Find places to eat and drink, curated for travelers visiting Costa Rica.
Costa Rica does not require a dedicated restaurant-booking app. Google Maps is useful for discovery, but recent reviews, the restaurant's official Instagram or website and a direct WhatsApp confirmation are more reliable for current hours, reservations, entrance directions and holiday closures. For an important meal, verify the same day and ask whether the kitchen is still serving near closing time. A soda is a casual local restaurant, not a soft-drink shop. At restaurants and hotels, the official tourism authority says a 10 percent service charge and 13 percent VAT are included in the final price. The bill may show servicio and impuesto as separate lines, but an additional tip is optional rather than a second automatic obligation. Review the itemized bill before adding anything, especially when a card terminal presents a foreign-style tip screen. Pay in colones when offered a currency choice and check the terminal amount before tapping. For seafood, market-price dishes or items sold by weight, ask the unit and total before ordering. If an allergy is serious, say so directly in Spanish, name the ingredient and ask about sauces, stocks, shared fryers and cross-contact. A delivery-app dietary label or a server's casual reassurance is not a medical guarantee. Save the restaurant pin and a safe route home before drinking, keep a phone and bag away from the street edge of an outdoor table, and do not leave drinks unattended. If a venue requests a deposit through an unfamiliar account or a WhatsApp number that differs from its official listing, verify through a second channel before paying.
These apps need data
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Costa Rica does not require a dedicated restaurant-booking app. Google Maps is useful for discovery, but recent reviews, the restaurant's official Instagram or website and a direct WhatsApp confirmation are more reliable for current hours, reservations, entrance directions and holiday closures. For an important meal, verify the same day and ask whether the kitchen is still serving near closing time. A soda is a casual local restaurant, not a soft-drink shop. At restaurants and hotels, the official tourism authority says a 10 percent service charge and 13 percent VAT are included in the final price. The bill may show servicio and impuesto as separate lines, but an additional tip is optional rather than a second automatic obligation. Review the itemized bill before adding anything, especially when a card terminal presents a foreign-style tip screen. Pay in colones when offered a currency choice and check the terminal amount before tapping. For seafood, market-price dishes or items sold by weight, ask the unit and total before ordering. If an allergy is serious, say so directly in Spanish, name the ingredient and ask about sauces, stocks, shared fryers and cross-contact. A delivery-app dietary label or a server's casual reassurance is not a medical guarantee. Save the restaurant pin and a safe route home before drinking, keep a phone and bag away from the street edge of an outdoor table, and do not leave drinks unattended. If a venue requests a deposit through an unfamiliar account or a WhatsApp number that differs from its official listing, verify through a second channel before paying.
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