Restaurant est. 2013. Décor provides an ecological awareness, and materials used are recycled. Has a cafeteria offering food all day. Reported to serve meat as of November 2024 but became fully vegan again July 2025. Open Mon-Sat 12:00pm-8:00pm, Sun 12:00pm-4:00pm. Closed Mon. Hours may vary, call ahead.
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25 metros oeste de la Oficina de Correos de Costa Rica (at Avenida 5 - Juan Santa María), Alajuela, Costa Rica, 639-4050
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 03 Jul 2025 by Foodking24
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95 Reviews
First Review by Kyleigh100
ThriftyWorldTravelers
Points +16
Awesomeness, Big tasty portions and family run. - Edit
Very good vegan place . Lots of choice . We had the burgers one mushroom and one chickpea which come in a home made bread bun with avacado and sprouting pea shoots. They come with hand cut fries or salad . The lemon and mint drink is really refreshing . All of the ingredients are high quality and the owner is a trained chef, he is helped by his sweet mother waiting table's.
Read moreGreat find close to the airport
Pros: Extensive vegan menu, owner/chef speaks perfect English
Cons: none
Guest
JuliaMorrissey
Points +337
all vegan not vegetarian - Edit
Excellent food! The burrito was very unique and delicious
Read moreGuest
+++VeGaNiSaToR+++
Points +1004
a good vegan place - Edit
All is vegan even if the menu isn't clear (costa-ricains doesn't understand vegan so it's written vegetarian). We took home-maded juices and pizza (they no longer put vegan cheese but it's very good).
Read morePlease change the color from violet to green
Pros: all vegan, good
Guest
HollyEQuin
Points +101
BEST VEGAN BURGER OF MY LIFE - Edit
amazing burger, amazing sangria, owner was amazing, his mama was amazing. Can't recommend this place enough. Thought that a veggie restaurant in a tiny town near the airport would be average at best but we were blown away.
Read moreThey even make the buns!
Also I think happy cow may be wrong, as the owner told us the whole menu is vegan?
Love this place. Definitely visit if you can!
Pros: everything
Cons: side of fries was small
Guest
benlineoffire
Points +16
Highly recommended - Edit
We visited the place last year on the last day of our vacation and I'd suggest anyone flying from Alajuela to go. The food and drinks were really good and they were very accommodating to my girlfriend who has lots of dietary restrictions. The food was very much in the style of a US cafe, and would hold its own if located there as well.
Read moreBut mainly, the owner was extremely helpful to us. We had an airbnb reservation in what appeared to be a shady area and he was very upfront about it when I seeked his opinion. He actually went the extra mile and walked us to a nearby hostel that his friend worked at. We were truly grateful.
Guest
Maresa_del_sol
Points +48
Perfect - Edit
I highly recomend this place. The atmosphere is nice and the stuff very friendly. The menu offers some veganised costa rican dished but also international ones. The homemade drinks are delicious. We also really liked the chickpea burger and the falafel pita. The absolutely best part were the cakes though. You have to try them!
Read morePros: amazing food, nice staff
Guest
EthicRanger
Points +138
Everything vegan except 1dish - Edit
Great place. originally designed and presented dishes. Very natural juices.
Read moreWorth to visit. Its only 1$ by bus from airport. easy.
p.S. the place position on map still might not be changed. Its 400m west from position in mal. Just ask for Correo
Cons: might be still mistakenly positioned on the map., Not as cheap but if you dont want dishes with fluo
Guest
ErinBveggie
Points +41
This place saved our last night in Costa Rica! - Edit
First of all, delicious! Secondly, inexpensive :) My bf and I got to our airbnb in the kind of sketchy neighborhood near the airport in San Jose around 630pm. We were to fly out early the next morning so our vacation was over except dinner. Alajuela is too far from the areas of San Jose that have vegetarian restaurants, but we found thiss place 8 minutes away. I could not believe it existed in this neighborhood! Not only is it all vegetarian with a ton of vegan options, it's all organic! Also they care about the environment and use eco-conscious to-go packaging. They sell a variety of health food products inside, and it was decorated so nicely! It was like a healthy vegetarian oasis. We ordered two pasta dishes to go so we could eat them during our long day of travel the next day instead of gross airport food. The chefs and waiter/waitresses were very nice too-there's always someone who speaks English there if needed. Anyways if you are arriving or leaving from the Juan Santa Maria International Airport (the main airport in CR), definitely eat at El Chante Vegano!!!
Read morePros: All vegetarian, a lot vegan, Organic, Eco-Concious
Cons: sketchy neighborhood but worth it
Guest
MichaelSavegan
Points +2351
What a great find in Costa Rica! - Edit
Costa Rica is a great place to visit if you are a vegan. Lots of places will serve you rice and beans and plantains and veges and salad. But if you want to have some excellent vegetarian or vegan food, this is the place to go!
Read morePaola is the owner and he prepares interesting and delicious vegan food and enjoys spending time with you describing his love of his food and his country. He has also spent time in in Minnesota with his "second family".
So try the excellent food and enjoy a truly unique place in Costa Rica. I guess most people come to this restaurant either on their first day or last day of their trip since it's near the SanJose airport.
Pros: Interestingly prepared food, Friendly atmosphere , Great smoothies
Cons: Hard to find without a taxi
Guest
drwalz
Points +16
insider's tip - Edit
Excellent food and drinks for a great price. Paulo - the owner - is fighting for vegetarian and vegan meals in a neighbourhood, where they didn't even know what that is. That's awesome. We took daily lunch there and bought take away there to eat the delicious food in the hotel. The only bad issue regarding El Chante Vegano is that we couldn't take it with us back home.
Read morePros: Delicious, fresh and bio, Good portions of vegan food, Price
Guest
LaughingFighter
Points +72
Incredible! - Edit
Just finished eating a delicious vegan nachos in a beautiful atmosphere. I ate in the restaurant and it was a veritable safe haven from the chaos of the street! Hard to find as a traveller but well worth it! Nachos not as you might traditionally expect, almost like a nacho salad but full of goodness and great taste.
Read moreGuest
ArielKlein
Points +33
Highly recommend! - Edit
Very happy we found El Chante on our first night in San Jose. Our meal was fresh, satisfying; with perfect portion sizes for hungry travelers. Great friendly atmosphere to top it all off. The cold drinks/smoothies are a must.
Read moreGuest
Ben Reilly
Points +27
If You're Coming To Costa Rica - COME HERE TO EAT! - Edit
We went here on our second night and on our ninth night in Costa Rica. In between, my wife & I kept talking about how much we were looking forward to returning to El Chante Vegano. The food was to die for & in all the towns we visited, THIS was the place with best food for the money.
Read moreThe restaurant is actually vegan with the possibility of having dairy cheese on the pizza they offer if you prefer so even if you don't speak or read Spanish very well, you can safely order anything off the menu if you're vegan.
The staff was super friendly & family-run. We enjoyed talking and laughing with everyone who worked there. They helped to translate some of the dishes that we couldn't decifer & we never had to wait long for any assistance.
The food was delicious. Each night we were there we had 2 appetizers, 2 main dishes, & 2 desserts. You cannot pick a bad or average dish. Everything was exceptional & the portions were big enough for even the biggest of appetites (& I'm no slouch when it comes to eating big meals). The plaintain appetizer was super tastey & the guacamole they serve was probably the best I've had. The burgers are large & the bread they are served on is soft & amazing. I could've ate the buns alone as another appetizer.
I'm a big coffee drinker & this was the 1st place I was able to get a cup of coffee. They had soy milk but you really don't need much if you don't like black coffee b/c even the black coffee is sweet enough to drink plain.
The music & atmosphere was chill, warm, & inviting. You can really tell the love & work that went into putting the place together.
Truly, you canNOT find a better place to grab food within a fifty kilometer radius (if not the entire country). After a long day of hiking around the Poas Volcano area, this is THE place to refuel.
They only take cash but you can pay in either US dollars or local Costa Rican colones.
I can't wait to return to Costa Rica. I am saddened I can't eat here every day.
Pros: friendly & helpful staff, delicious & generous portions, inexpensive
Guest
Kyleigh100
Points +73
The Best Restaurant in Costa Rica - Edit
I absolutely love this restaurant!! During our brief stay in Alajuela my husband and I ate here twice The food was amazing. Everything we ordered was full of flavor, and tasted amazingly fresh, you can tell that a lot of love goes into the food preparation as well as the restaurant as a whole. It’s a beautiful place, comfortable and down to earth. The family that runs the restaurant is super friendly and helpful, they really make you feel welcome and at home.
Read moreThe menu selection is varied, with something for everyone. For an appetizer we ordered the fried plantains, which comes with refried beans and guacamole or pica de gallo - we chose guacamole which was awesome! These were fantastic! We also tried the humus with pita which was very creamy, light, and had the perfect touch of garlic.
For our meals my husband had the Portobello burger which came with a side of rosemary potatoes, and the Sandwich Lu. My husband loved the sandwich and gave me a bite, I thought it was excellent too.
I got the Garbanzo Bean burger which also came with rosemary potatoes and this was probably one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. The patty was moist, and soft, yet flaky. The flavor was amazing, and the bun was to die for. This also came with rosemary potatoes which were great. I tried the No Sea Burrito too. Great flavor. I loved how the tortilla was crispy on the outside yet still soft. Fantastic! It came with a nice green salad with a tasty dressing.
For dessert we tried a Chocolate Brownie which just melted in your mouth. One of the best brownies I’ve had. We tried a cupcake which was moist, and not overly sweet which I loved. We tried the cinnamon buns which were fantastic. Crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside with a delectable cinnamon glaze. Perfect!
There are not enough good things I can say about El Chante Vegano. If you’re in or near Alajuela you must pay them a visit, you won’t be disappointed. Out of all the places we ate on our trip to Costa Rica this was our favorite. High quality food, great flavors, wonderful atmosphere, great selection of music playing over the stereo, and wonderful people. What more can you ask for? Anytime I’m in Costa Rica this will be my go-to restaurant destination.
Pros: Amazing Food, Great Atmosphere , Inexpensive
Guest
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