QCOSTARICA — When Orvieto Morales was a little boy he went to school at the pink steel building in Downtown San José known as the “Edificio Metalico.” After school he would often walk a couple of blocks to the stylish and beautiful neighborhood called Barrio Amon. There he could visit many of his aunts and uncles and cousins who lived in some of the magnificent homes in Barrio Amon.
Today, Orvieto Morales once again spends a good deal of his time in a beautiful old home in Barrio Amon. Now however, he is not visiting relatives. Instead he is running one of the finest restaurants in San José.
The restaurant is Orvieto Restaurante: Cocina de Autor (Signature Cuisine). It is located on the ground floor of one of the classic Barrio Amon homes built at the beginning of the 20th century.
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The house, built in 1910, features expansive rooms and high ceilings, and it is on the historic registry of Costa Rica. Chef Orvieto tells us that he wanted to take advantage of this beautiful setting, and to create a restaurant for casual dining that had great ambiance. “I hoped to provide a nice place for lunch and dinner,” he said modestly.
Well, he has definitely done that!
Orvieto Restaurante has become a popular favorite and it has been getting rave reviews. His dishes take advantage of the abundance of the fresh produce, meats and seafoods that Costa Rica has to offer. He buys lettuces, radicchio, basil and many other vegetables from carefully selected local farmers. Much of his seafood comes fresh from the Gulf of Nicoya, on the Pacific Coast.
Orvieto has found farmers who provide his restaurant with some of the best meat products in the country; even beef. Costa Rica is often ridiculed for the poor quality of its steaks and beef. However, Chef Orvieto has agreements with ranchers near Coronado (to the east of San José) and Sarapiqui (north of Heredia) who provide top quality black angus and brahman beef.
Orvieto Restaurante is often considered a “Mediterranean restaurant.” But Chef Orvieto says he does not want it tagged as a theme restaurant. He says, “As much as possible, I want to make this a farm-to-table restaurant, without borders.”
Chef Orvieto got his early training in Mexico, and he often visits Italy. It is clear that he has been greatly influenced by these two countries. You can see, and taste, that influence with some of his more popular dishes.
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For example, he says that two of his most popular starters are Parmesan Croquettes and Ceviche Tropicales. The croquettes are appetizers the size and shape of golf balls made with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The Ceviche Tropicales is a wonderfully creative dish, bursting with surprising flavors; made with passion fruit, coconut milk, chippolte, spearmint and lime juice.
The menu includes many main dishes with seafood and meats. Orvieto tells us that one of the most popular entrees is beef tenderloin in black truffle butter. My friends and I love his pasta dishes, and I think his pasta with ossobuco is to die for.
In addition to good food, Orvieto Restaurante can also provide lots of fun. This classic old home actually has a back yard (something you rarely see in Downtown San José). People often gather in the back yard with glasses of wine, and during the evenings they can watch old silent-era movies projected on the wall across the yard. On Friday and Saturday evenings, there is a piano player who draws a crowd.
The restaurant has a wine selection from Chile, Argentina, Spain and Italy. Although they do not currently have a permanent bar, the restaurant sets up a temporary bar in the backyard when people gather there. And they can always make many popular cocktails for you.
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Orvieto Restaurante is open from noon to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. It is located on Calle 11, the cross street is Avenida 9. That puts it about 50 meters north of the big INS insurance tower.
As wonderful as Orvieto Restaurante is, there is another equally important reason to visit this historic home. On the second floor is one of the most important art galleries in San José; Galeria Talentum.
Readers of my stories about Downtown San José may remember an article I wrote a few years back about Galeria Talentum when it was in a building on Avenida 11, next to the Toarmina Hotel. The owner and director of the gallery, Gabriella Catarinella, purchased the current location in 2022, and moved the gallery there.
Galeria Talentum changes the works that it displays every two months. So you can visit the restaurant and the gallery many times a year, and you will always see something new.
Ms. Catarinella tells us that when deciding what to display, her gallery tries to maintain a balance: They will display the works of new, “emerging” artists along with more established, more famous, artists. For example, as I write this, Galeria Talentum is honored to be displaying works of the celebrated artist, Fernando Carballo.
Mr. Carballo is from Cartago, Costa Rica. He was recently awarded the Magón National Culture Award, one of the highest recognitions awarded by Costa Rica. His works can be found in important collections in the United States, Mexico, all over Europe . . . and of course, here in Costa Rica.
You can visit Galeria Talentum for free. It is open when the restaurant is open. Once you are in this wonderful old home, you just need to climb the stairs.
Orvietto Restaurante and Galeria Talentum are included on the Walking Tour of Downtown San José conducted by The Real San Jose Tours.
I have always maintained that San José is a city of surprises. This beautiful old home is another wonderful example. This is another reason why I call Downtown San José the “heart and soul” of Costa Rica.
Michael Miller is the author of the unique first-person guidebook that focuses on Downtown San José, titled: San José, Costa Rica, A stroll through the “heart and soul” of Costa Rica’s capital city. Copies are available at Amazon (both Kindle and in paperback). To link to Michael Miller’s Amazon Author Page, click here: tinyurl.com/8s8smmsy If you are in San José, paperback copies are available directly from the author.
Michael Miller also conducts walking tours of Downtown San José, with an emphasis on Costa Rica’s history and culture. These tours are conducted with the renowned tour guide, Nury Mora, and her tour company, “The Real San José Tours.” You can contact them at: TheRealSanJose@gmail.com
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