Restaurante Don Rufino in Quesada

Had we found this restaurant on our first night we wouldnt have gone anywhere else. The food was exceptional and the staff was SO nice. It said high end dining and we got it. The nice part is that the restaurant wasnt stuffy so we could eat an amazing meal without dressing to the nines (although we did look nicebcse to be honest after two days of ziplining and horseback riding I dont know if I could have put on heels!

Excellent meal in La Fortuna. We had meatballs and dumplings to start. Mains were chicken mignonette, Grandma’s chicken, and squash risotto with shrimp and chicken. We ended with a chocolate dessert, an almond dessert and the chocolate mousse with orange ice cream. Highly recommend this place.

Risotto was AMAZING! San Carlos’ chips were also amazing and the perfect starter! I loved everything about this place — the food, service, ambiance. If you’re thinking about it — do it!

My friends are I were recommended Don Rufino but so many people today so naturally, we had to visit. The ambiance is both intimate yet great for large groups. The food, above everything else is amazing! I ordered the T-Bone steak medium rare and the cut was perfect. The green sauce wrapped the dish nicely. I need to shout out our bartender, Jose, who made bomb cocktails for everyone. Definitely gonna stop by once more before I leave.

Absolutely incredible experience.My girlfriend and our friends decided to go out to eat after a long day hiking.Jose was so helpful in getting us in despite us not having a reservation.Himself and Jaco served us and there was not detail left untouched.The replacement of utensils in between courses, the attention to our drinks and the food was absolutely delicious.You MUST go here if visiting or even if you love here.

Fantastic service and delicious food! Was really impressed by the range of items on the menu since we had some dietary constraints - and loved the interior decor. Was also a big fan of Jose behind the bar. Five star experience.

Que perfecto! The food was incredible and the service was amazing. We had the tasting menu with wine pairings and absolutely loved it! Each dish was thoughtfully crafted and delicious. Anthony and Tatiana were so kind and wonderful to spend the evening with. A must!

Nice food in a good restaurant!You get what you pay for. This restaurant is a bit more expensive compared to all the local restaurants in La Fortuna, but definitely worth it!High quality food and staff is very professional and friendly. A real pleasure for a nice evening out dining.

My wife and I wanted to try a tasting menu while on vacation, and found Don Rufino as the place to go to. We went in not knowing what to expect. Let me say this now, this is a must-try for anyone visiting.First thing to note about this dining experience: it was not the typical tasting menu experience that we are used to. Most diners, from what we could tell, order from the a la carte menu, thus, there was a ton of hustle and bustle of wait staff moving around, and the volume was lively and loud. This was all perfectly fine, as our waiter made the experience feel personable and individualized to us, thus, kudos to him for the excellent service (I think the gentlemans name was Andre). When asked if we wanted to do a wine pairing, standard or a higher quality one, we opted for the standard (at $35/person, this was a steal!). After choosing the wine pairing, our gastronomic journey into the northern part of Costa Rica began.The first couple of courses, a bread and butter and the charcoal tinted corn bizcocho, got things started on the right foot. Things kicked into a higher gear with the seafood toast, a fresh course magnified by the accompanying wine that put the seafood flavors at the forefront. What followed next was both a delicious and culturally rooted dish, the Palm heart Maleku mafuriseca. Our waiter walked us through the thought behind the dish, and explained the preparation of it comes from a technique used by an indigenous group in the area. Not only did the presentation pay homage to that, but the balance of buttery flavors from the snook and freshness of the bijagua leaves was excellent. There were also contrasting textures of crunch and tenderness that made the dish enjoyable to eat.A strawberry sorbet came next and worked as a palette cleanser. When the waiter mentioned there was cardamom garnishing the sorbet, it made me worried as it can be off-putting if not moderated. In this case, it was added thoughtfully and made for a great transition to the star of the dinner, the char-grilled loin. The meat was some of the best Ive had, as it was unbelievably tender and seasoned to perfection. The accompanying mushrooms prepared in lime complemented the seasoning with the citrus. To the sides were bernaise sauce and a jus with mustard seed, both enhancing the flavors of the meat. Surprisingly, the yuca that came with it tasted fantastic, the best yuca I have had. I have found it to be fibrous and bland in the past, yet, not in this case, the complete opposite in fact. As for the grand finale, a dessert dish composed of a Golden sweet potato churro, ayote ice cream, and a curt tart, was a sublime homage to the local ingredients. It helped that the last wine paired with this course was a sweet and refreshing rosé to end the night on delightful note.I cannot praise Don Rufinos tasting menu enough. They served my wife and I a tasteful, thoughtful, and most importantly, local tour of flavors that took us on a joyful and yummy ride. This is the place that we will remember the most when we leave, as it was the best meal we had during our trip.

Best espresso martini on earth. Amazing food with great service.

We stayed at the Royal Corinth hotel and they recommended this restaurant; it was a very good recommendation.Food was super fresh and delicious.Service was a little bit slow but the staff is nice and friendly.We had some nice seafood and some wine. My favorite was dessert 😊

Perfect restaurant for a date night! Very nice cuisine and high end choices. The food was absolutely delicious and don’t skip on the dessert! The staff were also incredible and helped with wine pairings. If you don’t want to sit at the bar you should probably make a reservation.

Excellent food & service. We had the 300gr Ribeye steak and it was excellent, melted in your mouth. As well as the octopus (as starter). Would highly recommend if you are in the area. We came with a large group of friends and they also loved it. Would definitely come here again.Muy buen servicio y excelente comida. El filete ribeye de 300gramos muy muy rico. Varios amigos también vinieron y les encantó. Muy recomendado.

Excellent food. Ive been 4 times and have tried several dishes. My favorite is the Rigatoni. Its so flavorful. My wife says its her favorite restaurant in all of Costa Rica.

An absolutely gorgeous restaurant in the heart of La Fortuna. The food and cocktails were delicious and although it was a little more expensive than other local restaurants, it was totally worth it for the quality & ambience. The wine was expensive so we opted for cocktails which were superb. We had our favourite meal during our holiday in Costa Rica at Don Rufino. Highly recommended.

Good drinks. Decent prices on alcohol.They were out of Buffalo Trace, but seemed to be the only place in all of Costa Rica who I could find that had it on the menu at all.

We read ahead about this restaurant - so it was a target dinner out. Special. Not just a "grab some food" situation. We asked a lot of questions to two servers about the menu items and they steered us to two great meals. My dinner partner chose the chicken that has been prepared in leaves. She is still talking about it. We were in Costa Rica 3 weeks ago and she is now researching this technique. Thank you for the way you care and prepare very special dishes for vacationers like us.

Very nice restaurant. Super recommended. Staff very helpful and concerned about details. For example, it was my girlfriend birthday, I advised hours before dinner, when I made the reservation. The restaurant offered a dessert with a small candle to sing happy birthday. They were also very informative regarding food allergies. The food was also delicious, nothing to regret. If I could point anything to be made better, I found wine a little overpriced. So we chose drinks, which were great 😀

Excellent meal, great service!! Grandmas chicken is phenomenal. Ceviche delicious.

Great food, probably the best in town. The sauté fish with shrimps, mushrooms and spinach was amazing. Prices on the higher end but it was worth it

Nice fresh food, great cocktails, lovely staff and nicr atmosphere! i would definitly recommend it!!! 😀 we spent two nights in la fortuna und came for dinner both nights 😀🙃

I will use the words of my wife, "this was the best ravioli, the best pasta, I have had in my life". And the quality of the service was exquisite as the quality and taste of the food. I had the risotto which was so good as well. Highly recommend this place.

Artisan food. Exceptional service.Tatiana and the entire staff made us feel at home

Been passing by that restaurant and decided to come for lunch. At noon was no people yet so we was the first. No air conditioning but open doors make some air flow. We ordered NY steak, fish soup with plantains and tuna fish which was delicious, well presented and even kid asked for more meat! Little bit overpriced but worth it, friendly stuff, speak English just enough for order or advice regarding food. We enjoyed the atmosphere and lately this place became crowded which kinda says by itself about this restaurant. Unfortunately they don’t have classic lasagna but would go again for other tasty food. Recommending!

Service and food was awesome! A bit expensive (touristicbut worth every penny. 2 glasses of wine, white marlin ceviche, rare ribeye, and an americano. All on point.

An unexpected classy and fantastic place for dinner. We were in the area for 5 nights and ended up eating dinner there 3 of them! Menu is upscale with a good mix of options. Average bill was ~40$/person with a drink and dessert, which is half what dinner would have cost at the upscale resort we were staying at in the area. Shrimp was amazing.

We were lucky enough to stumble upon Don Rufino on our first night in La Fortuna, and ended up coming bacn the next day.The cocktails were very unique and tasted great, and the bartender made them with such passion it was good to watch!The tenderloin steak was grilled to perfection, and the grandma’s chicken had amazing flavours.I can only recommend this restaurant to anyone staying in La Fortuna!

Excellent meal in a nice setting in Fortuna. We had the grilled octopus to start and it was delicious. I had the caramelized pork skirt and my wife had the mahi mahi. Both dishes had incredible flavor.

This restaurant was recommended to us and it lived up to our expectations! The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We enjoyed dinner so much that we ate there a second time for lunch. We would highly recommend this restaurant in La Fortuna!

10/10 food and customer service.For the city it might be on the higher end but very worth it!The slowly cooked lamb shoulder was amazing and it came with rosemary potatoes and a great salad 🥗

This place knows how to cook! Amazing food, cooked to perfection! The banana leaf wrapped chicken was fall apart and the sauce was addictive

Overpriced restaurant. If you decide to eat here, skip the octopus. Grandmas chicken was OK, meat is a bit dry. Taste like any other bbq chicken. Cocktail was smokey but not very tasty.

Wasnt sure what to expect and kind of just ran in and picked it because it was raining really hard. We had the most creative hummus Ive ever had and it was so delicious. I couldnt finish my pasta because I couldnt stop eating hummus but the pasta was so good that I wish I could have!

This was actually my second time…I give it a try to seafood and I enjoy it very much. Everything was cooked perfectly except for the seasoning, a little too salty for my taste.The service was as expected and the ambience was good. The decor is rustic but modern at the same time. Lack a little music now that I think about it.I did make a reservation because this place is packed most of the time, specially during holidays.Parking right in front next to the sidewalk!A must try in the area.

I had the Grandmas chicken and my wife the (Shrimp and scallop pastaTagliatelle Pasta. The taste of the chicken was unusual and delicious. (I would get it again.The only issue for me was that they served the chicken wrapped in a bowl which makes it impossible to eat with a fork and knife and I had to ask for a plate to cut it up. My wife thought that hers was good, but felt that she could get it anywhere. We split the cheesecake for desert... it was small for one person... it was OK. The seats were hard and uncomfortable for the length of time. It was very clean.

The Arracaha salad is a must! We ordered it as an afterthought and it became our favorite plate. Everything else was great as well including the Ceviche and pork skirt. Be sure to make a reservation here at this place is very popular for good reason.

Celebrated my birthday here while in La Fortuna. Great service and delicious tempranillo wine. The risotto and lasagna were yummy!

We came here on a Wednesday night and Im so glad we made reservations ahead of time because they were very busy. The restaurant itself looks fancy and beautiful, we loved the open and airy concept through the windows. Our hostess and server were both very friendly. We ordered two drinks, Guaro and then some (delicious), and the Don Rufino Margarita which was just okay, nothing special. Now for our meal; we ordered three entrees instead of an appetizer. We saw that the Grandmas roasted chicken was super popular so we ordered that and it did not disappoint! It was perfectly cooked and the seasoning was great. We also ordered the Filet Mignon with bacon and it was absolutely delicious. We ordered it medium and it was cooked to perfection. Lastly, the shrimp and scallops tagliatelle which had a sweet surprise, there is a hint of spice which was a great touch. I have a high spice tolerance but my boyfriend not so much. Even he enjoyed it. To end our night, we also ordered the cheese cake with home made sour cream for dessert. It was not what we expected but it a good way especially the scoop of ice cream! We enjoyed dining here.

We showed up at 5 pm on a Saturday and the staff slipped us in at a table for two. Thank goodness they did--the experience was amazing! Incredible food, wonderful drinks, and exceptional staff. One of our favorite parts about visiting Costa Rica. We will absolutely be back.

Grandmas Chicken & Mushroom Lasagna at 📍 @don_rufinoRating: 🤩 Tasty but wouldn’t go backThoughts 💭We ordered the mushroom and caramelised onion lasagna, which was tasty but going in with high expectations because of the reviews definitely wasn’t ground breaking. But, a safe and solid choice for anyone.The grandmas chicken however was fantastic! Cooked in a banana leaf. Really juicy and the flavour from coffee, chocolate and bbq was insane! Definitely would recommend and reorder!Reviews by @thefoodiestraveldiary

We had lunch at this restaurant, and really enjoyed the food and the service. Both of them were excellent. Also they have an excellent selection of wines, and cocktails that you can order. Coffee was also excellent, which is not surprising since this is Costa Rica after all. I highly recommend this place.

The open air restaurant is so nice. Great music 🎶 the staff was so kind and explained food very well. Walk up bar, and open seating for all ages. I highly recommend this location for all meals and drinks.

We did not eat at a ton of restaurants in La Fortuna but this has to be one of the best. We received recommendations by locals and it delivered! We enjoyed our meal and I highly suggest getting the octopus and the chocolate mousse. Pro Tip- Order an espresso Martini!

This place was exactly what we were looking for. The dinner was good. Our favorite was the octopus al pastor and we also enjoyed the steak.

This place is trying way too hard, I dont see the hype. None of their dishes appear to have any coherent theme as opposed to trying to integrate random strange flavors just to seem fancy. The salad was so sweet with fruit, candied stuff, sweet dressing, etc. that it was hard to finish. The red pepper hummus had so much random stuff sticking out of it you couldnt even see the hummus at the bottom (seriously, try to find the hummus in the picture). The pork loin was served in a berry sauce that just overpowered and ruined the flavor of the meat itself. The seafood fettuccini dish was so tangy and filled with vinegar and lime that it was inedible and we threw it out. Not to mention service was underwhelming for a place of this sophistication: impersonal, not friendly, and that was with only one other group in the restaurant. Save your money and go to a place that keeps it straightforward and more delicious.

Grandmas roast chicken - The chicken is quite juicy, coffee chocolate sauce also quite unique. We wanted to try it so much we ordered it as appetizer and we didnt regret.Grilled octopus - fresh, very generous portion. Like the grilled prawns. However, Id prefer it to charred more. I think it lacked of the charred flavor.Grilled prawns - very generous portion, but just like the octopus, it needs to be charred more.Chicken risotto - tasty risotto. Chicken however was lack of taste.Truffle lasagna - The lasagna was delicious, very rich in truffle flavor, great cheese. It was delicious!Chocolate mousse - very interesting and quiet well done. This is no ordinary dessert, very crafty and delicious.

From the time we sat down until the time we left, everything was perfect.The cocktail menu was excellent. I had the Passiflora Citrus which was a light refreshing very tasting drink!The roasted octopus and meatballs were superb! Highly recommend!Our main dishes were excellent and cooked to perfection.Desserts were so hard to pick from that we ordered 3 different ones to try. We had the financier de almadras con crema de hojas de higo ( almond fianancier with fig leaves creamthis in my opinion and wife’s opinion was the best.Then we had the Naranja Holandesa de Don Rufino, my second favorite and my wife’s 3rd favorite. It is a chocolate mouse with Homade ice cream.Last we had the Esferas patriminio de la humanidad de Osa ( World Heritage Sphere from Osathis is a very flavorful chocolate mousse and if you a chocolate lover it worth the calories. This was my 3rd favorite and my wife’s 2nd favorite.Bottom line…Don Rufino is a must try restaurant in La Fortuna Centro, Costa Rica.Don’t miss out or you will regret it.

Our family dined here on a recent visit to La Fortuna. Fantastic food and fabulous service. Every dish we had was creative and delicious! The risotto was flavorful, both the chicken and shrimp in that dish were juicy and delicious. The pulpo was some of the best we’ve had and served in a large portion, which we loved! Highly recommend and would certainly visit again on future trips!

The service and food were exceptional. Creative, interesting and healthier than most. I highly recommend the cauliflower steak with goat cheese, arugula salad and tuna tartar. The four desserts we had were all great but the life changing dish was the chocolate mousse.

If you’re in La Fortuna, this is an absolute must! I believe this is the best restaurant in La Fortuna. It’s outstanding and beats any place we tried in Quepos or San Jose. The meatballs stuffed with dates appetizer was spectacular, I could have ordered another plate of it as a meal and would have been satisfied.Wheelchair accessible.