ABOUT THE LIVING LIFE IN COSTA RICA BLOG

I (Vicki Skinner - aka "THE Sarong Goddess") created this blog in 2007 to share DETAILED Finds•Lists•Info•Events•Experiences to help bring more EASE to people living in, visiting or thinking of moving to Costa Rica since DETAILS are NOT easy to find!
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Monday, June 3, 2013

Le MONASTERE Restaurant - Escazu, Costa Rica - Restaurant Review - One of the MOST SPECTACULAR ROMANTIC restaurants with an AMAZING VIEW, excellent food & GREAT Service!!!


LE MONASTERE RESTAURANT
(I have a bunch more pictures at:
SarongGoddess.com/Food/LeMonastereRestaurant)

To ME - Le Monastere Restaurant is one of THE MOST MAGICAL dining experiences in ALL of Costa Rica!!
(my birthday 2012!!  Cut the little cake open and there's a SURPRISE!!  A YUMMM warm gooie chocolate pudding!!)

Are you celebrating something SPECIAL? Seeking a ROMANTIC interlude?!!! Are you visiting Costa Rica? If so, Le Monastere is a MUST DO experience for your LAST night!! That way you go home with this AMAZING memory that WILL stay in your heart for LIFE!!!

Set wayyyy at the top of the mountain above Escazu - looking down on the gold dust lights of the WHOLE Central Valley below, I think Le Monastere is one of the MOST ROMANTIC restaurants with SPECTACULAR views I’ve found in Costa Rica so far (270-degrees!!)!! GREAT for ambiance!!!







They have one of THE BEST CAESAR SALADS I've found in Costa Rica and it's made right there on your table (and I got to have EXTRA EXTRA Anchovies!!)!!




The menu is more of an INTERNATIONAL cuisine (heavily FRENCH) and it's NOT cheap!  Prices vary on how much you’re ordering as everything is ala carte but if you’re not having all the separate side like soup or salad and not drinking or having desserts – it can be not as expensive (but it is definitely on the pricier side.  I haven't seen their new menu since the remodeling so I'm sure it's gone up from there!  But remember - you're paying for the ambiance, AMAZING views, QUALITY of the food and service!!

Appetizers, soups and salads range from
Crema de Mariscos/Seafood Soup (LINGUASMO [tongueGasmic]), CAVIAR, DUCK FOIE GRAS with Spicy Onion Marmalade, homemade DUCK PATE with Cognac and Hazelnuts (yummmm!!), LOBSTER BISQUE, FRENCH ONION SOUP, FROGS LEGS, Fried Camambert in Blackberry Sauce and even Cheese Fondue (28,156-c for 2).  And their house Le Monastere Salad has ROQUEFORT DRESSING (CHALLENGING to find in Costa Rica!!)!!

Main Courses include everything from Beef/steak dish (ranging from a 340 gram Half Beef Top end Sirloin for around 10,000/$20-c to their Rib-Eye Cowboy Angus - 43,671-c (yup - you read that right - around $88!! as well as ANGUS BEEF, CHATEAUBRIAND, and FILET MIGNON) - to LOBSTER THERMIDOR, LEG of LAMB, VEAL STEW, WILD BOAR stew with Truffels, VENISON, Chicken and LOTS OF SEAFOOD/FISH options, 



DESSERTS!! 
LINGUASMO•TongueGasmic!!!
The BEST•most authentic CRÈME BRULEE I’ve found so far in Costa Rica (photo below)!!! CRÊPES SUZETTE (3,629-c), BANANAS FOSTER (2,946-c), Tarte Tatin - caramelized apples over a puff pastry with Ice cream, CHERRIES JUBILLE, CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (3,538-c), Chocolate as well as Orange Cointreau SOUFFLÉ, Chocolate Fantasy - delicate cake filled with hot chocolate (photo below)!!!


They have a HUGE WINE BAR offering over 300 selections.
As you enter - on Fridays and Saturday evenings they have LIVE MUSIC from a grand piano.

They have 4 separate areas to enjoy!
The main restaurants where waiters assist you dressed as 19th century French monks (and they express they would appreciate you dressing appropriately [nicer]).

Now located upstairs is the Grill with a more casual menú (though I believe you can order anything off the main menu if you'd like)!


La Cava Disco and Bar as taken over the whole downstairs area and it's now quite a hot spot for dancing!  Their new hours are now Monday-Saturday opening at 5pm (so you can still enjoy the AMAZING SUNSETS from here!!







Make sure to make time to stroll the grounds (bring a wrap as it can get VERY COLD out there!!) and
enjoy Gregorian and classical music in the renovated Chapel (which is still used for weddings and some religious ceremonies) while you’re waiting for your meal or after!












HOURS:  

Main restaurant - Monday-Saturday - 6:30pm-11pm.
Cantina La Cava is open Mon.-Thurs. 6:30pm-MID. and Fri. and Sat. 6:30pm-2am!!
HOLIDAYS OPEN: Christmas Eve, New Years Eve (closed Dec. 25, Jan. 1).

LOCATION: 

Escazu (Monte Las Palomas) - From Calle Vieja (the Old Road between Escazu and Santa Ana) – turn South going UP the hill at the Western end of Paco Plaza and follow the signs WAYYYY up the hill to the Green Cross.


CONTACT:
2-228-8515 • 2-228-8516 / 2-289-4404 • facebook.com/LeMonastereMonastere-Restaurant.comreservations@Monastere-Restaurant.comRestaurantLeMonastere@gmail.com



Please allow me (Vicki Skinner - 8-378-6679 • LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com) to make the reservations for you because I can make a little show of "appreciation" from your reservation from them (which does NOT effect your price at all).


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