Eat List: Costa Rica

The Central American country’s culinary landscape, plotted.

Tortilla & Cuajada. Photo: Nicholas Gill.

When someone from abroad travels to Costa Rica, it’s somewhat rare that they’ll stay in one place and eat from the same set of restaurants that everyone else does. It’s a country that encourages exploration. The varied identity of its landscapes is one of the primary attractions. Even those that plan on spending most of their vacation on the beach in Guanacaste, will need to drive a little bit to get there, passing in close proximity to some of the best culinary experiences in the country. While Costa Rica doesn’t have a reputation for great food, it is there if you know where to look.

Rather than relying on imported produce and proteins to satisfy the historically picky visitors from the north, many independent restaurants support a network of small, family run farms and regional farmers markets called ferias and artisan fishermen from two coasts. There are fine dining restaurants inspired by regional cuisine, roadside vendors selling ceviche, often in a bag of chips like frito pie, unpretentious regional restaurants and indigenous communities that make tamales like no other.  It doesn’t mean there are not industrial, pesticide fed banana and pineapple plantations or cattle ranches that have wiped out vast tracts of primary forest, or many aren’t exposed to overpriced and underwhelming hotel restaurants or the occasional expat beach hangout with awkward menus of salmon and burritos. Those that limit Costa Rica to that are missing out on one of the world’s greatest tropical pantries where the full potential is just starting to be reached. This guide, broken down by region, was designed to help.