www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Restaurant Review Valle Azul San Rafael Escazu:

Where do I begin here as we my wife and myself decided at the last minute to head out against all my better judgment on New Years eve for a spectacular dinner overlooking the city of San Jose along with G-Man & His lady. Well needless to say it may be as dead as a cemetery in SJO, but getting a reservation at any top restaurant at the last minute is simply out of the question.

After trying La Monastare, La Luz, Restaurant Gran De Oro, Le Mirage at the Intercontinental, and finding all our regular places closed we met up with our friends at the Amon Plaza who were suggested to try Valle Azul up in the hills of Escazu overlooking our great city. Our cab driver indicated he knew the route, but was suggested an alternate by his dispatcher. We traveled up some unlit roads that a donkey and pull car would have better navigated to find an absolutely spectacular looking place high above the city without the most breathtaking view I have ever scene. I have been to the aforementioned places with views but this one folks beats them all. Unfortunately that is the only thing that gets worth wild mention here as the rest well, keep reading.

We enter and are greeted by the tuxedo clad waiters and the owner an attractive looking lady to say the least and are seated at a table literally hanging off the side of the mountain. 5 star layout, linens, silverware is the norm here and the regular menu is replaced by the New Years Eve menu with limited appetizers, entrees and deserts. A wine list is presented and selection time is near.

First off the wine list, which is quite heavy on Italian whites & reds which I find overrated along with the fact that pricing is simply outrageous compared to comparable type places. We choose a decent South African cabernet that was nicely decanted in a fine crystal decanter, and so far so good. As stated the menu is limited my god EXPENSIVE! I am not cheap but this is serious for anywhere never mind Costa Rica.

A jumbo shrimp cocktail is ordered, a polenta with wild mushrooms, a Lentil soup with mushrooms & a lobster cocktail. Let’s go piece by piece the shrimp appeared Jumbo, clean and in lieu of cocktail sauce they serve a thousand Island dressing with Lime. Not your typical shrimp cocktail and the shrimp although appearing fantastic were chewy, warm and thoroughly disappointing. The Lobster cocktail was in my opinion simply the cut up jumbo shrimp only add 3k colones to the order as it has the same texture taste and chewy flavor. The lentil soup was decent but not great and 4800k for a bowl of soup and the polenta which is was by far the best thing on the table but at 5k they have to be kidding me. The bread was standard cold bread with an undistinguishable butter. OK So much for the lousy appetizers.

Seeking the recommendation of our waiter who at this point I am bit frustrated with as I had to pour my own wine several times during appetizers, he recommends of course THE MOST expensive item on the menu. We pass in lieu of Tenderloin with jumbo shrimp in cognac sauce, Osso bucco which we find out later was beef, not pork or Veal as expected, tenderloin covered in Dijon mustard sauce and the pasta with mushrooms and white truffle sauce.

OK one at a time. The Tenderloin and shrimp. Great quality piece of meat but undercooked as specified and cooking the jumbo shrimp in cognac sauce did nothing to hide the lousy quality they were. The tenderloin in Mustard sauce was again good meat but over powered by the sauce that didn’t need to be an inch thick on a great piece of meat. The Osso Bucco, who the hell makes beef Osso Bucco... was dam has to be the cheapest piece of meat going and I don’t care how many hours it has to cook 12K for beef Osso Bucco is just sick and yes it was tasty but nothing special By far the pasta was the best thing on the menu with a hint of garlic in a wonderful truffle sauce with fresh wild mushrooms. Even so what should have been spectacular service I found them understaffed on the biggest dining night of the year and it took forever to get refills on bread, water, pouring my own wine etc.

Espressos only were ordered at the tune of 1500k each… for 1 shot of coffee no other liquor. The bill was $300.00 US for this disappointing presentation and if it wasn’t for the view I’d probably have gagged at the bill when it came. I should have known we were in trouble when everyone in the place waiters, busboys, owners, and every table was filled with gringo speaking persons that dinner and the result would be gringo prices and disappointing across the board.

I can honestly say as I’m flying home WITHOUT THE WIFE to see family on this New Years day that my meal in first class on American Airlines was better than last nights catastrophe

By far you are paying for the view so unless you want a long very intimidating up the mountain cab ride, a over priced largely disappointing presentation of food, below average service I would avoid Valle Azul and look else where for ambiance and value.