www.CostaRicaTicas.com

As a first time visitor to CR I took the advice of some previous vets and checked out these two centrally located resturaunts. Both are good and highly recommended to future travelers. Pretty good pricing too.

I got hooked on Nuestra Tierra's coffee....simply the best...full blooded....great traditional Costa Rican coffee!! Make sure you try some of their smaller entrees like the beef fajitas. Get your items with extra white rice in case the entree is too spicey. Also the breakfast items like sweet corn cakes (similar to a large pancake) were outstanding. Moreover, the staff seemed to hustle. Nuestra Tierra is located at corner of Ave 2 and calle 15 across from plaza de la Democracia. Worth your time and money to at least check it out. You can get stuffed too the gills for a little under $10. If you walk to the cafe no need to worry about overeating because you'll get good exercise by walking back. Taxi ride from Del Rey is a little under $3. However, I noticed that many Costa Rican's aren't grossly overweight because they walk everywhere. Thus I, being a fitness nut, did the same.

Additionally, the resturaunt at the Hotel Presidente "News Cafe" was great. Good food, good coffee, and a friendly staff. They also have a professional Chef who makes great deserts....get the coconut flan. The lunch items were excellent. If you're solo you can sit at the bar for faster service.

I noticed that the waiters and cooks at these places depend upon their jobs and aren't anything like the smart ass arrogant waiters/waitresses/resturaunt owners you sometimes see in the states.

As a side note I would add that, although pricey, the resturaunt Bakea...a French resturaunt near Sportsmen's lodge had good coffee but high priced entrees.

If you pay more than $1 US for that ride then you got ripped off

_________________
NON ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM

DG

10 bucks!?

Thanks for the reviews Marlin25,
in your future trips I hope you get out a little more to some of the local places and see what good pricing really is...
Hey I heard Mariscar is open again, I sure missed my 1200 colone lunches last trip.

_________________

Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

NUESTRA TIERRA & NEWS CAFE

Nuestra Tierra. A tourist trap. Go at lunch time a see the tour busses parked outside and the group of gringos inside. Try and find a Tico in there. Way overpriced.

News Café. Nice atmosphere, good food but overpriced compared to Tico places.

Want a hell of a meal at a great price? Go to the Bar Embajada on Avenida 1 (across from Universal). Order the casada and an Imperial. Walk out so stuffed you will only want a light dinner. Cost? 1600 colones.
Compare that to Nuestra Tierra where the cost of just an Imperial is 1105 colones.

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

Right...right

Got my conversion tables mixed up. I think I may have thinking it was 3 or 400 colones I paid but can't remember for sure.

Wow! I thought nobody charged that much other than the BM or strip joints. Of course, prices keep going up in colones. Spending more than $5 for lunch including a beer or two is almost difficult to do at a Tico place.

To get a grasp on local prices in downtown SJ, a rookie could drop in for lunch at Club 1930, less than a block South from the Prez or one of several places one block East of the Prez. On Calle 11, Los Condes and Chicheronera Rancho Allegre are also much more reasonable than the price above and are still very close to ground zero. Some Spanish helps, but isn't absolutely necessary in most of these places.

What does an Imperial go for now at the SL and the NY Bar? They are usually a little cheaper than the BM, but high compared to local places.

NUESTRA TIERRA & NEWS CAFE-got to try 'em!

DOES this place have another location or am I just very confused from my directions.....

I ate in place like this a few weeks ago but I thought it was on Segunda heading towards San Pedro Mall on the right hand side. I walked from the Presidente and it was 1 block to the main road then 4 blocks down....

AM I confusing this with another restaurant that looks the same. It certainly describes the food but the directions are all off??? I really enjoyed the breakfast with eggs, rice beans fresh cr style bacon and the coffee made table side for 1900.00 colones..

Any help would be appreicated.. wooden benches open air noticed the entrees for dinner were higher priced but breakfast was great. My lady had huge fresh frutit plate..

THANKS!

_________________
The Boss of All Bosses!!! Hey I'm a drunk alcoholics go to meetings!

CapoD2TCapo wrote:



You were in the correct restaurant. That is the location of Nuestra Tierra and your description of the tables and open air are right on the money.

Have never tried their desayuno just been there for almuerzo and found it overpriced for a Tico joint.

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

NUESTRA TIERRA........one of my favorite spots to eat. It seems a little overpriced, but if there is such a thing as a "tender steak" in Costa Rica, this seems to be as close as I have found to it. I usually substitute the rice for mashed potatoes. They seem to do a really good job with their mashed potatoes.

I also enjoy the open air, watching the people walk by as I eat.

Zebra

no soup for you

On Ruffnutz suggestion, we headed to Nuestra Tierra with azcentral + wingman, likemike and ChiTown and his chica. As a local, I must admit I had never set foot in this establishment. The food was good and abundant. Can you get a casado for less money? Sure, but as a late night spot this was pretty good and not too far from the Gulch.

Yeah I liked it. I basically got a cheese steak sandwich without the bread and it was very good. I think it was around 2600 col. And your right large portions.

My last trip, my chica and I went to Nuestra Tierra. The food was okay and the service was good, but i thought the prices were rediculously high. It was about $20 for the two of us. If we went to a soda, it probably would have been half as much.

I tried it and will not go back.

_________________
Tunaman

Nuestra Tierra
(506) 258-6500 - #1. Av. 2da. Calle 15 frente a Plaza de la Democracia


I ate at Nuestra Tierra three times on my last trip, and I think it's some of the best food in town. It's damn good. However, on my last visit, I think they overcharged us, and we didn't realize it until we left.
Regardless, it's not on the cheap side for costa rica, but it's still a good deal.
Try the Casado Campesino, or the Nuestra Tierra Especial.
and make sure to get some coffee, and get a tres leches for desert.

for cheap and still good food, try...

*Chelle's, which is open 24/7 and on the corner between el president and the DR.

*Bar Empejada, open late, maybe even 24. not sure. 4-5 blocks from the DR on avenida 1.

M[/u]