Restaurante Don Rufino – Dining in La Fortuna

Restaurante Don Rufino is by far the best restaurant in La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica. The variety of dishes ensures that there is something for everyone and you will, absolutely, leave satisfied with your meal. In a touristy town where much of the cuisine is bland or boring Don Rufino really stands out and does it at prices that are in line with the other, lesser restaurants.

The food at Restaurante Don Rufino

Start with the Tomato and Ginger gazpacho with avocado and roasted red peppers (₡4.500), a pretty incredible and a bit different from your standard gazpacho. This is the perfect cool soup for the warm days in La Fortuna. The salads are also creative and delicious, particularly the sweet potato and goat cheese salad (₡5.100) which is set in a bowl with sweet potato puree around the sides. Each of these starters sounds almost like a standard dish from any restaurant but Don Rufino tweaks it just enough to make it interesting and uniquely delicious.

For the mains, you cannot go wrong with any of them but I highly the recommend the short ribs, served with cauliflower puree and onion jam (₡9.200). If you want to try something traditional go for the rondón, San Carlos style crab chowder, (₡8.900) which contains multiple varieties of seafood and root vegetables. If you are a bit of a bore you can also grab a cheeseburger (₡6.800).

Cocktails and drinks are not to be outdone by the standard fare at Restaurante Don Rufino and include some inventive concoctions like ginger and basil martinis. Located right on the main street of La Fortuna, the bar area is also a great spot for people watching. If you sit on the outside of the bar, almost on the sidewalk, you can also have a bit of a view of the Arenal Volcano while you sip your drinks or snack on the delicious fare at Don Rufino.

Restaurante Don Rufino Location and Hours

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