Ekeko Perú & Grill — Restaurant in Heredia

An Ambitious Concept That Falls a Bit Short

Ekeko Perú & Grill has an interesting concept and aims to offer a more refined take on Peruvian cuisine, but in practice it doesn’t fully reach that level yet.

The location itself has potential but also some challenges — it’s centrally located in Heredia, near a university, which makes parking quite limited and affects the overall convenience.

As for the food, the flavors were fine but didn’t go beyond that. We ordered chicha morada since they don’t have cocktails on the menu, but unfortunately, it was lacking in flavor and tasted mostly watered down and overly sweet — we ended up sending it back.

We also tried the causas, which were okay but left us wanting more in terms of depth and memorable taste.

For the main courses, things didn’t really improve. One of the cuts of meat came topped with a cold chimichurri, and to be honest, the “cut” itself was a bit disappointing — it was basically two thin steaks rather than a proper premium cut. We asked for medium doneness and got one piece overcooked and the other too rare. The seasoning was quite bland, and the other main dish we tried was similarly underwhelming.

Overall, the food hints at something more elevated but doesn’t quite deliver on that promise. The dishes feel caught between trying to offer a high-end experience and staying safe for a broader local audience — which results in flavors that lack the boldness and authenticity that good Peruvian cuisine is known for.

I wouldn’t come back personally, and whether I’d recommend it depends on what someone is looking for. If you’re seeking authentic, vibrant Peruvian flavors, there are better options around that stay true to what the...

What a local jewel! Will come back with all my friends! Amazing food, wonderful presentation, generous portions and great service.

Ordered the Causa limeña con Pulpo — the octopus version wasn’t on the menu but I had a hankering for it and they offered to swap it in. It was almost too pretty to eat. Surprisingly light despite being mostly potato and had a refreshing zing.

The tuna steak could have fed 2 people and was beautifully presented. It was cooked medium (I asked for rare) and the sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste, but that’s just personal preference. The sauce did have a lot of depth, thanks to a combo of coconut, tomato, cumin and some other magical spices. The veggies on the side were stir fried to crispy perfection, preserving the original flavor of the ingredients. 💯

The real winner was the house salsa that comes (free) with the plantain chips! It’s a peach colored purée of tangy deliciousness with a nice aftertaste of fire. I asked if they sell it and they said yes! Gonna be putting it on...

This was my favorite meal that I had for the 10 days that I was in Costa Rica. Carlos was kind and friendly, and Tommy made a delicious meal for me that was unforgettable. Thank you both for your good service and a good meal. And thank you Carlos for the suggestions on for beaches in Guanacaste, Tamarindo was my...