Top 5 Nightlife Destinations in San Jose, Costa Rica
Young Crowds at Vertigo Night Club Dance Away to Electronic Beats.
Though San José is not a guidebook favorite, it is undisputedly the king of Costa Rican nightlife. University bars line San Pedro’s Calle de la Amargura, small bars bump to the beats of cumbia and salsa songs, and the city itself overflows with dance clubs, bars, and combinations of the two.
Of course, after living here for awhile, you’ll find your own neighborhood favorites, but for the uninitiated, finding a place to spend your evening can be challenging. To help get you started, Costa Rica Pages has compiled the following list of some favorite San José nighttime hotspots:
- El Cuartel & La Esquina (2221-0327): With a drink menu that numbers more than 150, El Cuartel is known as one of the best bars in the country. On Monday nights, its doors open up to combine with next-door La Esquina, and both bars rock out with live music that ranges from Latin Rock to your favorite English-language cover songs. Located just across the street from Barrio California’s Cine Magaly.
- Jazz Café (2253-8933/2288-4740): Now with two locations — the classic Jazz Café in San Pedro and a newer version in Escazú — this area favorite is one of the country’s premier locations for live music. Their schedules are always packed full (Monday - Sunday) and the music eclectic, offering Afro-Caribbean syncopations, slow and sweet trova, and 70’s and 80’s cover bands. This is also one of the best locations to see the famous Malpaís, a popular Costa Rica band with a smooth fusion of traditional folkloric beats and a current style all their own.
- Castros (2256-8789): If you want to party the night away, but can’t decide between salsa or reggaetón, Castros is the ideal place for you. With multiple dance floors and a constant rotation of musical styles, this Barrio Mexico nightclub is a must-visit for un poco de todo.
- Tobogán (2223-8920): This downtown San José club is known for its incredible tropical beats and lively dance crowd - indeed, El Tobogán (The Slide) is one of the hippest salsa clubs in town. If you don’t know how to salsa (or merengue, or cumbia, or…), there’s always a friendly soul willing to lend a hand and initiate you into the wonderful world of tropical dancing. And if you’re a little nervous, don’t despair: with a dance floor built for 500 and a total club capacity of 1,100, your goofs will always be lost in the crowd.
- Vertigo (2257-8424): As the number one club in the country for electronica and techno, Vertigo is the place to be for fluid beats and rhythmic downtempo dance music. Set in a nondescript office building on Paseo Colón, the club doesn’t look like much from the outside, but its high interior ceiling, huge dance floor, delicious elixirs, classy VIP section and loud music are sure to hit the [nightclub] spot.
There are myriad places to spend the evening in San José, many secretly snuggled into to tiny corners, but these easy picks are a guaranteed good time if you are looking to follow the local crowds. When you try one of these Central Valley party favorites, please report back to let everyone know what you thought.
| Written by Erin Raub |  |
This post's rating:
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Filed under: Living on May 22nd, 2008
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I would not consider any of these 5 places to be TOP 5. They are all loud, dirty and full of druggies and pot smokers. If I were on the editorial board of this bar, I would encourage more research first before recommending trash.
Check out:
- Jazz Cafe (Escazu)
- Mas Tekila (Plaza Itskazu)
- Club Cubano (Guachipelin)
- Grappa Live (Santa Ana)
- Utopia (Santa Ana)
- Living (Santa Ana)
All of these places are some 15 minutes drive from downtown San Jose, lot nicer, cleaner, classier.
Jan, while I understand your point, I have to disagree. Though San José is full of bars and nightclubs with very different styles, they are like almost everywhere in the world, with a diverse clientele that sometimes smokes, drinks to excess, or does drugs. Doesn’t matter which one you pick.
This list is composed of bars that my friends and I — tico, gringo, and otherwise — like, and not one of us is a druggie. They are not trash, but rather loud, fun places to go for a drink, some good music, and a long night of dancing. We just like to have fun, and these are all great places to do it.
Your list is very different than mine - mostly upscale, often home to people in designer clothing, and located in western San José. Classier? Probably, but there are often long lines and/or bodyguards that decide who’s in and who’s out. Though that’s not my style, I know that it’s appealing to a lot of San José visitors and residents. I like every bar on my list, and I stand by them all, but to give a different viewpoint, why don’t you consider writing your own list, and send it to the CRP editor?
Hi Erin!
I like your list
I really love el Cuartel! I go every monday!
No drugs for me too by the way, jaja!
pura vida!
Thanks, Dani! Your comment made my day.
I agree with Erin. I’ve been to all the bars on your list Jan multiple times because all my tico friends are super pipi and while they are upscale, classy, and often full of beautiful women, I contend that none of them are as much fun as the bars on Erin’s list.
Thanks, I agree, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed these bars as much as I have!
What about gay nightlife destinations, here is my list:
*Cafe Mundo- Perfect to start the night with a nice dinner and a cool drink. Trendy. Nice place for a talk. Barrio Amón.
*Club OH- Huge place, open bar (fridays and saturdays), electronic music (house, dance, breaks, techno, elektro, pop). Downtown next to Clinica Bíblica.
*Bochinche- Filled up crowded place, closes at 5am. Most people are aged around early 20’s. Open bar on fridays. Special shows wednesday, thursday and sunday. Downtown, Paseo de los estudiantes.
*La Avispa- Huge disco. Latin music and pop music (nice dancing). billard, cafeteria. Best day to visit is on sunday night. Downtown near Magisterio Nacional.
*Al Despiste- Small place with regular shows and karaoke nights. People age is around late 30’s. Music is not so loud to have a nice conversation.
Zapote, San José.
There are lots more gay and gay friendly bars in San José. I would invite you to go to this places even if you are not gay. I promise you will have lots of fun!
Hey Rodrigo, thanks for your input - I’m sure your list will be helpful to lots of site visitors. For my part, I’ve only been to Bochinche and Café Mundo… loved them both!