Rural – Authenticity in a Sea of Inauthenticity

For my first dinner in Costa Rica, I wanted some local authentic cuisine. We were staying at the W, and for some reason, they were serving Thai food. In general, the area we were staying in seemed to cater to giving tourists and watered down version of Costa Rica. The town of Tamarindo was the worst. Very few locals, and just bars packed with tourists. However, in this sea of inauthenticity, our hotel concierge found Rural, and it was exactly what I was looking for. The setting is all outdoors as you will see in the vids below. To start, I ordered some sparkling water which our server suggested I get “Costa Rican style” with lime, and salt.

Here is a look at the menu:

Our server helped us navigate the massive menu. We had gallos pinto which is basically beans and rice.

To accompany, he recommended this stew which was extremely tasty but a little over seasoned. Good with the rice.

We also had this chicken soup which reminded me of Sancocho (but it wasn’t).

This dish was recommended also, but was probably my least favorite – lechon (fried pork).

Here is a look at the setting:

…and dessert:

Overall, service was good and the setting was great. The food was local, and felt home cooked which is exactly what I was looking for. I would return here.