Sikwa Restaurante

Restaurant · San José ·

Sikwa Restaurante

Restaurant · San José ·

Ancestral indigenous cuisine with tasting menus & cocktails

Information

C. 41, San José, Los Yoses, Costa Rica Get directions

₡20,000+

@eater

391,688 Postcards · 10,991 Cities

The 21 Best Restaurants in San José, Costa Rica | Eater

"Chef Pablo Bonilla has diligently studied Indigenous Costa Rican cooking to refute critics who doubt the country’s historical gastronomy is equal to that of its Latin American neighbors. At internationally acclaimed Sikwa, he uses local ingredients and provincial techniques in a warm, casual atmosphere. The menu is filled with spectacular displays of Costa Rica’s ancestral Indigenous cuisine: Several dishes are prepared with native annatto seeds, the pastel de pejibaye (peach palm) fruit is filled with pork marinated in vino de coyol and served over tamarind sauce, and grilled bone marrow topped with beef tartare comes with tortillas made with native maiz pujagua. Through grilled jumbo shrimp over arroz de maíz (porridge) — a play on shrimp and grits — and sweet corn yoltamales for dessert, Bonilla finds connection with pre-Hispanic maize cultures all the way north to the American South." - Bill Esparza

https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-san-jose-costa-rica

Sikwa

Restaurante Sikwa

@eater

391,688 Postcards · 10,991 Cities

What Is Costa Rican Food? | Eater

"Led by chef Pablo Bonilla, this restaurant has been central to Costa Rica’s modern culinary awakening by rebuilding ties with fishermen, foragers, and Indigenous communities to resurrect ancestral dishes; since 2021 it has offered a seven-course tasting menu in a jungle-themed dining room and a full bar programmed with original cocktails that use local ingredients like passion fruit mead and breadnut bitters." - Nicholas Gill

https://www.eater.com/21516828/costa-rican-food-explainer-dishes-drinks

Sikwa Restaurante en Costa Rica

@afar

25,132 Postcards · 3,702 Cities

10 Iconic Dishes to Try in Costa Rica - AFAR

"At chef Pablo Bonillo’s buzzy spot in San José I dove into traditional preparation and authentic indigenous gastronomy, experiencing the restaurant’s focus on native culinary traditions." - Nina Kokotas Hahn

https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-best-costa-rican-food

Restaurante Sikwa

@cntraveler

42,481 Postcards · 5,683 Cities

The Unsung Food Destinations to Travel for Now

"Pablo Bonilla serves pejibaye tamales and achiote chicken with pineapple, while working closely with the Bribri people in the Talamanca mountains. Part of a foodie buzz on Calle 33, with sell-out falafels at Faqua’s and craft brews at Costa Rica Beer Factory."

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-unsung-food-destinations-to-travel-for-now

Sikwa Restaurante en Costa Rica

L. S.

Google

The food was very tasty and full of flavor, and the cocktails were also good. Highlight was the starter with tuna. The service is friendly and welcoming but still has some room for improvement, as it felt a bit chaotic at times. When the restaurant is full, the noise level is unfortunately quite high and some sound-dampening would really help. Additionally, the air conditioning was a bit too cold for my liking. Overall, it is definitely one of the very good restaurants in San José and worth a visit despite these small drawbacks.

patrick D.

Google

This place was amazing. When you hear about affordable fine dining, this is what I think of. From the restaurant ambiance to the service to THE FOOD! Everything is great. Started off with shrimp tartare and bone Marrow. Two of my favorites dishes I’ve had on the trip. The presentation was gorgeous and not too filling. That bone marrow with the beef crudo! Lawddddd. That was fire! We moved on to our mains and got the chicken cashew and pork tenderloin dish. The squash purée was perfect and they added some texture with some nuts on top and the tenderloin was the perfect amount of saltiness. I said I wasn’t going to eat pork on my trip and that changed my mind right away! Finished off with the Yol Tamal! It reminded me of this cereal called “Corn Pops”. Of course 20 times better but the horchata ice cream made it the perfect finish. Definitely will come back here again.

Sara G.

Google

Dined at some of the best restaurants in the world and without any doubt, this is in my top 5. Every single bite of every single dish was a revelation, the whole experience was thoughtful and emotional, and it all felt like a great value. Do not miss this place- heck, we seriously discussed flying back to CR just to eat here again!

A travelller “Travelller” A R.

Google

Another fine dining restaurant worth visiting when in San Jose. It’s definitely an experience and worth a visit. The flavours are a mix of local and foreign flavours.. of course this doesn’t suit everyone, and there were a few highs and lows when i tried as much as i could eat. This doesn’t take away from the amazing effort put into the creation of these meals (its more what i like or don’t like). The food is presented in an immaculate way and the drinks (cocktails) are an amazing mix of flavour and definitely worth a visit. The staff are super friendly and setting is quiet and relaxed. I do recommend you reserve your table.

L M

Google

This review is being written by someone who lives in the United States and Costa Rica is underestimated as far as food experiences, there are true treasures in the most unexpected parts of Costa Rica. This restaurant is #25 on the list of Latin America's 50 best restaurants. The owner/chef of this restaurant is clearly a master at his craft. - *Ambiance*: Unique bohemian atmosphere with cultural significance - *Food*: Fresh seafood, creative dishes like ahí tuna with sushi rice bun, and expertly prepared robalo - *Drinks*: Creative cocktails, strong drinks made with high-quality tequila - *Service*: Attentive server & bartender who crafted a custom margarita - *Value*: Prices fitting for the high standard of experience

Eric Garcia C.

Google

this restaurant is a must try for Latin American food with a twist, their ingredients are top tier and the variations they have for vegetarians were really good for a couple of the people in the grouo. the service was superb, I visited with people from my team in states, and our server was really attentive and spoke really fluent English which made the night very easy for them , since he was able to explain the dishes perfectly. we really like the matambre, montaditos de atún and their gazpacho, which is made of pejibaye in this case, their cocktails were good, I personally recommend the tomillo, and the dessert I would go with the miel de ayote , it was spectacular.

BREE K.

Google

First night dinner here, and it did NOT disappoint. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared, but the shrimp tartare stood out as my favorite appetizer—fresh, vibrant, and full of flavor. By the end of the trip, this meal remained the most elevated dining experience I had in San Jose. What truly set it apart was the service: each course was presented with care, and the staff took the time to explain the intricacies of every item—even how to enjoy it as the chef intended. A memorable start to the trip.

Danforth N

Google

Absolutely stunning dishes, creatively imagined and expertly prepared. It was a beautiful meal, and well worth the stop. The cocktails were also very good, but did not appear to be executed at the same level of care as the food. Mostly my disappointment came from the fact that 3 of the 11 signature cocktails on the menu were not available at 6:30pm on a Friday night, which seems far too early to be running out of anything. We also received an outdated menu when we were seated, which caused a little confusion. Overall though, absolutely excellent and definitely recommend.