San José Restaurant Tips by penumbra

Restaurant Name: Nuestra Tierra

Open 24 hours per day this is a great way to ease into Tico cuisine. Some of the local “Soda’s” look a bit suspect, but Nuestra Tierra is clean and appealing. Overflowing with attentive staff in costume, there are bundles of onions and peppers hanging from the rafters to add to the eye candy.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (506) 258-6500
Address: Avenida 2 & Calle 15
Directions: In the east-end of downtown across from the Museo Nacional

Restaurant Name: Soda Tapa

What do you get if you cross a 1950’s diner with Costa Rican cuisine? The answer might look like Soda Tapa, where you step back in time to a place that never was. Decorated and costumed as a diner, the menu reads more like a local restaurant (referred to as soda’s). Service is speedy and friendly. It might take longer to wait for a break in traffic to reverse back out onto Calle 42, although for a couple of colones, a guard will temporarily halt traffic to allow you to get underway.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Diner
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Avenida 2 - Calle 42

Restaurant Name: Gran Hotel Café Parisien

Open 24 hours per day the cafe has great food and is a great place for people watching. Although set back from the street the hotel has its own paved plaza. Its central location makes it an ideal resting point or meeting area while visiting other attractions in the downtown region.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Avenida 2 & Calle 3
Directions: Across from the Teatro Nacional