8 Best Restaurants in San Jose, Costa Rica

Duck into the Teatro Nacional's sumptuous café, off the theater lobby, to sit at a marble table and sip a hazelnut mocha beneath frescoed ceilings. The frescoes are part of an allegory celebrating the 1897 opening of the theater. Coffee runs from $5 to $7, depending on how much alcohol or ice cream is added. Sandwiches and cakes are $6 to $9.

Kick off your day with a breakfast platter here: the americano (U.S.-style) or the tico (Costa Rican), with eggs, fried plantains, and natilla (sour cream). Snag one of the precious tables in the back garden, an unexpected refuge from noise and traffic, in the morning or late afternoon. The lunchtime decibel level increases markedly with government workers arriving from nearby office buildings (this is the one time of day we recommend avoiding the place.)

The generous homemade meals at this ranch-style restaurant are delicious, and the incredibly friendly waitstaff, who epitomize Costa Rican hospitality and dress in folkloric clothing, prepare your coffee filtered through the traditional cloth chorreador. The place keeps late hours, just in case those late-night gallo pinto (Costa Rican–style rice and beans) pangs hit. Some disparage the restaurant as "too touristy"; perhaps it is, but it's also fun. The place is relatively open and sits on a street with a lot of traffic, which is its one drawback. 

To sample the crème de la crème of locally made ice cream, head to Pops. After a long walk on crowded sidewalks, it may be just what the doctor ordered. Mango is a favorite flavor. You'll find several outlets downtown, as well as around the metro area and the country. This longtime Costa Rican institution is now Colombian-owned.

Reasonable prices and a hearty breakfast of gallo pinto (beans and rice), scrambled eggs, bread, and coffee at this artsy restaurant will fortify you for a morning of sightseeing. The bargain $7 lunch special consists of the standard casado—choose from fish, chicken, beef, or pork—accompanied by rice, beans, vegetable, salad, and dessert. This place is far from your typical mom-and-pop shop, though.

The indigenous cultures of Costa Rica don't get too much attention from tourists, but this small, intimate restaurant in Barrio Escalante is trying to change that by incorporating recipes derived from the history and culture of the eight surviving indigenous ethnic groups. Sikwa has deliciously (and respectfully) bridged the gap between the country's past and present as each meal tells a different story, which the chef and servers will happily share with diners. An otherwise straightforward drink menu includes some funky highlights like a gin-tonic with cacao nibs.

Don't expect anything fancy at this extremely popular restaurant, but food here is cheap and filling. The ubiquitous gallo pinto for breakfast and casados (meat, fish, or poultry, accompanied by rice, cabbage salad, and dessert) for lunch are on the menu, along with a variety of sandwiches and burgers. You can dine outdoors, but you'll have to contend with the traffic noise and the sight of the guard flagging cars in and out of the tiny parking lot.