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Silvestre, San José, San Jose

Silvestre

4.7
4.7
854 Reviews
$30 and under
Latin American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 25 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Innovative
Silvestre is a fine dining restaurant located in the heart of San José, Costa Rica. Chef Santiago Fernández offers a well-thought-out, curated small seasonal menu that brings you the freshest locally sourced ingredients. Silvestre is a worthy stop, as part of your exploration of the city, also perfect for a romantic dinner or to celebrate a special occasion. We also offer an impressive conceptual menú degustación about the Costa Rican soul, its flavors and everything in between.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Farm-to-table, Contemporary Latin
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–2:45 pm
  • Phone number
    8308 3388
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Santiago Fernández Benedetto
  • Neighborhood
    San José
  • Cross street
    Calle 3A - Ave. 11
  • Parking details
    Valet Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 854 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Costa Rica

    Best Ambiance

  • Costa Rica

    Innovative

  • Costa Rica

    Healthy

  • Costa Rica

    Neighborhood gem

  • Costa Rica

    Great for fine wines

  • Costa Rica

    Good for special occasions

  • Costa Rica

    Most Booked

  • San José

    Best Overall

  • San José

    Best Service

  • San José

    Best Ambiance

  • San José

    Innovative

  • San José

    Healthy

  • San José

    Neighborhood gem

  • San José

    Great for fine wines

  • San José

    Great for outdoor dining

  • San José

    Romantic

  • San José

    Good for special occasions

  • San José

    Lively

  • San José

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Silvestre captivates diners with its "unique dining experience" and "impeccable service." The tasting menu, often praised as "amazing" and "out of this world," showcases a creative take on Costa Rican cuisine. The restaurant's charming colonial setting and attentive staff make it a "must-visit" in San Jose.

854 Reviews
  1. lisa

    VIP

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The tasting menu is a must do experience. It will be a highlight of our trip and the souvenir that was compiled over our meal will forever remind us of our very memorable evening. Paloma did an amazing job of telling us the stories behind each course. We loved learning about the history of Costa Rica and the local ingredients used. We highly recommend.

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  2. Yelena

    London

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely Christmas lunch with tasting menu. What a great start to learn about Costa Rica cuisine.

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  3. Kiriaki

    Costa Rica

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had a fantastic experience at Silvestre’s! Being a solo traveler, I am wary of making reservations for one.. I was treated very special and made to feel at home! All the hosts were excellent and I was happy to be taken care of by Paloma! Excellence in everything Thank you

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  4. Richard

    VIP

    Philadelphia

    71 reviews

    5.0

    71 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What an exceptional experience! I highly recommend this restaurant to any and everyone who appreciates great food, great service and an overall memorable dining experience! The Chef is so passionate about promoting the cuisine of Costa Rica and elevating it from a traditional home cooking, traditional cuisine to one that competes on the world stage. He embraces local ingredients and cooking styles and reinterprets them. The menu compositions are balanced, thoughtful and loaded with flavor and the plate presentations are beautifully conceived. He’s motivated his staff to share in the passion and excitement of working in such a special place and their knowledge, professionalism and passion come through effortlessly. The beautiful dining environment exudes his profound respect for nature and creates a welcoming and relaxing environment that only adds to the overall experience Get in while you can before Michelin and San Pellegrino’s “World’s Best Restaurants” discover what Chef Santiago is delivering an amazing dining experience to his customers today!

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  5. Luis

    Costa Rica

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The staff offered an outstanding service, special thanks to Enzo our waiter, his positive and welcoming attitude was a key factor on the overall great experience, the chef came to our table and gave us a thorough description of the food his team prepared, which was A+, all courses were delicious and their presentetion was clean and captivating.

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  6. Andres

    Costa Rica

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 10, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    The place is really nice and the food is good, but I don't think it really worths the price.

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  7. Janel

    Nashville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely amazing presentation of the chefs menu and the drinks were phenomenal. Our waitress was amazing as well.

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  8. Ashley

    San Francisco

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on December 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was really unique and flavorful. The service was nice and detail oriented. My only minor deduction is for the table they gave me. The place was practically empty when I arrived but they gave me the worst table in the middle of all the tables and next to the service area with two blue lights beaming ob me. It’s been my experience as a person of color in Costa Rica that I’m often given such placement. I do not believe it’s a coincidence. That being said, I highly recommend this restaurant as it’s a unique and playful one. It’s the best food I’ve had in CR thus far.

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  9. Javier

    Costa Rica

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    El mejor restaurante del mundo, una experiencia única

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    Costa Rica

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    La experiencia excelente como siempre! Súper recomendado para cualquier ocasión!

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FAQs

Silvestre is rated 4.7 stars by 854 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 25 times today
Google Map for Silvestre

Calle 3A - Ave. 11 - 955, Downtown, San José, San Jose 10101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Calle 3A - Ave. 11
  • Neighborhood
    San José
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–2:45 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Farm-to-table, Contemporary Latin
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Valet Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Santiago Fernández Benedetto
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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