Restarante Bakea
www.restaurantebakea.com ----info@restaurantebakea.com
506-221-1051
Barrio Amon
300 Mts. Norte Del Kiosko Del Morazan Calle 7 Ave 1 Casa #956
As bad as an experience as I had at the Patio the other night I thought it only fair to review an outstanding little bistro / restaurant that will surely impress anyone you choose to share dinner with. A little slice of heaven smack dad in the middle of downtown SJO.
Restaurante Bakea located 1 block from the Hotel Amon Plaza & Casa Vino is surely one of the most quaint & impressive places I have eaten anywhere in the central gulch area. This fine dining facility is a converted mansion, that now boasts not only one of the most diverse continental type display of food selections around but also 1st class service that is not normally found in the downtown area.
Upon walking in you will find approximately 6 separate rooms each with their own amount of tables ranging from two to 8 person size dining tables where either the room can house different couples or you may reserve the entire room for your own little dining experience. Each room is laid out spotlessly clean, with various high quality artworks with Boise speakers piping in a variety of dinner music and Jazz. There is a smoking area or bar, that also has seating and a covered outside atrium area that can be used for dining or perhaps a pre dinner drink as this place can be extremely packed on the weekends.
Upon being greeted we were shown to a private room where the 4 of us were immediately presented with water glasses, menus, a greeting from the hostess and our waiter for the evening and a wine list. The wine list is diverse with not your normal restaurant selections. It had some very good Italian whites not normally found and pricing was average for this type of facility. I selected a white wine to start, and we began to peruse the menu.
At this time I realize that this is not your normal menu. It is not American, French; in fact I can’t figure out what the hell it is only to state it has dishes with accruements you will not find anywhere else. They seem to be directly out of the Chef’s own head as each dish is carefully described but will resemble not your normal every day fair.
Wine was provided chilled presented properly and fresh home baked bread with butter and various dipping sauces provided. 2 Salads, a Panini Goat cheese appetizer & a tarte were ordered for appetizers. Looking at the salad prices I should have known something was up they were about $8.00 apiece where the Panini and the tarte were $5.00. The salads were enormous. 1 could have easily fed 4 persons and the Panini was huge the tarte was not a tarte at all but a mini pizza with toppings. While I would pass on the tarte again in the future, the salads of two different varieties were scrumptious with their own dressings carefully chosen to accentuate the type of ingredients they contained. The Panini was goat cheese with caramelized onions and peppers and that and one salad could have easily filled us for a pre course meal.
Appetizers of all other types were available in the $5.00 to $10.00 range but portions were very big and easily splittable. On to the selections for dinner. Wide variety of chicken, pastas, meats & fish all again very unique in sauces, and preparation. We had already ordered otherwise after the huge appetizers I am quite sure we would have cut back.
1st off I had a lomito with a red wine, balsamic vinegar reduction sauce topped with mushrooms & a homemade potatoes accompaniment. The wife enjoyed a house special beef stew which really was a platter of slow cooked beef kabobs with mushroom sauce and a very interesting potatoes crepe. Our friends enjoyed a House Chilean sea bass prepared with a variety of vegetables with an incredible lemon, garlic & butter reduction that will not be forgotten anytime soon. Last but not least a very different presentation of three mushroom risottos that rivals anything ever eaten stateside. Dishes were all between $13.00 to $20.00 US.
Passing on what looked like an extremely interesting desert tray, was the smart thing to do as we left nothing on our plates. The bill was right in line with the level of fine dining service and facilities, and service throughout was outstanding.
Let me just say I’ve eaten in the top quality places in the hills La monastare etc, and although Restaurante Bakea does not have the view of course, I find no better fine dining establishment anywhere close to the downtown area that compares. So for a little slice of heaven that will impress anyone, try Restaurante Bakea. 4 Forks from the CRT Gourmet.