The Red Door — Restaurant in Tamarindo

After reading of the rage reviews about the best food in Costa Rica we had to try the red door in Tamarindo. First impression in regards to decor was wow!! Beautifully placed on the ocean with jungle vibes and dim lighting with ample room on the patio for an intimate dinner with friends. The menu was huge with pleanty options to choose from which which is probably to a fault. We started with a bottle of malbec which was fresh but refreshing and went perfectly with our appetizers. We shared the traditional with a kick cevechi W plantin chips and enjoyed the preparation. Also we ordered the large fried shrimp on a bed of lettuce (salad) to share which was soso reminded me of outback steakhouse minus the coconut. 3rd was the baked bone marrow which was my favorite although the toast that came with was soggy and the marrow was slightly under cooked and came out in globs of stringy gelatinous church as opposed to buttery texture I've had at many other high end restaurants. For out entrees myself and a friend both ordered the ribeye steak medium rare with beans +rice , green beans and mashed potatoes. This was quite the disappointment. The steaks both came out rare and were the flattests skinless steaks maybe a 1/4" thick. Definitely improper trained cooks with selecting a thickness of a steak for the temptress to be cooked. My friends steak was white with no chare marks and was in 3 pieces and mine had some chare but was blue and the gristle and fat chewed and left on the plate was more than the meat I was able to get down. Sad that the mashed potatoes was the most edibles portion of the plate on a 580$ tab for 5 guest. The other entrees was a fried red snapper ( over salted and lacked crunchy texture you'd expect from a basic recipe), lamb shank which was prob the best of the meals although I didn't try it my friend finished 90% of the meal and a crusted Mahi Mahi which was reported as lack luster at best although our 5th was very hungry and doesn't enjoy wasting food no matter what it taste like. There's a large banner on the menu for foodies to leave a proper review to show the waiter in order to get a free shot of local cocktail which is why they have such high ratings. Beware of the shameless promostatution to get those stars. Definitely not worthy of the 4.7 online. As a chef and food traveler this menu is to big to get right without the proper chefs in the kitchen. Maybe if it was 1/3 the size they would ne able to focus on the quality and not the quantity. Would not come back...

We arrived at The Red Door two hours before closing as a group of six and placed our food order right away. It took close to an hour for the kitchen to prepare our meals, which we understood and were fine with.

However, shortly after the food arrived, our experience took a sharp turn for the worse. Roughly 30 minutes into our meal — while we were still actively eating and had several untouched dishes on the table — our server abruptly demanded that we pay and leave within 15 minutes. The tone quickly escalated to aggressive, with the server becoming rude, calling members of our group names, and mocking some of our friends. All of this was completely unprovoked and, thankfully, captured on video.

Things only got more uncomfortable from there. The manager became involved but offered little in the way of a solution — though he did try to make amends by offering us six bar rail shots, which we declined. In the middle of the conversation with the manager, another server blatantly took a photo of our group without consent. When confronted, he admitted to sending it to his Snapchat friends. Again, this incident was caught on video.

Despite all this, we didn’t ask for any form of compensation — not that anything was offered.

We’ve chosen not to include the videos or photos out of respect for the staff’s personal lives, but let it be known: the behavior we experienced was unacceptable and completely unprofessional. If you’re looking for good service (or even decent food), I would strongly recommend...

This spot is an absolute must-visit, trust the recommendation of this internet stranger. If you're staying near the hotels, I highly suggest using the Lime or Bird app to rent a scooter for just $2 and making your way here. It was about a 4 minute ride for us from Tamarindo Diria.

The exterior of this restaurant doesn't do justice to what awaits inside. Upon stepping in, you're greeted by a fantastic ambiance. The outdoor setting is beautifully lit, featuring a small bar and plenty of tables, especially accommodating larger groups. The well-spaced tables ensure a private dining experience, all while being outdoors with the soothing sound of crashing waves in the background.

Our culinary journey began with the mussels—an amazing start with a surprisingly generous portion for just the two of us. We then opted for the fish and steak meal, complete with sausage, potatoes, rice, prawns, and corn. It turned out to be one of the most delightful meals of my entire trip to Costa Rica—homey, perfectly cooked, and truly satisfying. Though the portions were generous, the value for money was outstanding. Even as I write this review, the memory of the meal has my mouth watering! Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert, but there's no doubt we'll be returning to indulge in that...