La Costanera
Driving along Highway One consistently offers some of the most beautiful views of the California Coast. Just 20 miles south of San Francisco there is a restaurant that offers not only incredible views but also incredible food.My first visit to La Costanera was not planned. In fact, after an early evening surf session, we were about to head north to San Francisco, when a parade of police cars, a fire truck and an ambulance passed by and stopped on the incline up Devil’s Slide, promptly stopping traffic. So, our best option while waiting for the road to open was to explore a new restaurant perched on the cliffs overlooking Montara State Beach.
When I saw the sign mentioning that it was contemporary Peruvian cuisine, my thoughts immediately turned to post-surf Pisco Sours and some appetizers. We walked by the main dining room complete with large windows overlooking the ocean and walked downstairs to the bar/lounge area, complete with a long bar, very comfortable sofas and someone playing some music. For sunset we walked out to the patio and had a seat near one of the fire pits and ordered a couple of Pisco Sours to start, with crashing waves and the setting sun in the background.
As the temperature dropped, we moved inside to the bar and proceeded to sample some appetizers, such as the Crab Cakes, Baked Sea Scallops, and the Yucca Balls. All were excellent and of course warranted another equally wonderful round of Pisco Sours. To finish it off, there was the Chocolate Lava Cake with Lucuma ice cream, which was also tremendous and definitely left us wanting to return to try out some of the other dishes from Chef Carlos Altamirano.
Upon leaving I picked up a business card for the restaurant and realized that it was part of a group of restaurants created by Chef Altamirano, including Mochica, which he founded in 2004, and Piqueo’s, which he founded in 2007. This famous Bay Area chef was born in the mountainous coastal region of Southern Peru, and he makes sure to incorporate authentic Peruvian ingredients in his dishes to enhance the true taste of this Latin American Cuisine.
La Costanera is truly a beautiful restaurant with excellent food, an incredible view, a Latin atmosphere and friendly service. Find an excuse on your next trip down the coast to stop by and relax in this jewel on the coast.
Details:
8150 Cabrillo Hwy
Montara, CA 94037
Tel: 650.728.1600
Reservations available www.opentable.com
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