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Destinations » Central America » Costa Rica » Provincia de San José » San José » City Guide: Dining

San José, Costa Rica » Dining Restaurants by Area

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With all the coming and going, the morning stroll and the shopping spree downtown, it seems like your stomach has forgotten that just a few hours ago it enjoyed breakfast at the hotel verandah. You note that the Oeufs á la Benedictine, the gallo pinto with sour cream and the pancakes with bacon Texas fashion, all washed down with coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice, really made for a super international and sumptuous breakfast! Enough to forget about lunch! No way! Your stomach demands with an awful and loud growl (which suddenly startles in terror the old lady sitting besides you on the bench in Central Avenue), in a reminder that is time to indulge again. Anyway, you are on vacation! You make up your mind and since you are close to the hotel, you decide to go back, change, and drop your shopping bags. On the way out, you almost sit back down again on the same verandah where you had breakfast this morning, but your instinct reminds you that hotel restaurants (with clear exceptions, that is) are good for breakfast—and breakfast only. Therefore, you go out in quest for good food at other times.

Finding a good restaurant is not a problem. In the gastronomic arena, San Jose puts on airs of a big city and savoir faire, rubbing shoulders and rivaling with more cosmopolitan towns. With the development of a solid and always growing tourism industry, restaurants specializing in dishes from all over the world are common including fast food chains, small cozy restaurants, and five fork rooms. Since our coastlines are so close together, seafood is known for its freshness, as they are brought in daily refrigerated, but not frozen. Corvina and shrimp from the Pacific, and lobster from the Caribbean, are served in almost every quality restaurant, although the marisquerías offer the widest variety, the freshest product and the best prices.

Concerning our autochthonous gastronomy, the corn kitchen stands out. As a heritage from the indigenous tradition all the way from Northern Mexico to South America, the tortillas, tamales, corn biscuits, and a wide array of dishes made out of corn are part of our daily diet. This are combined with beans and picadillos, meats and all sort of vegetables. There are some specialized quality restaurants developing a new Costarican cuisine, which mixes genuinely local ingredients with others of higher lineage in the preparation of truly original and exclusive dishes.

San Jose is an important business and commerce district, with lots of hungry employees at lunchtime. To fulfill this need, besides the fast food chains and the picturesque Chinese restaurants, economical refreshment room outlets and sodas are found all over. They offer their patrons from the traditional gallo pinto, which is a dish made out of mixed refried rice and beans with onion, bell pepper, and coriander deliciously seasoned with sour cream or eggs on the side. This is mainly our traditional breakfast, but it is generally served at any hour on these outlets. Another option is the casado which is a very well balanced and complete dish that includes salad, some picadillo or vegetable, plantain, and a selection of meats (chicken, fish, pork, or beef). Every establishment makes it differently but there is no doubt they carry the home made seal. If you are on a tight budget or otherwise want to try something really local, they are a great option.

San Jose, all the way down from Central Avenue to Sabana Oeste, Escazú, and San Pedro is the Mecca of the Culinary Arts. Nevertheless, you will find good typical restaurants and outlets practically in every corner of this little piece of land.

So now that you made up your mind with a firm decision and a demanding stomach, there is only one thing left to say—Bon Appetite!

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