Neighborhoods

Downtown San Jose

Inexpensive -- The Q'Café (tel. 221-0707) is a delightful little European-style cafe with a pretty perch above the busy corner of Avenida Central and Calle 2. Try to grab a view seat overlooking the action on the street below.

La Sabana/Paseo Colon

Expensive -- At the Grano de Oro, you might try the new Park Café (tel. 290-6324), which is housed inside the interior courtyard of an antique and imported furniture store, and is run by Richard Neat, who had a couple of successful and acclaimed restaurants in London and Marrakesh.

San Pedro/Los Yoses

Local and visiting vegetarians swear by the little Comida Para Sentir Restaurante Vegetariano San Pedro (tel. 224-1163), located 125m (1 1/4 blocks) north of the San Pedro Church. Despite the massive size and popularity of the nearby Il Pomodoro, I prefer Pane E Vino (tel. 280-2869), an excellent pasta-and-pizza joint on the eastern edge of San Pedro.

For Peruvian cuisine try Bohemia (tel. 253-6348) in Barrio Escalante, or the branch of Machu Picchu (tel. 283-3679;) in San Pedro. Finally, if you're hankering for sushi, try Ichiban (tel. 253-8012) in San Pedro, or Matsuri (tel. 280-5522), a little farther east in Curridabat.

Escazu & Santa Ana

These two suburbs on the western side of town have the most vibrant restaurant scene in San José. Although there's high turnover and sudden closings, this remains a good area to check out for a variety of dining experiences. Il Panino (tel. 228-3126) is an upscale sandwich shop and cafe, located in the Centro Comercial El Paco. Santa Ana Tex Mex (tel. 282-6342) is one of the most popular places on this side of town. Located a half-block north of the main church in Santa Ana, it serves up Tex-Mex cuisine in a lively atmosphere. Located just outside of Santa Ana, Essentia (tel. 203-7503) is another excellent fusion restaurant, located inside the hotel Corteza Amarilla.

Finally, a good one-stop option to consider is the Plaza Itskatzu shopping center located just off the highway and sharing a parking lot with the Courtyard San José. Here you'll find a wide variety of moderately priced restaurant options, including Tutti Li (tel. 289-8768), a good Italian restaurant and pizzeria; Icarus (tel. 288-5021), an upscale Continental restaurant (and a bit more expensive than the others); Chancay (tel. 289-6964), which serves Peruvian and Peruvian/Chinese cuisine; La Guagua (tel. 288-5112), serving up tasty Cuban food; Las Tapas de Manuel(tel. 288-5700), a Spanish-style tapas restaurant; and franchise outlets of both Hooters (tel. 289-3498) and Outback Steakhouse (tel. 288-0511).