Wherever you go in Costa Rica, it’s easy to spot the lush vegetation and colorful tropical fruits. So it’s no surprise that this destination is also a hot spot for foodies. Even though Costa Rican cuisine isn’t as famous as some Latin American dishes, the nation has become increasingly skilled at satisfying sophisticated palates.
If tourism authorities have their way, Costa Rica will be even more firmly on the minds of travelers—as well as meeting and incentive groups—who are hungry for exciting culinary experiences. In November 2015, the Costa Rica Tourism Board joined the Costa Rican Chamber of Restaurants and the National Institute of Biodiversity to announce the second phase of their National Plan for Healthy and Sustainable Food, which aims to promote Costa Rican cuisine. The initiative has already starting awarding a Certification for Sustainable Tourism for gastronomy—starting with five restaurants that were recognized for “raising the bar” with their authentic and sustainable cuisine.
Aldo Annese, general manager at the Studio Hotel, which is located in the San Jose suburb of Santa Ana, is among the hoteliers noticing that more groups are paying attention to cuisine in Costa Rica.
“Studio Hotel is experiencing a growth in corporate groups seeking healthy, authentic and sustainable culinary experiences,” he says. “For example, in Studio Hotel, both of our restaurant concepts—Studio Cafe Bar & Grill and Katowa— offer healthy, authentic, Costa Rican cuisine with an emphasis on using locally grown ingredients to support our farmers.”
For groups looking to sample, enjoy and perhaps even learn to prepare traditional Costa Rican cuisine like rice and black beans, seafood, tamales and jerk chicken (which is popular on the Caribbean coast), the options are many.
The 129-room Parador Resort & Spa, on the Pacific Coast, offers cooking classes featuring typical Costa Rican cuisine, with organic, fresh micro greens from the resort’s greenhouse, led by Executive Chef Alejandro Torres, who also leads tours of the greenhouse itself.
For groups, the destination management company Actua also recommends El Mangroove, a luxury boutique hotel in Guanacaste, where the chef’s table offers a culinary program for private parties, and group dinners can also be served on the beach.
