 Street Art Walk The outdoor murals on the streets of San José, Costa Rica easily rival the works you’ll find in a contemporary art museum. From larger than life portraits to trippy dreamscape designs, Chepe’s streets are living proof of the talent that inhabits the city. One of the best places to go in San Jose is the stretch of 17th Street from 1st Avenue down to the National Museum. The entire wall on the east side of this pedestrian only street has been turned into the equivalent of a free outdoor art museum. It's one of our favorite free things to do in San José. If you want to get a more in-depth view on whose painting what and why, join an Art Bird Walking Tour and learn more about local contemporary artists, and what their works mean to the city. Picnic in the Park San José has several really lovely parks where you can spread a blanket, unpack some homemade sandwiches and enjoy the lovely crisp weather that Chepe is known for. Parque La Sabana is a beautiful place to picnic - the largest park in the city has excellent views of the mountains to backdrop your idyllic afternoon. For those closer to downtown, Parque Morazán is a popular picnic spot where you can enjoy the good weather with locals on their lunch break. Or plop down at Parque Nacional - an especially good destination those who would rather get a to-go burger from La Ventanita Meraki or have Maza pack their a picnic basket.  Feria Verde Walking around the Feria Verde is a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. Besides free tastings at the food stands, there’s live music, clothes and artisan goods on display and very good vibes. The Feria runs from 7:00AM to 12:30 PM on Saturdays, and takes place at the Campo Desportivo at the back end of Barrio Aranjuez. The Feria Verde is pet friendly and kid friendly, as well as a great place to sample locally produced artisanal foods. Easily one of the best free things to do in San Jose. Barrio Aranjuez - Polideportivo Aranjuez; Av 15 Street 19 Open 7:00 AM - 12:30PM Saturdays More Info: http://www.feriaverde.org/  Costa Rican Art Museum The Costa Rican Art Museum exhibits more than six thousand works by national and international artists from the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century. The museum's works include photography, sculpture, paintings and more. Here you can reflect on different artistic periods and discover artistic movements that have left their mark on Costa Rican art. The museum has a lovely sculpture garden and a rooftop exhibit area with views of La Sabana Park. Best of all, the Costa Rican Art Museum is free to the public every day. Open Tues - Sun 9AM - 4PM; Closed Monday Free to the public http://www.musarco.go.cr/ Walk around the Central Market The Central Market is one of the most interesting sights in San José, as it is a piece of living history. The market has been open since 1880, in the exact same place, and every day the people of Chepe come to do business here. Vendors sell fresh fish and poultry to ladies whose bags are already filled with fruits, nuts and spices. While most tourists only show up in the late afternoon when the place is packed, its worth arriving early in the morning to see the local business taking place, just as it has every day for the past century. If you want to be guided through the mazes of products to the best secrets try a Hungry Bird Tour. Downtown - Av Central between Street 6 and 8 Open 6AM - 6PM Daily; Closed Sundays More Info: 2547 6104  Colonial Architecture in Barrio Amón Barrio Amón is having an architectural resurgence. More and more business are moving into the area and helping to renovate old colonial houses, reigniting the urban beauty of the neighborhood. Walk around and take a look at the old buildings - and if you want to stop inside of one, try Casa Pejibaye. This huge old house has been restored and turned into a co-working space. It’s one of the few buildings you can freely wander into (downstairs at least). While your wowing at the vaulted ceilings, check out the Costa Rican designer goods at Tienda Carmen, or lounge on the wrap around porch drinking a coffee from Cafe Nauta, the coffee shop downstairs. If you want to know where all the most interesting architecture in the city is - and learn more about the history of each building - join a Barrio Bird Saturday’s Favorites tour.
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 It was tricky to compile a list of the Best Breakfast in San José, as that the majority of breakfast places in San José do not open before 10AM. This list celebrates scrumptious breakfast spots offered at cafés and restaurants who serve breakfast at a breakfast friendly hour (late risers might want to check out our “Best Brunch” post here). Here goes! Café del Barista One of the earliest opening great breakfast joints in town, Café del Barista serves gourmet coffee, eggs, pancakes, waffles and pastries to the hip and hungry. The menu switches at lunch to focus on small plates, quesadillas, salads and the like, or you can choose for their any time menu of sandwiches, wraps and bagels. For coffee lovers though, the most important thing to know is that Café del Barista doesn’t have its name for nothing. The espresso drinks are crafted by truly skilled baristas, each one trained by owner Manuel Dinarte, who organizes annual competitions to test the skills of baristas across the country. Now that's a good buzz to start off your morning with. Barrio Amón - Av 9 between Streets 19 and 21 Open Daily 7am - 6pm; Closed Sundays More Info: 2221 4712; http://cafedelbarista.com  Central Market If you’re looking for the best typical breakfast in San José, head down to the Central Market for some good, down-home cooking. While much of the market selling souvenirs and the like stay closed until later in the morning, many restaurant and food stalls open at 6am to cater to early morning food shoppers. Try Soda Los Angeles (2223-2606), where fresh squeezed juices are mixed with water or milk and sugar for a breakfast smoothie, or head upstairs to Soda Cristal (2223-5002), where you can hanker down for a traditional plate of gallo pinto. The Cafeteria y Cafe Central (2222-1769) serves delicious, fresh roasted coffee, and if you’re feeling cheeky, grab a post-breakfast dessert at Sorbetera de Lolo Mora (2256-5000), near the main entrance. This institution of an ice cream parlor makes one flavor only: a vanilla sorbet-like ice cream with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves - and has been making it for more than 110 years. Downtown - Av Central between Streets 6 and 8 Open Daily from 6am; Closed Sundays  Grano de Oro The gold medal winner for our number one best breakfast in San José is potentially the least known as well. Not that Grano de Oro itself is unknown - this beautiful boutique hotel has been delivering five star service and old world glamour to San José city lovers for more than two decades. Their restaurant is considered one of the best fine dining establishments in the city. What people don’t seem to know is that Grano de Oro also serves an excellent breakfast at completely reasonable prices. Try their Eggs Benedict with salmon and avocado, accompanied by a fresh squeezed orange and pineapple juice. Or, the truffled eggs with a smooth black coffee. Really, who doesn’t want to lounge in an impeccably decorated courtyard, an oasis from the city’s bustle, eat delicious food and experience five star service for the same price you’d pay at any trendy café in the city? Consider the city’s best kept secret to now be officially revealed. Sabana South - Street 30 between Av 2 and 4 Open Daily 7AM - 10PM 2255-3322; www.hotelgranodeoro.com 
Pandeli Our favorite Mediterranean restaurant, Sofia's, has opened up a breakfast cafe right down the street in Escalante and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Everything that you love about Mediterranean food - fresh ingredients, delicious, dips, feta cheese and the like - is now available in breakfast form, all day long. The best thing about Mediterranean food is that the quality of the ingredients will always shine through, and Pandeli is no different. Fresh breads, rich butters and jams,thick honey and dark coffee enlighten the senses even for those surfing from the worst hangovers. If that won’t do it, then go for a chia seed breakfast pudding or a green juice. It's the most delicious detox you could hope for. Barrio Escalante - Street 33 and Av 1 Tues - Sat 8AM - 7:30PM; Sunday 9AM - 4PM; Closed Monday More Info: 2253 6474; https://www.facebook.com/pg/pandelic  As San Jose’s gastronomic culture grows, restaurants and cafés alike are finally catching up with the world’s favorite Sunday morning tradition - Brunch. These are our recommendations to experience the best brunch options in San José, Costa Rica. Manos en la Masa - Creative Get up early to beat the crowd at this local favorite hidden away near the railroad tracks in a renovated white and red house on a quiet street in Barrio Escalante. Many times we have arrived at 10am or later and either had to wait or move on, only important if you are on a tight schedule. When you finally do get a seat, be sure to check the specials board. Chef Adrianna, soft spoken in person speaks volumes with her tasty creations such as tostados with buffalo mozzarella, and fruit flambé with sourdough bread (made in house daily). You could just as easily indulge your sweet tooth with an orange cinnamon roll and a bubbly mimosa (we may have been guilty of this a time or two ourselves.). Barrio Escalante; Calle 25 entre Av 1 y 3 Tues - Fri 8AM - 7PM; Sat 9AM - 5PM; Sun 9AM - 3PM More Info: 4035 6230; cafemanosenlamasa@gmail.com; http://www.facebook.com/manos.masa  Kalu - Scene More than just a brunch spot, Kalu is a bonafied meeting place for the hip Tico crowd. Couples, families and groups of friends share the beautiful green courtyard in this repurposed house (the chef's husband is an architect) in Barrio Escalante with the few foreigners who are lucky enough to be in the know. Young families keep an eye on the little ones running around in the dedicated kids' play area while they enjoy Eggs Benedict and fresh coffees. This is Kalu's second home and just as before they make wonderful use of outside space with a bamboo terraced roof and white globe lights. Beyond a very cool garden terrace, Kalu also hosts a shop selling designer Costa Rican made goods, and a luxury coffee bar where discerning coffee lovers can get their caffeine fix. This couple really was one of the first to successfully bring contemporary and national design to the public in a dining setting and now their prices reflect that. Barrio Escalante - Calle 31 y Av 5 Open: Tues - Fri Noon - 10PM; Saturday 9AM - 10PM; Sunday 9AM- 4PM; Closed Monday More Info: 2253 8426; http://kalu.co.cr/  Mantras - Vegan/Veggie/Value Mantras is #1 on our list for best brunch in San José. This already popular vegetarian/vegan restaurant (which covers all its bases serving organic, raw, lactose-gluten-free, and artisan food) posts special brunch offerings on its Facebook page every Saturday and Sunday. Faithful fans will line up to eat in one of the green-enclosed restaurant's four seating areas. The front terrace for people watching; back terrace for nature lovers; main dining room for the see and be seen crowd and the back dining room for those who prefer privacy. Rich smoothies and coffee creations pair with free range, locally sourced organic egg omelets, vegan breakfast burritos and heaps of vegan and gluten free sweets. This pet friendly, family friendly, vegan friendly spot is also reasonably priced for the area and considering portion sizes - a Sunday morning win for everyone! Barrio Escalante - Calle 35 entre Av 13 y 11 Open: 9:00AM - 5PM Daily 2253 6715; info@mantrasveggiecafe.com https://www.facebook.com/mantrasveggiecafe/  Saul Bistro - Best Design It doesn’t mater if you eat the food at Saul Bistro, because just being there is an experience in itself. The eccentric design has won awards (and second looks) since its opening in 2015. The new Escalante location is one of four Saul locations in San José - there are more than a dozen in Guatamala where it first opened- and if Saul has anything to say about it, more will be one the way. Each restaurant tries to outdo the last in its avant guard design. In Escalante, a tropical painted car on the front lawn is easily overlooked thanks to the life-size zebra greeting you at the door. The fun doesn’t stop there. Four different indoor and two outdoor seating areas are each designed in their own unique style. The service is also stellar in a country where attention to details is often lacking. Foodies however might be a little let down with the menu creativity and portion size compared to price but design lovers will have their day! Barrio Escalante - Avenida 9 y Calle 31 Open 7AM - 10PM daily; Thurs until 11PM; Fri & Sat until Midnight More Info: 2234 7936; https://www.facebook.com/SaulBistroEscalante Maza - Downtown No brunch list would complete without Maza, one of the pioneers of brunch in San Jose. Maza is a well known and popular brunch spot - with Canadian mixologist, Liz Furlong, at the helm for those hangover curing bloody marys. Just as popular as their yummy food are the adorable picnic baskets they’ll pack you to enjoy your goodies in the park across the street. Maza has truly cornered the market in changing the typical brunch experience into a kid & pet friendly experience. Calle 19 y Av 3 Open: 9AM - 6PM Daily, closed Mondays More Info: 2248 4824; https://www.facebook.com/pg/MazaBistro/  |
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