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In my opinion, the two best places to eat in San Jose are Tinjo and Bakea. One is an Asian restaurant that serves cuisines from various Asian countries, and the other has a more contemporary fare. Both have very elegant interiors.
If one wants a cheap but still delightful fare, nothing beats the Peurvian soda just up the street from Zona Blue, on the southwest corner of Ave 7.
There are 3 restaurants (small chain) called Princesa Marina. There is one at Sabana norte another in Moravia and a third one that I do not know the location. It has a great selection at incredible prices. If you have the time it is a most. A tico friend introduced me to the place. Any taxi can take you there. They prepare a deep fried de-bone fish in 3 sizes that is great. Their lobster is a great dish for under $12.00.
Good luck.....
I know where Tinjo is, but it would be helpful for the people that don't to put some sort of cross streets for an address. Otherwise you get 5 posts, "Where is that at"...
Tin Jo is on Calle 11, between Ave 6 and 8 on the west side of the street, phone 221-7605.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
Pollo Campero is okay. There are some rotiserrie chicken places that are really good. My favorite is a bit out of the downtown area (A chinese restaurant across from Hiper Mas).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quackup
Jamito,
Do you have a name of that restaurant you go to? I'am always looking for good places to eat.
Not to give you a hard time, Jaimito, but your description doesn't help very much. Many of the rotisserrie chicken places are run by chinese INCLUDING Mariscar and Campesino (though, why anyone would order the chinese when the chicken is so good is beyond me). I'm also guessing most people don't know what the "Hiper Mas" is? Isn't that the name of the new mall out by Tres Rios? Thats a bit more than a bit outside of downtown and hardly worth going to for a $3 chicken meal unless you are out that way anyway.
Here is a list of good places to eat that are a heck of a lot closer to the Gulch (and all of them are shown on the latest map):
Atomic Cafe
Bakea
Balcon de Europa
Bar/Cafe Morazon
Cafe Mundo
Campesino
Chelles Bar (24hrs)
Costa del Sol
Criolitto
Del Mar
Don Wang (Dim Sum)
Faro's
JR's Ribs
La Palma (mixed reviews but recently reopened under new mgmt)
La Piazzetta (Paseo Colon area near Oasis)
Machu Pichu (Paseo Colon area near Oasis)
Grano D'Oro (Paseo Colon area near Oasis at Hotel of same name)
Mariscar
Nuestra Tierra
Pasaje Viaje (new food court across Ave. Central from Mariscar)
Soda Castro
Soda Central
Soda Delicias del Peru
Tin Jo
Not shown on the map but still fairly close:
new and not yet on the map but near Tin Jo: La Esquina de Buenos Aires
near Sabana Park and arguably the best in all of SJ in their categories: El Chicote (steak), La Princesa Marina (seafood) & Masia de Triquel (spanish/paella)
in El Pueblo: Lukas (steak), Papa Pez (fish), Cocina de Lena (a touristy Tico tradition) interesting but touristy shops and art galleries to check out before or after dinner.
the food court at Mall San Pedro is a great place to eat a cheap lunch and girl watch at the same time.
Plenty of good dinner places further out in Escazu and then there are the "mirador restaurants" up in the mountains with great views overlooking SJ and the central valley: Ram Luna, El Monastere, The White House (formerly Tara)
I'm sure I've missed plenty of other good ones and others are welcome to add to this list, but you get my point. In short, Quack, there is no need to go looking very far for good places to eat in SJ.
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peruvian restaurants
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you guys snuck your replies while i was still writing my "book". here are a few other comments.
why go to rohrmoser for peruvian when you have really good places that are closer and more convenient?
if you want to try peruvian food, one that is much closer to the gulch is the soda deliciosa del peru. it is on calle 3b right up the street from zb (zona blue) on the opposite side which makes it an excellent place to go for lunch on either the way to or from a zb massage.
as for machu pichu, that is one of my favorite sj restaurants (if not my most favorite) and i have eaten there many times. be sure to have a pisco sour with your meal. for those who don't know what that is, it is a traditional peruvian alcoholic drink made from pisco which is a sort of grape brandy. ceviche makes a good appetizer if you're into marinated fish (but not really my thing). seafood and potatoes are 2 basic staples of peruvian cooking and causa limena is an excellent choice - lemon flavored potatoes stuffed with shrimp. for those that are not big fisheaters, aji de gallina (chopped chicken in cream sauce) is really good. and be sure to save room for a little desert one spoonful of suspira de limena and you'll think you've died and gone to heaven.
machu pichu is right across the street from oasis massage making it a good combination, but go to oasis before dinner since they close at 6pm. also be aware that machu pichu is closed on mondays. if you forget, there is supposed to be another peruvian place somewhere across the street (on the same side as oasis) that is supposed to be pretty good too, though i've never been there.
[QUOTE=Jaimito Cartero]I know where Tinjo is, but it would be helpful for the people that don't to put some sort of cross streets for an address. Otherwise you get 5 posts, "Where is that at"...[/QUOTE]Jaimito, I hate to keep busting your balls, but if you know where it is and took the time to post that why didn't you also tell everyone exactly where it was?
Pluto2, thanks for reposting my posts from the general thread in this more appropriate place.
I'll leave it to others for now to post reviews of the many places I've just listed (as well as others), but I will add a few comments to some of the posts already made concerning a few of those places.
Sun Devil mentioned Tin Jo, Bakea and the Soda Peru. He told you where the Soda was and about its proximity to Zona Blue. Don Papi add in where Tin Jo was located. Bakea is located of Ave 7 y Calle 13. For our geographically challenged brothers (GCB), if you head up the street from the HDR going towards the park, bang a right and continue going through the park past the yellow metal building the A7 C13 intersection will be on the far corner of that Park (Espana). That is roughly the same direction as the Sportsmens Lodge and Cafe Mundo (another one of my favorite SJ restaurants).
Also for you GCB's, here is a little more descriptive directions for Tin Jo. Head down the street from the HDR past the Ave. 2 (major traffic route), take a left when you get to the church and go one block. Incidentally, you should find the new argentinean steakhouse on that corner (Calle 9 Ave 4). Take a right and head down Calle 9 and you should find Tin Jo (and Don Wang) about 2 blocks on your left. IDEM and Eros are 1 block past that making an IDEM massage session and a Tin Jo dinner another good combo package.
My own take on Tin Jo is that, like many "pan-asian" restaurants, they try to do too many things and as a result they do none of them very well. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, just don't expect anything as good as the better restaurants back home in Chinatown. What you're really paying for a Tin Jo (and pay you will since it is very pricey by SJ standards) is a luxurious and exotic ambiance and attentive service. It makes for a nice place to splurge.
One can walk to all these places though many would recommend you take a cab particularly at night. If going by cab to Tin Jo you will have to go 2-3 blocks past the church before cutting over to Calle 9 and backtracking because of the one-way streets. My own recommendation is to walk to IDEM in the late afternoon, have a session walk the one block back to Tin Jo for dinner and then take a cab back to the Gulch after that.
As far as the Princesa Marina, there is not much I can add. Coqui summed it up pretty well. Good cheap seafood. I can't give you exact directions but most cabbies should know where it is and you WILL need to take a cab.
They should make it easier to edit your posts here. In my last post I said that Tin Jo and Don Wang were on the left side of Calle 9. I meant to write that they were on the right side. Sorry about that.
While I'm at it here is a reprint of a couple of my posts at CRT (incidentally, there are many more by myself and many many others at that site):
"The main thing that makes sodas special is that they're always dirt cheap. Sometimes the food can be pretty good too, but usually not so special that it would be worth making a special trip across town for. VB can stop off at Tapias on his way in from Escazu. But for most CRT'ers, why take a 500 colone taxi ride each way for a 1000 colone meal. I suggest popping into any reasonably clean looking place you pass by and discovering your own little gems. I used to grab a Tico breakfast for a buck at a little hole-in-the-wall just up the street from the DR. Unfortunately it has since "upgraded" to a gay fern bar and pricier antojito joint called the Morazon Cafe. Chelles isn't bad, but the food isn't special. What makes Chelles such a great place is that it is open 24 hours, making it a great place to stop off for a late snack or an early breakfast on your way back from the BM to the Prez. Many of the other sodas have irregular hours, many closed on sundays, some not open for dinner etc. Another area that is known for having a concentration of good cheap sodas is the area just south of Parque Central. Finally, the place that Kotigre was referring to is the Nuevo Esmeralda. It is a well known Mariachi hang-out. I think it may be referred to in some guidebooks at a different older location hence the "Nuevo" part of their name."
"Okay, I should've said usually or nearly always dirt cheap. If one doesn't mind paying a little extra there's another place in the Gulch that gets little mention around here but which I'd highly recommend. I'm not sure if Restaurant Criolitto qualifies as a soda but it's definitely a Tico joint. I believe they close at 6-ish, but if you go at noon you'll find the place literally packed with Ticos on their lunch hour. Its a big place, larger than most sodas. I usually try to get there early or go a little after 1PM in order to miss most of the mid-day rush and try to get a seat in the back courtyard next to the AVIARY. For me, the setting is what makes this place worth the slightly higher than soda prices but the lunch specials are a pretty good deal anyway. For 2000-2500 colones one can get soup, a main course consisting of some sort of meat with rice and beans or vegetables, dessert and a drink. the last time I went I had a filet mignon, not the best cut of meat but for $5 bucks what can you expect. It was still pretty good. For those not familiar with this place it is on Ave 7 between Calle 7y9 (on the block halfway between NF and Morazon Park).
Also in the category of not quite Sodas,one should consider various foodcourts as good places to go for cheap lunches or even dinner. Of course they have a few of the US chain places, but they also have places that are uniquely Costa Rican. I've had some really good meals at the food court at the San Pedro Mall. If you go with some buddies you can each get different dishes at your choice of food stalls and then sit back and check out the chicas all around you. If you go with a "novia", you can get in an inexpensive meal and a little window shopping or even buy a few items for her and still walk away with a few shekels in your pocket and girl that is probably just as happy as if you took her to some expensive restaurant.
Back in the Gulch, there's a new food court across the street from Mariscar called Plaza Venida which I haven't tried but looks very promising. Probably a dozen or so different places to choose from inside and one can get a seat at a table along the rail of the second floor balcony that could give the News Cafe a run for its money in terms of chica watching. The News Cafe is great but the prime seats are often taken and there's the problem of the beggars that are always hounding you, which can't happen on a 2nd floor balcony. If the Rail is all "full-up", one might consider going across the street some time."
[QUOTE=Chase Star]Jaimito, I hate to keep busting your balls, but if you know where it is and took the time to post that why didn't you also tell everyone exactly where it was?[/QUOTE]
I know where it's at, but do not know the street locations. There is a bit of a difference. It is out of my neighborhood, and I've only been to it twice. Once while waiting for Idem to open and another with some family.
Trust me, I've spent almost 3 years in the last 16 in CR, and I still don't know a lot of the streets. I may be able to drive there, but since many of the numbers are non-existant it's not like you can pull out a Thomas guide and find them.
Your last post was much more constructive.
I was surprised that Jackson has started a thread of "places to eat." Seems to be unique thread only on San Jose. As far as I am concerned only thing I care about eating in San Jose is some sweet Latin pussy. However I did eat some great Italain food, more than once, at a semi-fancy place, with my g.f. of the day at Cafe Mediterranae (? spelling). It is called cafe but is a restaurant with table cloths and so on. Good pasta, fish, and great selection of wine.
Tin Jo is located just a few doors north of Calle 11 and Avenedia 8. Across the street and South is Idem.
The new complex called Plaza Venida has entrances across the street and slightly up the block from the Presidente, and is multi leveled with another entrance across from the New York bar. If you stuck you head out of the Hotel Del Rey you should be able to see the entrance over the heads of the beggars and cigar sellers.
It has several nice cafes and cafeteria type places inside, reasonable priced. One is Italian style food, another seafood, another home cooked meals featuring chicken and rice and beans. Complete meals with drink should be about 2000 to 3000 colonies, or about five dollars.
One old reliable is the KFC located near the Presidente. Regular or extra crispy, just like at home. Take out or eat in. Menu, food, and prices are almost identical to the USA.
Tasty 1
I agree with you on "Cafe Mediterraneo". It is an excellent choice. It is located on " Carretera a Pavas, in front of Banco Banex" PN: 290-5850. The owners are Italian. I went there with a chica from DR and was so impressed with their food that asked for a business card.
There are two other places I like to mention. One is a chiken place on Calle 1 Bet. Ave 1 & Ave 3 on the east side of the street. They cook their chikens rotisery style with wood. It has a yellow sign and is run by chinese. It is far better than Rostipollo at 1/2 the price. The other place is a burger place on Central ave on the south side of the street bet. Ave 9 & 11. They have good burgers and if you go after 2:00 is 2x1 (+/- 850 colones). If you come from Del Rey towards central Ave. turn left on central and it is across the street.
I know, I Know the first priority while in SJ are the Chicas but from time to time you have to eat.....food.....
Good luck.....
The name of the Chinese place with rotissarie chciken is El Campesino. I have gone to it for several years. However, whenever I mention it to the locals, they try to send me to RostiPollo. It was mentioned in Frommer's Travel Guide in 1998.
Just straight down past 7th Street Bookstore, past the News Cafe. It's on your left side immediately after crossing Calle 1.