Café Rojo

An extraordinary cafe oasis in San Jose away from the bustle of the main shopping area. Wonderful Vietnamese cuisine with a twist. The venue oozes chill. Not surprising it gets a high rating. And also not surprising most of the patrons when we went were backpackers and other tourists.

We went out for dinner with three of our kids at this charming restaurant. The atmosphere is cozy with old high ceilings and colorful, artistic rustic decor. The space includes multiple dining rooms, a front veranda for outdoor seating (though it only accommodates 2-3 people), and two benches in a small yard that would normally be a lovely spot to dine. Unfortunately, it had just rained, so the wooden benches were too wet for us to use. We ended up sitting in one of the larger indoor rooms. Our host was amazing and spoke both Spanish and English fluently. This is one of the few places I've eaten in this city that serves dishes with plenty of greens - both the kids and adults absolutely loved the food, and the portions were just right. The restaurant has such a perfect, easy-going vibe with friendly service and delicious food. If I were local, I could easily see myself eating here regularly.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The food was great. It wasn't cheap, but the quality was great, and the portions were generous. ALSO we speak almost no Spanish and they were super accommodating, even if my 10 year old who is a picky eater. ALSO the artwork was super cool.

Cute place mainly full of English speakers learning Spanish when we arrived. Food was fresh and delicious. Our host was wonderfully attentive and helpful with our menu choices. It’s an old home that has been turned into a cafe so it has a unique vibe to it

Amazing place with great vibe and delicious food... Very nice and helpful crew makes it a perfect spot... Every meal here could be a highlight - depending on whatever you like the most! Worth checking out the deserts as well... Loads of vegetarian and Vega options

Really great art/restaurant concept in a comfortable house with lots of different seating options. Vegan options are clearly labeled, staff is friendly and helpful, and food is 🔥! The waiter came out and explained all the different sauce flavors and left a whole basket of the vegan sauces for me. I had the Casado with eggplant, which I recommend because the eggplant was cooked perfectly. I’ll be back!

Arrived in San Jose around dinner time the night before a flight home the next morning. Staying at the Delta hotel, we needed something in close walking distance and Cafe Rojo came up with great reviews. It did not disappoint. The staff is incredibly friendly, the art concept was great, and the food was amazing! A cozy place with varied seating options. We had 10 people and everyone everyone absolutely loved it.

Delicious, not over priced, vegan friendly (vegan options are clearly marked so no confusion), and lovely staff. I had the Casado with shiitake and eggplant, vegan spring rolls, and banana bread with berry compote and highly recommend all three. However they seasoned and cooked with the shiitake and it plant was magical and the banana bread was excellent with the compote. Everything was so fresh too. Maybe the best vegan meal I had in Costa Rica.