Vanguard Costa Rica - Costa Rica’s Celebrity Chefs
Getting hearty food in Costa Rica has never been tough. With the abundance of fresh ingredients you’ve never had to go too far to find yummy. Anyone who's enjoyed chifrijo, gallo pinto, or patacones will agree. Costa Rica knows yummy. A few years back, due to easy-access freshness, and the cravings of extranjeros, or foreigners, Costa Rica made it’s first inroads to being a foodie destination. San Jose alone is a growing center of culinary fare, too far reaching for this article.
For our purposes we will start at the southeastern-most point and work northwest. We kept our list exclusive to celebrity chef locations. These six locations may not be the cheapest meals you'll enjoy in Costa Rica, but luxury comes at a price, and we think you're worth it. Each listing has links so you can find your way to their exact location when planning your foodie tour.
Puerto Viejo (Caribbean)
Mentioned in just about any review for Puerto Viejo, and even The New York Times, La Pecora Nera is no stranger to attention. Chef Iliario Giannoni’s Italian cuisine and charismatic personality have been attracting attention since this place opened. They don't have a web page but you can find them on Tripadvisor.
San Jose
Grano de Oro, at the hotel by the same name, you will find French Chef Francis Canal. Yes, he’s really from France, although he’s been around the world, literally. His first gigs as chef were on cruise ships. He's worked in Europe, traveled Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Married to a Tica, his roots now grow in Costa Rica's soil.
Manual Antonio
El Mirador Bar and Restaurant at Arenas Del Mar Hotel, does not house one specific chef. Instead, the owners assembled a very competent team in the kitchen, and host guest chefs for a week a time. For this reason the menu stay competitive and interesting all year long.
Santa Teresa
Chef Giuseppe Morisco, may have been eliminated from Masterchef Season 2, but not without massive compliments from Chef Ramsey. His restaurant “Pronto” in Santa Teresa is labeled as “Italian Street Food,” and serves ready to go food that you can also eat right there. He also offers catering services around Santa Teresa if you are in the market for an amazing party.
Tamarindo
Chef Shlomy, who opened Season’s Restaurant inside the Arco Iris Hotel property, trained at Cordon Bleu in Paris. He fuses local food options with culinary perfection, and has a reputation for the sublime. Bring your appetite, and bring cash. As of this writing Season's doesn’t accept credit cards.
Papagayo
The Four Seasons executive chef, Mario Alcocer, teams up with celebrity chefs to create new menus in regular rotation. Alcocer is no slouch for experience. He’s been seasoned with over 23-years of work at Four Seasons locations in California. Don't come expecting Californian meals of kale and rice crackers. Aloccer's heritage is Latino.
It's only a matter of time before a place like Costa Rica attracts even more famous chefs. It's industry norm for chefs to shuffle about. For this reason we recommend getting started your tour today. Make time to hang around San Jose and go to some of the other awesome restaurants in town. It's worth it. Consider this your starting point, and us your guides. In fact, if there's anything we can help you with in Costa Rica, please contact us, and let us be whatever you need. We are your local experts in Costa Rica.
You know you love Pinterest. Come see our board for this article.
