www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Il Ritorno:

This is a cut and paste from my trip report. Any of you looking for good Italian food may be interested.

The previous night I made the acquaintance of Mark 52 and we had agreed to go out for dinner Wednesday night. Sometime after five we met at the Delray.

He wanted to go out and try one of the really nice restaurants in San Jose being a fan of gourmet cooking. Other than the fact that I enjoy a good meal not really my cup of tea but nonetheless something to do. Fortunate for him we ran into Vegas Bob little bit before 6 p.m.. He was conducting an unsuccessful search for some evenings entertainment. The definition of unsuccessful to Bob is he looked for five minutes and didn't see anything he liked. For him there's always tomorrow. Earlier in my trip he had told me about this new Italian restaurant Il Ritorno. Sounded like just the thing Mark 52 was looking for. So off the three of us went for about a 10 minute taxi ride. We arrived at the Cosa Italian building to find a small elegant dining establishment that just screamed good taste. Not trying to leave the impression that I would know with good taste was but given my limited skills would have to identify this is something pretty close to it. The two of them discussed the menu I sipped on some excellent red wine that I did not embarrass my dining companions by poring over ice.

Reminding myself of my one true skill in life / the ability to identify people who know what they're talking about \ I allowed my dining companions to influence my selection.
Il Ritorno got its name from the owner/chef who had operated a restaurant in Costa Rica before and had left. He returned to Costa Rica to open a new restaurant hence the name roughly translated into English he returns. The food without question was excellent. We had appetizers of bread baked into pizza sized circles dipped in olive oil and personal favorite of mine sliced tomatoes covered a mozzarella cheese. The main course was a veal dish that just kind of dissolved in your mouth. Even my uneducated tastebuds knew they were having a good day. All of this a true gourmet chef, exquisite dining room, excellent service, great red wine, a clientele that has probably never seen the inside of the Hotel Del Rey and food to brag about all for under 15,000 colones a piece including tip.

Lee

_________________
PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

Lee, I agree, my favorite place...I go there at least 2 times every time I am in CR.....it is awesome, the veal dishes and seabass are wonderful

Where exactly is this located?

directions: DR (all directions should start at the DR) to Second Ave
Take a left and head towards Mall San Pedro
In Los Yoses (before Mall San Pedro)you will come to a KFC on the right hand side
Take this right and go 2-3 bolcks down on the right you will see an office building. The restaurant is on the first floor.Plenty of parking on the street.

VB wrote:



A friend was there for dinner about a month ago. He parked on the street. Following a great dinner he returned to his car to find his window smashed out and his GPS long gone.

FWIW

Yes,but the car was still there.Normally they would steal the car if they went through all the trouble of breaking in. lol The answer is simple....... Tell you friend to continue eating at Il Ritorno but sell the car and take taxis. If you don't have anything that the thieves want,they won't steal from you.

5 of us went here this evening and it was the best Italian meal I've had in CR. Ordered a veal dish w/side of spaghetti recommended by VB that was delicious and too much to finish. Only 10k apiece, 2 thumbs up!

sounds like a great place for ID and little Harlo to have a nice candle lit dinner

I like this place and I am a harsh critic of Italian food, in fact the other two Italian joints I have tried (against my better judgment) in CR were resounding disappointments.

One of the reasons that this place is great is that the owner, Tony, is always there. He is the guy with the tiger stripe pants. After my second time there the waiters (who have been with him forever) already knew my drink order and preferences. A true rare gem in San Jose.

Try the Italian sausage and pasta dish. The sausage is made on-site. Not on the menu so ask the owner...

_________________
"Your love gives me such a thrill
but your love don't pay my bills,
I NEED THE MONEY!" - John Lee Hooker

Disclaimer: The above is merely the opinion of the author unless specific scientific data is included.
Your mileage may vary. https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 978#206978

.....or the Pepperoncini Chicken. It's usually just a garnish here in the US, but Il Ritorno does a great job integrating it as a main base for a spicy sauce which goes perfectly with the chicken.

CiaoCiao treated me, Bill, Papa Bill, ElS, and EdB to the best dinner I've ever had in CR at Il Ritorno this month. Thanks again Ciao. That was one fine table of amigos.

.....many times. We like to take some of the girls with us and they always treat us with respect and the food is great, as is the service.

I've aten there twice and it is excellent. Veal dishes and fish dishes lead the pack although I'm sure that anything you have would be good.
Also, it is a good place to take a Chica as the staff and owner treat you with respect.

Do they have a "light" menu for us guys trying not to look like Jabba the Hut?


Cujo

_________________
"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...