The Green: A Healthy Dining Option in Monteverde, Costa Rica
The Green: A Healthy Dining Option in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Fatima, my partner, and I celebrated our anniversary this past October 9th, and we wanted to have a nice dinner at a healthy place. The first place that came to mind was The Green Monteverde, a small local restaurant located in the shopping center.
I’ve been to The Green a few times, but Fatima had never been there, so I decided to take her to this place on this special occasion.
As we entered The Green, I noticed the place had recently updated their menu and revamped the look and feel of the business, and it was much better than the last time I had been there, before the pandemic. I also realized I had not written a full review on this place, which begs this blog post.
In this short post, I will share the type of food that The Green Monteverde serves and who should eat there, their menu (with prices), how to get there and how to make reservations. I will also provide a brief analysis of what customers think about The Green Monteverde, including the pros and cons.
Who Should Eat at The Green Monteverde?
The Green Monteverde is a restaurant tailored to couples and families visiting looking for high-quality, healthy dishes for lunch and dinner in Monteverde, Costa Rica.
Warning: The Green Monteverde may not be the best option for solo travelers. If you are a solo traveler, keep scrolling until you reach the cons section for more information on this topic.
When thinking about healthy options to dine out, The Green Monteverde is my go-to place. Dining out at healthy places is vital to keep me in shape for MTB Racing.
The Green Monteverde offers a combination of Internations cuisine with local Costa Rican food but specializes in healthy, organic cooking. When the owner, Emmanuel, opened The Green back in May 2015, his vision was to “go green” (i.e., using the freshest ingredients and cooking as clean as possible).
Back then, there were over 70 restaurants in the Monteverde region to cover an ever-increasing demand of tourists coming to visit the so famous Monteverde Cloud Forest. However, most of these restaurants focused on catering to massive tourism. They did not always want (or had the chance to) pay that much attention to details. Some of them often overlooked things like the quality and the freshness of ingredients.
Emmanuel, who was into cooking and running, saw an opportunity to create a product that would cater to those looking for high-quality, healthy meals. So, he went on to open his restaurant in the shopping center of Monteverde. Among other reasons, Emmanuel chose this location because there is a big convenience store, steps away from his business. He also picked this place because the local farmer’s market also takes walking distance from there.
Nowadays, there are 114 places to eat in Monteverde, and The Green Monteverde remains among the top.
The Green Monteverde: Menu with Prices
Top 3 Dishes at The Green Restaurant
Alfredo Pasta: Spaghetti in a white sauce flavored with white wine, onion, garlic, fresh mushrooms with extra shrimp.
Tropical Burger: Homemade bread, 7oz beef patty, bacon, Monteverde cheese, red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, and pineapple with BBQ Chipotle sauce.
Chicken in the mushroom sauce: Chicken breast bathed in mushroom sauce, onion, garlic, white wine. Accompanied with a quiche of potato or rice, vegetables, and salad.
The Green Monteverde: TripAvisor Reviews
The Green Monteverde has an excellent online reputation, rated by TripAdvisor users as 4.5 out of 5 with 489 reviews as of October 2021. What makes The Green stand out is the combination of high-quality, healthy food with personalized service at a reasonable price.
According to TripAdvisor, The Green is the top 2 best places to eat in Monteverde, behind the San Lucas Dining Experience. San Lucas is four times more expensive than The Green, making The Green a super attractive option when comparing them price-wise.
On average, the price per person for a full meal at The Green is approximately $20. On the other hand, the average price per person at San Lucas is around $80.
However, the experience at both of these places is entirely different. San Lucas provides a luxurious dining experience in a retreat location. Still, many people prefer The Green because it is the top 2, yet much more affordable than the top 1.
Cons About The Green Monteverde
Let’s now look at the cons of The Green Monteverde;
The place is tiny: The Green Monteverde is a small strip mall restaurant. It only has six tables, and it can feel like you are eating in the dining room of the family who owns the place. You will need to make reservations for dinner during the high season from December through April. Just phone them in or have your hotel or AirB&B host give them a call at +506 2645-7755 to make a reservation.
The service can be slow: Emmanuel, his partner, Francine, and their two children run the business. They do pretty much everything, from taking the orders to cooking to collecting payments to cleaning. As a result, the service can be a bit slow.
It Might not be the best option for solo travelers: Being a popular small business, the ideal customer for The Green is families. All tables have at least three chairs, and most can fit up to six people. I went there solo once, and it felt odd that the service was subpar compared to going there with my family. Here is a TripAdvisor user’s review that describes this feeling:
I was excited about this place based on the TripAdvisor reviews. However, as a single traveler, I felt like a nuisance for taking up valuable table real estate. I didn’t get the attention the other tables did, no check-ins, no offer for dessert, and the owner had a 20-minute casual chat with the table next to me while I waited for my check. I was angry when I left, but afterward, I realized that all in all, it still was a nice dinner. But TripAdvisor overhyped it. I still would recommend it. Just not to single diners.”
How to Get to The Green Monteverde
The Green Monteverde is located at the Santa Elena shopping center, on the second floor, next to Sabor Tico.
Here is the link to find The Green Monteverde in Google Maps.
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About the Author
Daniel Lalinde
I am the founder of MonteTours Costa Rica. I live in Monteverde, and I love nature, adventure, and Mountain Biking. My partner and I love spending time in the outdoors and dining out in Monteverde. We have more than 30 years of combined experience in the area, and there is no park, no coffee shop, and no restaurant we haven’t tried at least once!
We love helping visitors, connecting them with the different tours and activities to have a memorable experience in Monteverde.
If you need help planning things to do in the area, send us a message, and we will happily assist you!