Top Restaurants in Santa Elena
Top Things to do in Santa Elena
Most Popular Central American food in Santa Elena, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Find out what Central American restaurants to try in Santa Elena including San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience, Raulito's Pollo, El Jardin at Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, Soda Bonanza, Restaurante Sofia, Sabor Tico, Soda "La Salvadita", Restaurante Morpho's, Soda La Amistad, Tico y Rico Monteverde
Things to do in Santa Elena
10. Tico y Rico Monteverde
Overall Ratings
4 based on 696 reviews
We are located in the heart of Monteverde , Santa Elena down town, right on the wide bricked main street. We focus on serving typical dishes, including the Costa Rican famous casados We give each customer a real typical experience, great taste, spices and
Reviewed By Gustasantosc96
Just an awful place. Crap food and not cheap at all. I also have to thank this place for showing me the worst "Bolognese Pasta" ever! Also, the soup is just disgusting so much like the pasta as well, the so called "black beans soup" it looks like a weird combination of dirty water with a spoon of beans and two nasty eggs. I'm really, truly and extremely disappointed with this place. I shall not return even in a thousand years! A total waste of time and money ! Unfortunately, due to my terrible experience at this place, I waked away with the sense of: Trash + Trash= Tico y Rico Restaurant!Sorry for your bad experience in our restaurante To clarify Black Bean soup is black beans + water base beans + Hard Eggs is one of the Costa Rican traditional soups .
9. Soda La Amistad
Overall Ratings
4 based on 477 reviews
The best traditional and typical. Fast food: Veggie burgers and fries, hamburgers with meat, chicken sandwich, meat, cheese and ham, Nachos and more. Casado with Chicken, Bistek, meat sauce, fish. Spaghetti with meat and garlic bread and spaghetti with ve
Reviewed By KaZThisisproaging
We happened on this quaint, small, but friendly soda and are SO glad we did. We got our usual cascados and they were plenty of well cooked, perfectly seasoned, and delicious dishes. I even got my favorite Tamarindo drink!! The ladies couldn't be nicer and were fine with me speaking in my broken but heartfelt Spanish. They don't rush you. They make you feel at home. There are plenty of other sodas in the area but this cottage-industry, small-run soda definitely is worth your time, your appetite and your money. Incredibly reasonable prices!
8. Restaurante Morpho's
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1452 reviews
Reviewed By AlanHeadbloom
Nice atmosphere. Big windows. Decor matches the theme of Costa Ricaâs national butterfly, the Blue Morpho. Owner and host Matt/Mateo is bilingual (English/Spanish) and bicultural (having lived in the U.S./Latin America). Heâs also gregarious, charmingly witty, and by his own admission, handsome (with most hair growth on the south end of his head). My wife (a serious carnivore) said it was the best steak sheâd had after one week in the country. Go for the food; stay for the welcome.
7. Soda "La Salvadita"
Overall Ratings
4 based on 290 reviews
hello, dear customer this local is work by the owner family It is a comfortable, clean, quiet place, I located centrally in the main street just 2 minutes from the town center we have capacity to handle groups up to 20-30 pax also available with Wi-fi for
Reviewed By H75travel
If you are looking for a casado where locals eat, head to Soda La Salvadita. It's a quiet place slightly out of town. We were the only non-locals in there. Food is good value, portions of protein are fairly small, so if you are hungry see if you can pay for an extra piece. Authentic food at at a fair price, tasty enough. Fruit juice is a bit bland though. Decor is in line with the town - lots of paintings of wildlife. We were able to park right outside which was perfect as we were heading out of town straight after our visit and all our luggage was inside (not that the area is at all unsafe).Friendly & fast service and free wifi.
6. Sabor Tico
Overall Ratings
4 based on 2800 reviews
Reviewed By martina_krh
The restaurant situated in second floor of the shopping park-center isnât really worth it!!The food is 2/10. Guacamole without the onion and tomatoes, taco seems like big fried burrito filled with untasty dry meat, no vegetables, no guaca, no beans, with huge amount of cabbage on the top. And... it was all poured with mayonaise and ketchup... tf? I was Dissapointed completely because I was so hungryyy. Service is nice but change nothing.
5. Restaurante Sofia
Overall Ratings
4 based on 297 reviews
Reviewed By TBoneTravels
We have been coming here for years; the variety offered and the excellent fruit shakes keeping bringing us back. Try the Maracuya (passion fruit milkshake- awesome!). The sweet potato & plantain soup is delicious as is any of the seafood main dishes. Highly recommend this place for such a variety of quality healthy dishes and a quiet ambience
4. Soda Bonanza
Overall Ratings
4 based on 206 reviews
We offer you a Costarican gastronomic expirence. Local great cosine by Maria, Marcos and the amazing Sofia........ You will love meet Sofi she is the light of this great pleace.
Reviewed By 660bla_z
This place if falsely rated as a cheap restaurant so I guess it used to be, but is no longer. The stated price of an average main dish is 12$, I paid with a card with as he said no extra charge and I see now on the receipt that I actually paid 13.2$. The decoration and its cheap tables and chairs are like in a typical soda, but the prices are much higher than what you would pay in real sodas. The food otherwise was fine, but way overpriced.
Santa Elena Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Santa Elena
3. El Jardin at Monteverde Lodge & Gardens
Overall Ratings
4 based on 323 reviews
The service style is personalized, informal, caring. Our food is what a Costa Rican grandmother would cook if she was also a creative and contemporary professional chef. The atmosphere is quiet,laid back and tranquil with an open fireplace. No background
Reviewed By niagara_chris
After careful research I booked this restaurant for our 25th anniversary dinner. My wife and I both liked the decor and found our waiter very polite. Unfortunately our food fell short of our expectations. There were a couple quirky things during our meal as well. I had ceviche and then the tuna main course. My wife had a tenderloin steak. The presentation of my appetizer was excellent and it tasted good. My main course was basically raw and tough, so I was unable to finish it. I actually like raw fish and sushi but the tuna just didn't work for me. Oh well, we were both in good spirits so it wasn't a big deal. I noticed my wife was working a bit to cut through her meat so I gave her my steak knife, which helped. She had to work at it a bit too much for the cut of meat she ordered, so it was a bit disappointing for her as well. Our super polite waiter had an accident and knocked over the wine/champagne bucket on a stand at the table beside us. The water and ice cubes all ended up on our feet and under our table. He was so embarrassed. We weren't upset or bothered, but he apologized about 5 or 6 times and then it got a bit awkward. Then he brought us two strawberry daiquiris after our meal was over, which seemed odd to me. I was drinking water during the dinner, so I just let it sit on the table until we left. We were thinking that offering a free desert of something like that might of been a nice gesture. No worries. I suspect this was just a miss on this night and at that time for this restaurant. If we hadn't already had great breakfasts and lunches and dinners elsewhere during our trip maybe I would have been a bit grumpier with our outing. I did not complain about the tuna, by the way, or ask to have it cooked more. I know that tuna is generally served med rare or rare. It was just raw and tough and I wasn't in the mood to complain. Too much in love, I guess to let a restaurant's off night spoil our anniversary dinner!Dear niagara_chris,We are very sorry to hear that we spoiled your anniversary dinner, please accept our sincere apologies.After we received your review, we were very worried because you were talking about some of the favorite dishes among our guests, so our executive chef, Federico Barrantes, decided to investigate. He usually travels a lot, but he spent the entire last week in Monteverde, using your feedback to re-train our kitchen staff in the different cuts of meat, cooking gradation and the correct use of the meat thermometer. He also explained to Carlos, your waiter that night, that even though to err is human, he only needs to apologize once when he makes a mistake, otherwise as you well put it in your review, it becomes awkward.Chris, we understand that you were celebrating your anniversary on that night, and exactly for that reason,we wish you had told us that you didn't enjoy dinner while you were still in the restaurant; we would have gladly done everything possible to make things right during your special celebration. Our guests feedback is what we appreciate the most because it helps us to improve.Please let us know if you are ever back to El JardÃn, we would love an opportunity to make it up to you.Sincerely,Jenn Dunn Guest Satisfaction Specialist
What to do and see in Santa Elena, Costa Rica: The Best Places and Tips
2. Raulito's Pollo
Overall Ratings
4 based on 203 reviews
Reviewed By rowena17
We were in Monteverde only for 2 days and we enjoyed our meal so much the first day that we just had to go back for lunch the next day. The chicken was tasty and succulent, and the portion size generous. We could see the chickens being roasted on a spit in the kitchen. Raulitoâs versión of chimichurri sauce went very well with the chickenItâs a really casual place, with high chairs at the counter, or a couple of tables at the side. Excellent value for money. It was about CRC 2,875 for chicken with one side (options of papas fritas, arroz or pinto). I had just the chicken with a tortilla and thatâs about CRC 2,300. Service was prompt and the owner, Señor Raul, is really friendly. Totally recommend if you are looking for a tasty, no-fuss meal.
Top 10 Pizza food in Santa Elena, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
1. San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience
Overall Ratings
5 based on 31 reviews
San Lucas dining experience is a 7 course gourmet dinner on top of the trees. There are only 5 tables, each one elevated on a deck platform above the trees with stunning views of Monteverde downtown. Dinner is served daily at 7pm and starting on November
Reviewed By jay987123
Our trip to "San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience" was nothing short of unbelievable. We had stayed at "Chira Glamping Monteverde Hotel" no more than 100 feet away from the restaurant. Our waiter, Dilan, greeted us at our door with umbrellas for both me and my wife. He escorted us to a breathtaking view over Monteverde and we began.Dilan began giving us each dish accompanied with a crash course on the history, meaning, and even the location of each local ingredient found in Costa Rica within each dish. Simply put, it was an unbelievable experience. Words do not do justice as to how delicious the meal was, and pictures do not do the presentation justice. Me and my wife spent a week and traveled over 10 hours driving to various parts of Costa Rica, and if you were to ask me the one location you should dine at to fully experience the area, it is without a doubt "San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience", and second place is not close.
Best Fusion food near Santa Elena, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
