Restaurante El Patio Del Balmoral — Restaurant in Carmen

e had a nightmare journey from Spain which involved an unscheduled stopover in Bogotá so when we finally reached San José a day late, we decided to stay, recover and catch up with the tour the following day.

Because we arrived early we went on a walk into San José which wasn't part of our original plans, and despite it being Christmas Eve, very few places to eat or drink were open on our walk from the Crowne Plaza into the centre of San José.

By the time we got to the main square, through the start of the bustling pre-Christmas shoppers we were very thirsty as well as very tired and yet there were no bars to be found - even places which appeared to be typical Central American bars were alcohol free... I found this very strange based on previous experiences in Mexico and Guatemala.

However, we eventually found El Patio. I have read some reviews from other contributors regarding the food, but I can't comment on that. We went in, were politely welcomed and given an informal education on Costa Rican beers which would serve us very well for the rest of our 2 week stay.

The waiter who served us was very nice and professional, made us feel very at home and provided attentive service.

The place itself is beautiful (inside), it's like a small forest and I can imagine it being even better in the evening rather than at Midday.

As it was our first place to buy drinks I wasn't sure if it was expensive or not, but by hotel bar/European standards it seemed quite reasonable.

Maybe there would have been other options had we not been in San José on Christmas Eve and they may have been cheaper, but for the decor and service alone, I would recommend a quick...

Food Quality: i believe that if the food actually made it hot to the table, might be quite good. Which is a pity for all the work from the kitchen staff to be ruined like so.

Portions: restaurant options in general seemed to be a decent amount. I was VERY disappointed with the breakfast and the set menu options they give. For the price paid for the night, to not have a continental open buffet option, its just unacceptable.

Drinks: decent amount of options.

Price: $$$ a bit expensive for the restaurant of this quality.

Service: very veeery slow and zero attention to details. We were taken to our table, then for 30minutes almost impossible to get someone’s attention to place an order. Then it took over an hour to get a hamburger and a soup made. Which was already not hot when it got there, but also while we had to wait another 5-10minutes to get cutlery for the soup. Also had to get up and take some cutlery and napkins myself as we were not even given napkins. Then of course another 20minutes to find someone so we could pay.

Atmosphere: restaurant is quite big and has many nice spots to sit, but it gets very windy and cold, especially at night, another reason the food arrives cold. When they close the plastic protection still a lot of cold wind comes through.

Things to improve: train staff, improve breakfast.

Payment...

This restaurant has a fantastic location, which means it naturally draws in a steady crowd. However, that may be why the food feels like an afterthought—they don’t necessarily have to try to attract business.

I ordered a caprese salad, a Cuban sandwich, and a mojito. The mojito was easily the best part of the meal—refreshing and well-made! Unfortunately, the rest of the experience didn’t quite live up to expectations. The tomatoes on the caprese lacked flavor, and the fries were still partially frozen. The Cuban sandwich was a surprise, as it came with cubed pork covered in BBQ sauce, which wasn’t quite what I expected.

When I asked the waiter about it, he assured me it was correct. Later, when I requested the check after just a couple of bites, he asked if everything was okay. I shared my concerns, but his response was a simple “okay” before handing me the check. It left me wondering why he asked in the first place if there wasn’t any intention of making it right.

While this wasn’t my favorite meal in Costa Rica, the location is convenient, and the drinks are enjoyable. If you’re in the area and need a place to cool off, it might be worth stopping in for a cocktail before heading to a more well-reviewed...