Ave del Paraiso Restaurant at Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa — Restaurant in La Fortuna

This is the more affordable of the two restaurants at Tabacon and they serve delicious food. We were hesitant based on prior reviews but tried it anyways and were pleasantly surprised. We first ordered their seafood ceviche at the Shangrila gardens which was probably the best ceviche I have ever had: the ingredients were fresh and the fragrant cilantro tasted like it was just picked from a garden. The pina colada, not listed in the menu, was also the freshest pina colada ever using fresh pineapple instead of just juice to make the drink. For dinner we went back to the restaurant and ordered casado which is a traditional Costa Rican dish made of a protein surrounded by several ban-chan like sides as well as Arroz con Pollo (chicken rice). Both dishes were very well made, not heavy, and satisfying. Altogether although expensive because it was in a resort, the food is excellent and it is a solid place to eat if...

I’m not sure why there are so many bad reviews. We booked a day pass with dinner, so that’s why we ate here. The menu options for the pass seemed to be the same as the regular menu. There were many options. Our food was excellent as was the service. The atmosphere when sitting down on the deck was amazing at sunset. The tuna nachos were one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever had. The seabass was good, but the underside of it was charred so it was hard to cut through. The chocolate fondant was delicious; definitely get that if you like chocolate. It was basically a chocolate volcano cake; not fondant like you’d expect in the US.

In regard to the pricing, it is pricey. I saw other reviews compare it to a fine dining restaurant. The pricing is like a fine dining restaurant, but the serving sizes were at least 2x what you’d receive elsewhere. The prices are high, but you get a good size portion...

The food was alright, but the service was truly memorable. Our waiter, Oscar, was the best waiter my fiance and I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. This guy should be narrating movies for a living. We were left speechless (in the best way possible). His eloquent presentation of menu items, deep knowledge of local cuisine, and ability to connect with patrons are all through the roof. I mean, where did this place find this guy? I would have guessed he owned the place. Our dinner here was the first dining experience I’ve ever had that was fantastic, not because of the food, but because of our waiter. If you are able to, definitely...