Restaurante Silvestre
Costa Rica
Reviews
I can guarantee this is the best dinner you’ll have in Costa Rica. Excellent service, very romantic and classy atmosphere. We tried: tamal de pejibaye, tartar de res al carbon, lomo de res, lomo de cordero and goat cheese dessert with cas ice cream. I would recommend this restaurant 100% and I will be coming back.
I tried the tasting menu, and the seafood portion was extremely questionable. I couldn’t eat it, and it seemed like the table next to us had a similar reaction. My friend ordered the steak, and it honestly tasted almost plastic-like. We all tried it, and everyone was shocked by how bad it was. It had an extremely strange taste. Steak is something I personally care a lot about, and I’ve tried it in many countries, from high-end restaurants to small local spots with different interpretations. This was, without question, the worst steak I’ve ever had. Another friend ordered the fish, which was good, but nothing particularly special. Overall, I would not recommend this place to any of my friends. The service was nice, and the “earth” portion of my tasting menu was good, but again, nothing memorable enough to make me want to come back.
The food and service were amazing! Aaron was a fantastic server. The reason for 4 stars for Atmosphere is that the room we were eating in was hot and stuffy. We had the Óptica tasting menu and almost everything was delicious and fresh. The tasting itself had a great element of whimsy that I won’t spoil :) Our least favorite dish was the last savory course, a smoked pork cheek dish. The pork wasn’t really rendered so it was a piece of pretty solid fat and the dish was overly smoky. My favorite course was the first seafood course with the shrimp ham - delectable!! Would absolutely come back.
I am genuinely angry and extremely disappointed with my experience at Restaurante Silvestre. We made a 8:45 pm reservation and I ended up throwing up in this restaurant bathroom around 10 pm. The only good thing about the food here is that it looks decent in the photos………. We paid around $200 per person for the tasting menu with wine pairing, expecting at least a basic fine dining standard. What we got instead was completely unacceptable. The fish was clearly not fresh — it had a strong, unpleasant smell and tasted extremely fishy. The pork had an overwhelming gamey flavor that was very hard to tolerate. To be completely honest, the food made me physically sick. I had to run to the restroom and vomit after eating. This has NEVER happened to me at any restaurant before, and it is absolutely unacceptable for a place positioning itself at this high price. The wine pairing was just as bad — several wines tasted unpleasant and did not match the dishes at all. Service was also far below expectations. There was almost no proper introduction of the dishes. In multiple cases, we finished eating and only then did someone come over to explain what we had just eaten and what wine we were drinking. That completely defeats the purpose of a tasting menu. I’ve been to so many fine dining around the world. At $200 per person, I am not asking for something extraordinary — but I expect at least a basic level of quality, freshness, and professionalism. This restaurant failed on all fronts. In Costa Rica, you can easily find much better food and service for the same price or less. This is, without exaggeration, the only restaurant in Costa Rica that has ever made me physically ill. I left feeling angry, disappointed, and honestly shocked that this place position itself at this price level. I would strongly advise others to stay away. Only good thing about this restaurant is that it looks decent in the photos.
My friends and I got the eight course tasting menu and it was delicious. It was the right amount of food and the water courses were our favorites. The vibe inside is classy and private, perfect for conversation. If you’re traveling and speak little Spanish, they speak perfect English. The desserts were great and the cocktails were good as well. I also recommend the hot herbal tea, it was excellent.
