La Querencia — Restaurant in San Rafael

So my local work team and I had the visit of 2 top executives -directors- for the multinational company we work for. We chose La Querencia Escazu for the different meat cuts. The restaurant itself is nothing special so we thought the food was going to impress us. Indeed, we were impressed, but for the wrong reasons so please keep on reading.

The waiter did speak English but chose not to do it so we had to translate everything. He insisted so much on appetizers, even though we didn't want them, that we ended up accepting a couple which were not bad.

The main course wasn't good, too salty didn't have a good taste. The eight of us left half of their dish intact which is always a bad indicator.

The waiter would come up and -without asking- would serve you the remainder of the bottled beverage which was annoying. He also had the audacity to put on the table desserts and we were not sure if these were on the house or not. He "forgot" one on purpose that we had to return.

He specifically told us about a torta chilena and we tried it. It wasn't what was promised as the layers were made out of crackers instead of pastry. When questioned he said that they never serve torta chilena and that that dessert was called "rogel". He definitely sold us the idea of torta chilena and failed to deliver.

Oporto wine was also placed in every seat without ordering it and we didn't know, again, if these were on the house. Some people kept them and surely they were charged.

Cherry on top, I kid you not, a cockroach went running from a nearby table to ours and I killed it with my shoe and didn't make a big fuss about it for the visitors' sake, but was totally grossed out.

The average was $50 per person however it wasn't worth it at all. Service tax for servers is always included by law in Costa Rica and the waiter was adamant about an extra tip. We obliged just to get out of there but I wanted to share the experience so you can make plans to go...

La Querencia exceeded all expectations for our first meal in Costa Rica. A serendipitous last-minute find, this restaurant turned out to be a gem on New Year's Eve. The warm ambiance and impeccable service created a delightful atmosphere. To kick off the celebration, we were pleasantly surprised with a complimentary ginger, lemon, and cacique drink – a thoughtful touch for the occasion. The generosity continued with a complimentary shot of cacique, adding a festive flair to our brunch experience.

The sangria was a must-try and lived up to its reputation. I opted for the Rancheros Huevos, and each bite was a burst of flavor, showcasing the culinary excellence of La Querencia. The attentive staff, coupled with the delectable food, made our visit memorable. La Querencia is undoubtedly a culinary haven, perfect for...

I normally do not rate low. We went yesterday for dinner. The person who attended was very sweet but seemed like he had no experience and was mot well trained.

We ordered provolone as a starter which never came. Also tried milanesa and salmon ravioli.

We were wrong to expect quality as their focus seems quantity.

Milanesa meat was nice but the breading was too much which spoiled the whole experience.

Ravioli seemed old and not fresh. Dill sauce did not have any flavour profile. It seemed that chef put ravioli in a bunch of cream and tossed a whole lot dill on top.

They seriously need to reconsider their focus on quality instead of quantity. The quantity served was very generous but we did not like the food at all.

We may try once more but not really excited to visit again.

Glass wines are poor...