Restaurante Treehouse, Alessandra Cigna

After an exciting day of zip lining at 100% Aventura Adventure Park in Monteverde, our group headed to Restaurante Treehouse for a well-deserved meal. Located in the heart of Santa Elena, Restaurante Treehouse stands apart from surrounding eateries because of its unique facility. Constructed around the natural landscape, Restaurante Treehouse offers patrons the chance to enjoy a meal directly beside a Ficus tree that extends throughout all three levels of the venue. Due to its popularity, our tour guide, Zender, made a reservation for our group and lead us to the restaurant promptly. Even so, we unfortunately had to wait a bit before we could sit at our table.

Upon sitting shortly after, I couldn’t help but note how comfortable the chairs were. There were 2” cushions on each of them that really made a difference compared to some of the other seating we had experienced. Our server then approached our table to begin taking orders without a greeting or introduction. I found this and his lack of uniform to be very odd. Unlike his coworkers outfitted in crisp, beige uniforms, our server was wearing a dark North Face sweatshirt.  At first, I also thought it was unprofessional of him to be taking our orders on his iPhone, but I soon noticed that all of the waiters were recording requests this way.

I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the food arrived at our table. Having ordered a salmon dish, I expected to wait for at least 15 minutes. In retrospect, I think that the efficiency in delivering the food may have had to do with the restaurant’s use of an immediate, electronic ordering system. Though using phones first struck me as improper, it likely coordinated front and back end operations better than traditional methods. I felt that the quality of my meal was excellent – the salmon was cooked well, it was served at the correct temperature and was seasoned perfectly. Based off of my classmates’ reactions, I believe that they also thoroughly enjoyed their dinner.

Though the food was great, the ambiance was what really made this a unique, enjoyable experience for our group. In addition to the restaurant being structured around a massive Ficus tree, there was also an impressive 3-person band that performed renditions of popular songs throughout the night. Though not stationed near us at the beginning of our meal, the band soon rotated to a modest stage in our section of the restaurant. Their tunes did not include lyrics, which I thought was a nice choice for a dining experience. That being said, many patrons were singing along to beloved songs anyways, clearly expressing their satisfaction with the entertainment. The décor selected for the site also contributed to the pleasurable atmosphere – even the bathroom doors were paneled with beautiful glass tiles.

Conclusively, the experience had at Restaurante Treehouse was thoroughly enjoyable. Though the service by our waiter could be improved, the location, design, food and entertainment were wonderful and will not be forgotten.