Fuego Blu — Restaurant in Veintisiete de Abril

We arrived a little early for our reservation and sat at their new bar so the staff could prepare our table. We were served by the bartender, a nice young fellow who went out of his way to make us feel welcome. The young man’s service would be the highlight of our evening… he was the only person in the restaurant who acted with any common decency.

While we enjoyed our drinks at the bar, we couldn’t help but notice the lady working the dining room. She had brown hair, wore glasses and was in her late 20’s. She treated the bartender horribly. She was barking orders at him, and treating him terribly. She’d say things like “What ARE you doing???” so loudly that the whole dining area could hear. It was very unprofessional and uncomfortable for everyone. She is not fit to be in the service industry.

Eventually our group of 6 was seated and handed our menus. The meal options included several entrees, several pizza options, and several types of tacos. We placed and hoped to enjoy the pleasant ambiance of the restaurant. Ha! We would have no such peace at this restaurant: Seated nearby was a table with two parents with two young children in their party…. a small girl age 3-4 years old, and a small boy age 1 or 2. The boy had a broken arm in a hard cast. These children were the closest thing to wild animals that I have ever seen, and the parents did absolutely nothing to try to contain them.

These maniac children ran back and forth, round and round the entirety of the restaurant. The cried. They screamed. They screeched. They terrorized the poor dog. They got under the feet of the waitress. The kids slipped and fell several times (including the toddler with the broken arm!). I have never seen parents so derelict and unconcerned with their ill-behaved children in all my life.

All of the other customers sat and stared at the parents as if to say “do something!” but the parents sat there, either oblivious or unwilling to contain the wild beasts they’d brought into this restaurant. They just sat there guzzling beer and wine, not caring about ruining the experience of everyone else in the restaurant. It was sickening. After an hour of this circus, the mother and children finally departed, but not after ruining the evening of everyone at the restaurant.

At first we couldn’t understand why the restaurant would allow such behavior to occur. Then we saw the man (the father of the maniac children) approach the owner and they hugged and chatted a bit and it made sense.

When the waitress came to us to ask how everything was, we explained how disgusted we were that these wild children were allowed to scream and run around like that. We told her how it ruined our dinner. Here response was “Oh, that’s just how it is here in Costa Rica… people are just loud here”.

Her comment was incredibly insulting to our intelligence AND to the people of Costa Rica. I kindly explained that we had traveled extensively through CR, we had spent a great deal of time in the country and that no, this was not characteristic of how people behave here in CR. Besides, these people were Italian, not Costa Rican--not that it mattered. At that point, she changed her story and said that the family was “a friend of the owner”. At that point, our suspicions were confirmed. This loud, obnoxious family had been allowed to disrespect this restaurant and ruin the evening for all of the customers that night simply because they were friends of the owner. And now the staff was making excuses for them. Sorry, that’s not acceptable in any country.

(I have uploaded a photo of the father--see uploaded image of the blonde guy at the bar. If you see him at Blu with his...

As of February 26, 2020 I’ve been vacationing in Playa Avellanas for 2 months. Not using a car, I had dined at all local, walking distance, eateries multiple times, except BLU. I had been told that the food quality was very good but that the portions are small and it was too expensive. Last night I took some friends to Blu. The food was very good, indeed excellent. The presentation of the meals and desserts was very appealing. I did not think the portions were small at all. The prices, yes, were quite high all things considered. Three of us dined together. I do not recall the detailed pricing. But we had no appetizers, one soda, one local beer and one glass of Merlot wine, three dinner entrees and three desserts, the bill came to $111 before tip. The setting of the restaurant is very nice and the service was fine, not great but fine.

My biggest disappointment was the menu. I think that there were only three main entrees: octopus, sirloin tips and ribs. I and one of my guests ordered ribs only to learn that there was only enough for...

My wife and her friend were searching for a place to grab drinks after 9 PM near Playa Avellanas, where options are scarce. They lucked out at Fuego Blu, where the incredibly kind owner welcomed them for a few drinks despite the late hour. His generosity extends to providing meals for his employees and family after closing, showcasing his warm character.

A few days later, we returned for takeout due to limited transportation options, and the food was phenomenal. Fuego Blu went above and beyond to accommodate my wife’s gluten-free needs, offering a variety of delicious dishes. She especially loved their gluten-free vegan pizzas, ordering one for dinner and another for our flight home.

Fuego Blu’s exceptional hospitality and outstanding food made our experience unforgettable....