2 Best Restaurants in Turrialba, Central Valley

With weathered, blond-wood tables and chairs, and big windows with a view out onto the central park, La Garza is a popular meeting spot with a little more atmosphere than most of the eateries in town in spite of its extremely plain interior. The menu runs the gamut from hamburgers to chicken and has a good seafood selection. Open until 2 am, this is the only place in town for a very late bite to eat. There's a pleasant bar here, too, backed by a Latin soundtrack or karaoke.

A permanent exhibition of local art and the expertise of the owner make this a worthwhile stop. This pleasant family-style restaurant has the usual midscale Costa Rican fare, ranging from fast food to filet mignon. The house specialty is beef tenderloin topped with a Spanish-inspired red-wine-and-mushroom sauce. Casados and gallo pinto compete with more-familiar chicken and seafood dishes. Even paella is on the menu (with three hours' notice), and there's homemade apple pie for dessert.