Chifa La Familia Feliz — Restaurant in La Fortuna

In our 10 days in CR, we only ate one restaurant twice and this was it!! It is a small family owned business with a young kid doing homework but also helping mom bus tables. It’s decorated with wall art around the room and barebones table settings. You can see through their kitchen as the chef, who is originally from Peru, is preparing the food. There are only 7 tables and 1 server (and kid) so be prepared for a little slower service. She does not speak English very well but we managed just fine. Cocktails are great but not very alcoholic. Highly recommend the Pisco Sour (if you like cinnamon) Every dish was absolutely phenomenal! There is so much depth and flavor. I can tell that the meats have been marinated and plated with thought. Anticucho de carne (5/5): this was the star of our whole trip. The steak chunks are beyond tender and marinated which brings out the salt and seasoning. The sauce is unique and flavorful with tones of Peruvian pepper and vinegar. Corvina a lo macho (5/5): the sea bass is served over a bed of potatoes and veggies. The sauce is to die for! the sea bass is tender and also comes with a few pieces of shrimp. The sauce has a creaminess of the Peruvian peppers and tomato. The bed of veggie mix soaks up all the scrumptious sauce at the very end. Lomito Steak Saltado (4/5): beef was super tender. Wonderful presentation. The sauce was absolutely delish! Finally I ordered the Aji de pollo medio. The sauce was very creamy and flavorful but I didn’t love the ratio of potato to chicken (1:1). The chicken was just alright but the seasoning of the sauce was good, just not stand out like...

Thanks to a recommendation, I recently had the pleasure of dining at Chifa La Familia Feliz, a Peruvian restaurant in La Fortuna, and it was an incredible experience! The menu featured a wide array of traditional Peruvian dishes, and I decided to try the causa with escabeche, anticucho, and pescado sudado.

The causa with escabeche was a delightful balance of textures and flavors. The soft, perfectly seasoned mashed potatoes paired beautifully with the tangy escabeche, offering a refreshing and unique start to the meal.

The anticucho – skewers of tender, marinated beef heart – truly stood out. Grilled to perfection, they had a smoky flavor with just the right amount of spice, enhancing the meat's natural richness without overpowering it. It’s a must-try for those seeking something different and flavorful.

The star of the meal, however, was the pescado sudado. The fish was cooked to perfection—flaky, tender, and swimming in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce. The combination of fresh tomatoes, onions, and spices created a dish that was both comforting and vibrant, perfectly capturing the essence of coastal Peruvian cuisine.

The ambiance was cozy, and the chef, who hails from Peru, was knowledgeable and passionate about the dishes. For anyone visiting La Fortuna and seeking something beyond the typical Costa Rican fare, this Peruvian gem is not...

I don’t know how this place has a 4.7 star rating but it’s absolutely revolting. To start, the restaurant itself was dirty and despite the empathy I have towards family run businesses I have to state the staff here were straight dirty and unhygienic. I witnessed multiple staff blowing their nose with bare hands and wiping it on their aprons before grabbing a plate of food with fingers literally touching the food and serving. The food itself was disgusting. We ordered three dishes and each was more revolting than the last. This place claimed to have great vegan and vegetarian food and it could not be more wrong. The food tasted horrible and we couldn’t even finish half. Please save your money and time and visit one of the much better and tastier places located very close to the vicinity. There are restaurants literally two minutes walk away that serve much better food with the...