Olio - Deliciousness a few blocks from Hostel Bekuo
Set in a century old red brick house on the corner of a small street and Costa Rica’s recently revived rail system, Olio has been pleasing loyal patrons for years. Olio draws a diverse crowd in part because of its location; not too far from the University, not too far from downtown, not too far from the host of businesses located in and around San Pedro.
Inside you’ll find a restaurant divided into several small but comfortable and well decorated rooms. There is a small bar area in the back where you’ll find patrons bellied up to the bar enjoying tapas, and a small adjacent alcove for bar overflow. There are two good sized front rooms and a slightly smaller space for dining, as well as occasionally some tables set up outside on the railroad track side of the building (although not during rush hour, as the train is running during that time) for people that don’t want to deal with any smoke. One side of the restaurant is non-smoking already, and the government is even moving forward with legislation to ban smoking inside of public places, joining their North American brethren in legislating second hand smoke.
On the menu you’ll find an amazing selection of dishes; amazing tapas like bruschetta and stuffed mushrooms, followed by a lengthy and mouthwatering list of pasta’s, local meats, and fresh fish. The extensive wine list features wines for every budget from Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Chile, Greece, South Africa and Australia. You will find the staff to be attentive and well trained. A small perk for foreigners is that their credit card machine charges in dollars, which won’t leave you pondering the exchange rate or seeing extra charges for currency conversions on your bank statement. As far as prices go, Olio is one of the best bang for your buck restaurants in the entire city. Considering the atmosphere, quality of food and service, and portion size it’s one of the best deals around.
Olio is located in Barrio Escalante 200 meters north of Bagelmans. Open Monday through Friday 11:30 A.M. to 1 A.M., and Saturday 4 P.M. to midnight.
