www.CostaRicaTicas.com

This may sound like an oxymoron, but what do you brothers recommend for a great Tico restaurant for dinner? I am looking for an upscale place, hopefully with a view. I am not necessarily looking for the most expensive but maybe at least a place with table cloths, a wine list, and great authentic food. I am willing to travel up to an hour from the gulch. I have found good places for breakfast and lunch, but not dinner.

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Play Safe

I have not made the trek, but if you search here I think Pork Chop Hill might be a cool place. I went with a friend a few trips ago to a place overlooking SJO, tico tipico food and serivce was great but I can't for the life of me remember the name. Lots of places to choose from ask your "Chica Du Jour" ,she should come up with some really good eats.
Regards, 911 Driver

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The happy hour is a device either for getting rid of social obligations hurriedly en masse or for making overtures toward more serious social relationships, as in the etiquette of whoring.- Brooks Atkinson

Los Anonos in Escazu is a favorite. Prices are good and the food is great. It is near Tony Romas and Friday's. From the DR it is a 5000 cab ride. Review:

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2 ... san_jose-i

A place way up the hill in Escazu called Tiquicia. Great view, tipical plates and on certain nights they have music and dancing. Good prices as well.

Not upscale at all no view. Name is Donde Alcides.



Some tico tipico food but mainly a steakhouse with no view.




My own recommendation if you really want to limit your choice to Tico food would be Mirador La Tranca above Aserri or Tiquicia above Escazu. All with a great view but not all that upscale. Seems like typical Tico and upscale are an oxymoron.

Drop the requirement for Tico food and you broaden your choices 10 fold.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I recommend Inka Peru
expensive yes but absolutely great food

Tiquicia, without a doubt, is the way to go. Here is a link.

http://public.fotki.com/GaryGS1/travel_ ... _2280.html

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Go Dolphins!!!

Mirador Ram Luna in Aserri:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=15534

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

I 2nd Ram luna, Awesome view of the central valley, good food great service.

I don't know about San Jose, but in general I would have to say the "best" Tico food is not in upscale places. I have a little bar/ restaurant in Jaco that I go to all the time called El Paso del Tigre. Now I've been in CR 11 years and I know and love a lot of the local fare. In my opinion they have the best ceviche, patacones, chicharonnes amongst other things in town. Super reasonable prices too and it is a great mix of gringos and Ticos. As I try to rack my brain, can't ever remember eating "typical" food in CR in an upscale setting...

Besides gallo pinto and possibly the concept of casados, is there a "Tico cuisine"? That said, where you want to go for this kind of "civilian" info is Trip Advisor, for example this: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g3 ... _Jose.html
You'll see a familiar name among the posters--he's a Resident Expert there
Bon appetit.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Jazzbo, yup, "Tico cuisine" is based on rice and beans (and chicken I guess). Every CR travel book notes how typical CR food is known to be "bland" and such, and not at all up to the level of something like, say, Mexican cuisine, let alone French. An "upscale Tico place" is indeed an oxymoron--a Tico place is a soda, they can be nice ones but are still a soda. If you want something more than rice and beans, you have to move up to what's called "international cuisine" in CR.

GreenGo: I found this: http://ticofood.blogspot.com/2007/09/ti ... urant.html however it did not include any manner of directions or estimates for taxi fares. Would you please provide the data you have about how "complicated" it is to get to this place from La Amistad?

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"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

My favorite Tico Restaurant in SJO is Nuestra Tierra and La Criolitta (not sure of the spelling) is pretty good as well but certainly not upscale places by US standards for sure.

Mirador Tiquicia has been mentioned here before (Brothers Del Rey Dave, Irish Drifter and Prolijo all seem to like it); here's some links:
night view http://public.fotki.com/GaryGS1/travel_ ... _2280.html
Website with contact info and a mini-map<< tough to find if you don't put Mirador in front http://www.miradortiquicia.com/productos.html
a review, translated (better map) http://translate.google.com/translate?c ... pair=es|en

This venue advertises a folkloric floor show on Thursdays--might want to call them about that.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED