Mexican food. When we had a nice 3 hour lunch out one day - they took us to their favorite place which was a Chilean Restaurant. Was good, but they explained that Costa Rica is such a melting pot that the locals enjoyed all kinds of food from Japanese to American to Brazilian.
The one thing that did stand out was a drink called Tigers Milk - it was the juice from Ceviche. Supposedly quite the male aphrodisiac. I tasted it but passed on it and stuck with my beer.
Great county although San Jose can get pretty hectic.
Ribster at 9:29PM on 02/26/09
This is great! Thanks everyone so far.
I'm drooling thinking about the fruit.
Latlie at 9:41AM on 02/27/09
While in San Jose, make a side trip to Escazu (it's right outside of San Jose). Go to a restaurant called Pollo Male. (POLLO MALE a La Leña (228-0623)) It has the the best and cheapest roast chicken ever. The refried beans and tortillas are amazing, and it's a very cool little hole-in-the-wall place. It's somewhere I go at least 3 times every time I visit.
Also in Escazu is Cerutti (Latin America's only 4 star restaurant, I believe). I think the food there is perfect. (Cruce San Rafael de Escazú, Costa Rica +506 228 45 11 )
Lastly, I would recommend La Monastare (Off Santa Ana Road from Escazú, Costa Rica +506 289 4404 ). It's French food, which may not be what you're looking for, but it's worth it for the view, which is breathtaking (the food is quite good as well, I recommend any of the beef dishes).
Other than that, I would say jsut eat the local food, which is fantastic. Comida Typicos is either beef, chicken or fish, with rice & beans, and some vegetables. Even when you go to the supermarket, you get great food (the supermarkets are fun to see, since they're guarded by guys with massive firearms)...Have a wonderful time, I think it would be impossible not to in Costa Rica!
KateRuby at 1:09PM on 02/27/09
I spend a most lovely vacation in costa. Def hit the Central Market, and go to the Ceviche stands- best cheapest and most authentic. the Central Market was my favorite part of San Jose. Comida Tipicos is incredible- you will be come addicted to gallo pinto.
Tamarindo has many lovely restaurants, with fish right off the boat
In san jose, there is a great restaurant near the folk art open market I will have to check my notes at home and post again. Every thing is just so fresh- be sure to try as many bebidas (fruit shakes) as you can- my favorite ended up being papaya w/milk.. man i want to go back.
LIRC at 2:36PM on 02/27/09
@Ribster: Leche de Tigre (Tiger's Milk) is actually a Peruvian specialty, which you probably knew. I haven't tried it, either. My grandmother was a Limeña and boy, do I need to get down there to eat someday. Heard good things.
Susquehanna at 7:22AM on 03/01/09