SERVING ON THE PURA VIDA GARDEN TERRACE . . .

Welcome to the Garden Terrace - open air dining year round.     We are not a public restaurant but we do enjoy cooking (and eating) good healthy food and thus our special dinners are by advanced reservation only.    We always try to cook what we buy today.

For some more photos of our food service please take a digression to our Food Album These photos were all taken at Pura Vida during dinnre, at breakfast, perhaps at one of our cooking classes, on regular trips to market and anything we run into that relates to food in Costa Rica. Please click on the "food photo" for the album. "The breakfasts, served on a spacious outdoor patio, are delicious. And it's definitely worthwhile to book ahead for one of Nhi's 3-course dinners." Bev in Seattle, from TripAdvisor.com October 2008 After a drive from Cahuita, Montezuma or an internal flight from Drake Bay or Tamarindo relax on your patio, our terrace or the garden restaurant. A sip of wine, a euglossine bee floating by, Tuetal village and the slopes of Poas at sunset - Pura Vida! We think this is the best place to start or end your journey to Costa Rica.

BREAKFAST:   INCLUDED                  Breakfast is between 7:30am and 9:30am, sit and sip our best El Rey Costa Rican coffee or choose from a slection of teas overlooking Poas Volcano or just read quietly as the morning Mot Mots go "whoot! whoot!". If you need to get to the airport very early, we can help with coffee and/or a breakfast ready when you are. Breakfast or breakfast to go is included with all room rates.

LATE MEALS:   $10                           If you arrive at an odd hour, early check in is usually no problem and a light meal should be available. And if you need something for the road or an alternate to "airline food", book ahead please.

GOURMET DINNERS:   $25                 Later in the day after your trip to Zoo Ave, Poas Volcano, Irazu Volcano or Tortuguero make sure you have reserved dinner. Join us tonight for a candle-lit dinner on the garden terrace served by your chefs and hosts. Dinner arrangements are unique to a small hotel that creates a great food experience without similarly lofty prices. This means dinner is served at 7:30pm (plus or minus a few Costa Rican minutes). The dinner is a prix fixe set meal - with two choices fishy/carnivorous or vegetarian. Your dinner includes a salad/appetizer, entrée and a sumptuous desert with coffee. Our menu changes every night.
                                                                   Advance reservations - 3 course Prix Fixe $25 plus drinks at 7:30pm.

DINNER LINKS:

Can we do something special for your party? This was last New Year's Eve party - a five course dinner around the world with wine tasting.

A recent visit to the dinner table. A guest opinines on dinner - thanks for coming Sally & Hal.

Dinner must start somewhere . . . Our Grilled Veggie Napoleon is one way to start. Fresh from the market today, we lightly grill squash and aubergine and dribble a balsamic olive oil dresssing over it - served with fresh basil from the garden. ". . . an enjoyable evening with interesting international travelers . . ." Colette, Morristown, NJ.

One Dinner on the garden Terrace . . . started with Grilled Veggie Napoleon followed by Chicken & Beef Satay followed by home made Watermelon Rosemary Ice. This one goes well with the local La Casa Vino Tinto Seco - yes there is a most acceptable Costa Rican winemaker and his name is Luis Vargas. "Best dinner of the trip!", Trish, Ted, Ray, Ken & Dara.

Breakfast of Champions . . . is at any time (for those early exits to the airport) - a healthy breakfast of local fruits, pastries, toast, coffee or tea. If you are lucky you might get the homemade bread pudding with a rum sauce to start your day off right. And we love our fresh fruit smoothies in the morning. " . . . all we could want to help us with our first trip to this beautiful country.", Jeff & Helen, Mike & Lois, U.K..

Lemon Tilapia Randomly crumbled fresh breaded Tilapia with Rissoto and some very nice green beans found at the Mercado Central in Alajuela ". . . wonderful bookends you provided to our visit to Costa Rica, from the familiar face of Jose Luis at the airport to the fabulous, relaxing dinner overlooking the gardens the night before departure.", Billie & Gene, Santa Fe.
Dinner at Pura Vida Wherein Katy seems to have found something particularly tasty - Terriyaki Chicken was our appetizer - desert was a Banana Rica with ice cream - fried and flamed in Cafe Rica a delicious local coffee liquor. Our last night was in Pura Vida . . .the perfect end. Thank you for your hospitality and great dinner. Eduard and Anneke, The Netherlands
Fresh Grilled Local Corvina On a bed of fresh green papaya. "My trip to Costa Rica was like a dream. It started with a warm welcome to the Pura Vida Hotel. I didn't expect to stay in a beautiful casita, larger than a suite, set in spectacular gardens. Nor in all my years of travel have I had the help and personal service I received . . . "Lynne, Park City Utah
Dinner is served Montreal (Sylvianne & Julien) meet New York and Boston (Sandy & Matt) - Sandy is not shown due to enormous royalties she would need to be paid. "Awesome!", Matt, New York.
We did not serve Mango Sorbet on a freshly baked Tuile at our New Year's Eve bash as it was not Mango season. Join us for the best Mangoes every spring from February to May here 4KM from the airport - mangoes do not get any better than this. Traci explains some exotic fruit experience to the gathering at our New Year's Eve dinner event.Traci & Oliver, Los Angeles and Bonnie & Archie, Danville, California
La Cocina de Nhi This is the laboratory for Pura Vida - wherein exotic creations are constructed and fresh foods from Alajuela Market find their way to the table at dinner time. These are Firecracker Rolls being prepared for the New Years Eve dinner. The combination of nice accomodations, great food and wonderful hosts put you at number one. Bonnie & Archie, Danville, California
Alajuela Market Some of the best fruits, vegetables and plants are grown right here in the Central Valley with fertile soil from the previous eruptions of Poas and Irazu Volcanoes and the best climate in the country. This fellow is always at the local farmers market on Fridays and Saturdays - if you are in town don't miss it. . . . the cuisine was absolutely fabulous! Carita Iliana, Cocles, Puerto Viejo de Limon, Costa Rica
Banana Rica, Pura Vida Style - Simplicity! So many types of bananas, so many plantains to try. Make sure the banana is ripe, drop it in burnt butter for a minute on both sides till brown, add a generous swig of Cafe Rica and flame - serve very hot with plain vanilla ice cream. "Best meal we've had this trip.", Jean, Montreal.
Drinks Department A selection of drinks are available including our complimentary welcome "Papaya/Banana Pura Vida", if we had a good fresh papaya that day. Also available are soft drinks, wine and beer. The bad thing about the hotel: We checked in just for the last night before flying to Germany - we had just one night. The next time we will definitely spend more days in this wonderful place... Lars and Beate, Germany
Working together for a great experience We work with other interesting hotels such as Delfin Amor in Drake Bay . . . the first and last nights stay is at Pura Vida and we help guests transfer via SANSA and Nature Air and we dry them out after a week of jungle and ocean adventure. I didn't expect to stay in a beautiful casita, larger than a suite, set in spectacular gardens. Lynne, Park City, Utah
Perfecto You have choices, choices and choices. When you stay at a hotel in Costa Rica we hope you'll think of the small B&B's, Lodges and Inns - places where you will learn something about the local environment run by people who live in and invest in this beautiful country. Check out The Costa Rica Innkeepers Association - - we have rooms everywhere.