4 Best Vegetarian Restaurants In San José, Costa Rica For Foodies

Before coming to Costa Rica I didn’t know much about their food except that the cuisine exists of a lot of rice and beans. And honestly, I love rice and beans, so I didn’t mind too much that I was gonna eat that for a while. I have been vegetarian for about eight years now and I am used to not get the best food experiences while traveling.

But the food I have eaten in San José completely blew my mind and I ate one of the best mushroom sandwich I have ever had and vegan tacos that blew my mind.

If you visit San José I have four recommendations for restaurants that serve amazing vegetarian and vegan food for you. Ready to start indulging?

La Mancha

If you are looking for fantastic coffee and mindblowing sandwiches, La Mancha is for you. They are open for breakfast and lunch and the coffee shop is located within a cute little courtyard.

The portions are big and this sandwich filled me up for the entire day. The coffee was super creamy and a must if you want to drink good coffee in San José.

La Esquinita de la Abuela

This was the very first restaurant I went to after landing in Costa Rica. I chose La Esquinita de la Abuela because it was only a minute away from my hostel and I was super hungry. Before I went, I checked the menu online and saw that they have at least one vegetarian option. Since I was starving, this was good enough for me.

i ordered the Casado Vegetariano. This dish comes with a lentil patty covered with freshly cooked tomatoes, rice and beans, hash salad, plantains and a tortilla.

The interior is rustic but also feels very authentic. I was pleasantly surprised and absolutely loved the food here. It is reasonably priced and the service is really good. Come here for authentic Costa Rican food.

Huacamole Vegan Food

Their tacos actually blew my mind. During eating I actually had to check the menu again to make sure this pulled “beef” was actually vegan. Everything on the menu from Huacamole is 100 % vegan and they use a shredded soymeat for their tacos. Besides tacos they also have wraps, burgers and even ramen and pad thai on the menu.

I ordered the tacos de biria, they come with a side of french fries. The fries were not that great and really dry but the tacos made up for that. On the menu it said that you get three tacos but I actually got four, so lucky me.

The service was alright, the server couldn’t understand me when I asked what the filling of the tacos were, even tho I repeated it in Spanish. But I would totally come here again for the food.

Café Otoya

I went here for breakfast because I needed something close to my hostel and Café Otoya did not disappoint. I ordered the veggie toast and a caramel iced latte (which was enormous). They even had vegan milk alternatives for a surcharge.

A lot of the items on their brunch menu are vegetarian. You can also get a yoghurt bowl or french toast.

Café Otoya also serves lunch and dinner (they are open everyday from 8 am to 8 pm). If this is as good as brunch, it is also worth a visit in the evening.

What is your favourite vegetarian/vegan restaurant in San José? Tell me your tips in the comments!