1 Best Restaurant in The Osa Peninsula and the South Pacific, Costa Rica

El Descanso

$$

The kind of extraordinary restaurant you hope to stumble on in the most unlikely place, this intimate five-table wood-and-bamboo dining room is presided over by chef Esteban Acuña, whose family owns the attached small hotel. Drawing on his California training, Acuña gives local ingredients contemporary twists, flavored with herbs from the adjoining garden. Creamy soups are a meal in themselves. Trout, tuna, chicken, and tofu arrive in curry, vodka, red wine, and wasabi sauces. Desserts are delectable, so save some room.

Hwy. 242, San Isidro, San José, Costa Rica
2256–0304
Known For
  • mushroom-and-herb-stuffed whole trout
  • creamy soups, cold and hot
  • chocolate volcano flourless cake