Fodor's Expert Review El Chilar

Set just a few blocks south of mainstream of San José, this spot is worth the search. The fine selection of Mexican wines and tequilas suits the stylish menu in this small, bustling space, where murals of the Virgin of Guadalupe adorn bright orange walls. In his open kitchen, chef Armando Montaño uses chilies from all over Mexico to enhance traditional and Continental dishes, coating rack of lamb with ancho chili and perking up lobster bisque with smoky chiles guajillos. The management refuses to stagnate, however, and changes the menu every month. One mainstay has been the Oaxacan tlayudas (similar to tostadas), possibly the most asked-for item of the last half dozen years here. After dinner, retire to the wine-and-tequila tasting room, admiring the service that brought it the "Distintivo T" award for tequila knowledge.