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Best Dining Bets
Tin Jo (San José; tel. 221-7605): In a city with hundreds of Chinese restaurants, this place stands head and shoulders above the competition. In addition to an extensive selection of Szechuan and Cantonese classics, there are Japanese, Thai, Indian, and Malaysian dishes on the menu. Tin Jo has the most adventurous Asian cuisine in Costa Rica.
Grano de Oro Restaurant (San José; tel. 255-3322): This elegant little hotel has an elegant restaurant serving delicious continental dishes and decadent desserts. The open-air seating in the lushly planted central courtyard is delightful, especially for lunch.
Bacchus (Santa Ana; tel. 282-5441): Set in a wonderfully restored and updated ancient adobe home, this restaurant serves up arguably the best Italian fare in the San José metropolitan area.
Ginger (Playa Hermosa; tel. 672-0041): Serving an eclectic mix of traditional and Pan Asian-influenced tapas, this sophisticated little joint is taking this part of Guanacaste by storm. They've got a list of creative cocktails to match the inventive dishes.
Mar Y Sol (Playa Flamingo; tel. 654-4151): In a beautiful room on a high hilltop with great views, the Catalan chef here serves top-notch international fare.
Dragonfly Bar & Grill (Tamarindo; tel. 653-1506): Southwestern American and Pacific Rim fusion cuisines are the primary culinary influences at this popular restaurant. Portions are large, service excellent, and prices fair.
Nectar (at Flor Blanca Resort, Santa Teresa; tel. 640-0232): Guanacaste's best boutique resort also has one of its best restaurants. The menu changes nightly but always has a heavy Pan-Asian fusion flavor to it. The setting is romantic and subdued, in an open-air space just steps from the sand.
Playa de los Artistas (Montezuma; tel. 642-0920): This place is the perfect blend of refined cuisine and beachside funkiness. There are only a few tables, so make sure you get here early. Fresh, grilled seafood is served in oversize ceramic bowls and on large wooden slabs lined with banana leaves.
Sofia (Monteverde; tel. 645-7017): This restaurant serves excellent New Latin-fusion fare at a small space about halfway along the rough dirt road between Santa Elena and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.
Pacific Bistro (Jacó; tel. 643-3771): This place serves up a regularly changing menu of creative fusion fare with the freshest seafood and best beef available. Asian influences are prominent here.
El Patio Bistro Latino (Quepos; tel. 777-4982): This casually elegant little place has made a name for itself in the Manuel Antonio area. The chef's creative concoctions take full advantage of fresh local ingredients. Its intimate setting is a welcome little oasis in Quepos.
La Pecora Nera (Puerto Viejo; tel. 750-0490): I'm not sure that a tiny surfer town on the remote Caribbean coast deserves such fine Italian food, but it's got it. Your best bet here is to allow yourself to be taken on a culinary roller-coaster ride with a mixed feast of the chef's nightly specials and suggestions.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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