Apart from its name and a mural inside featuring the namesake city in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is a very much Costa Rican establishment. It’s a traditional style cantina leftover from an older, simpler time. It's the kind of place I love to tuck into for some bocas and beers.
At Pad Thai, everything is grounded down fresh. I’m talking all the curry paste, turmeric, galangal, basil and coriander; all ground with a mortar and pestle.
Bar La Selegna has been run by the same family in Liberia since the 1970s. While the family has stayed the same, the name hasn’t. It started out as El Taconazo, then it became Discoteque Selegna, before finally adopting its current name: La Selegna.
To find Soda Lima, look for a yellow and red sign painted on a white wall that's shared with the neighboring Mini Super Feng. The sign is right beside a bookstore on Calle 2, between Avenida 6 and 8, and there's a glass display case full of yellow-orange Ají chilis that will let you know you've arrived at this authentic Peruvian diner.
If you’re walking on Calle 11 near Avenida Central, you might get a whiff of freshly cooked, spicy food. The source is easy to pinpoint, a Korean man behind a window toiling over five gas burners.
