Costa Rica Local Food

Local Food

The food in Costa Rica is simple and wholesome with restaurants in towns and cities offering a variety of food from many countries around the world including western cuisine. The food can range from satisfactory to extraordinary with comparable prices. Fresh fruit can be found in abundance and is inexpensive with a large variety on offer.

National specialties include: Olla de carne (a rich soup containing beef, fruit, grains and starchy vegetables); Bocas (small bite sized morsels usually served as snacks or before dining); Casado (a set lunch menu containing stewed maets, rice and beans and local plantains and cabbages); Picadillo (tew containing meat and vegetables); and Sopa negra (black beans and poached egg).

There is no need to drink tap water as bottled water is available everywhere at a low cost. Coffee is also readily available and is known to be some of the best in the world.

National specialities of drinks include: Cebada (an native specialty containing fermented barley); Batidos (shakes containing fresh fruit and based on either crushed ice or milk); Pipas (the juice of fresh coconuts served in the husk); Horchata (a cinnamon flavoured drink of ground rice or liquid corn meal); and local lager and pilsner beers.

Tipping is acceptable but not necessary as restaurants already add a 13% sales tax plus a 10% service charge to the bill.