Dining With A View

Only in the Central Valley: Dining Under the Stars on a Mountain's Edge

Although there are myriad unique experiences to be had in Costa Rica, one of my favorites is dining on the side of a volcano with the lights of San José shimmering below. These hanging restaurants, called miradores, are a resourceful response to the city's topography. Because San José is set in a broad valley surrounded on all sides by volcanic mountains, people who live in these mountainous areas have no place to go but up -- so they do, building roadside cafes vertically up the sides of the volcanoes.

The food at most of these establishments is not spectacular, but the views often are, particularly at night, when the wide valley sparkles in a wash of lights. The town of Aserri, 10km (6 1/4 miles) south of downtown San José, is the king of miradores, and Mirador Ram Luna (tel. 2230-3060) is the king of Aserri. Grab a window seat and, if you've got the fortitude, order a plate of chicharrones (fried pork rinds). There's often live music. You can hire a cab for around $10 (£5) or take the Aserri bus at Avenida 6 between calles Central and 2. Just ask the driver where to get off.

There are also miradores in the hills above Escazú and in San Ramón de Tres Ríos and Heredia. The most popular is Le Monestère (tel. 2289-4404; closed Sun), an elegant converted church serving somewhat overrated French and Belgian cuisine in a spectacular setting above the hills of Escazú. I recommend coming here just for the less formal La Cava Grill, which often features live music, mostly folk-pop but sometimes jazz. I also like Mirador Tiquicia (tel. 2289-5839), which occupies several rooms in a sprawling old Costa Rican home and has live folkloric dance shows on Thursday.