Food & drink · Costa Rica

Soda Tapia, San José

Soda Tapia on Calle 42 in the Sabana neighbourhood has been serving San José since 1956 and is beloved by taxi drivers, families after the theatre and anyone who needs a proper meal at 2 am. It is the kind of place that tells you more about a city than any guidebook can.

What to Order

The gallo pinto — Costa Rica's national dish of rice and black beans stir-fried together with onion, sweet pepper and Salsa Lizano (a local Worcestershire-style condiment) — is exceptional here, served as part of a full breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, natilla (sour cream) and a wedge of queso blanco at any hour of the day or night.

For something more substantial, the olla de carne is a slow-cooked beef and root vegetable stew that appears on the lunch menu and tastes exactly like what a Costa Rican grandmother would make: deep, earthy and warming. Wash it down with a glass of fresh cas (guava) juice or a tamarind refresco.

The Atmosphere

The dining room is large, bright and completely unpretentious — formica tables, ceiling fans, laminated menus and a constant hum of Spanish conversation. There is no craft cocktail list or Instagram-friendly plating; just honest, well-executed Tico cooking at prices that have barely moved in real terms for decades.

Sitting here at midnight after a night out, watching the city's night-shift workers file in for their gallo pinto and coffee, is one of those quietly memorable travel experiences that costs almost nothing and stays with you far longer than any expensive restaurant meal.

Location and Getting There

Soda Tapia sits directly across from Parque La Sabana, San José's largest urban park, on Calle 42 between Avenidas 2 and 4. It is a 5-minute taxi ride from most Barrio Amón hotels and easy to combine with an evening walk around the park.

The surrounding Sabana neighbourhood is one of San José's more pleasant areas for a stroll, with the Museo de Arte Costarricense (housed in the former airport terminal on the park's eastern edge) worth a quick visit before or after eating.

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