Mal País & Santa Teresa
For surfers and yogis, there is not a more perfect lunch spot. We're talking elaborate salads, savory toppings piled high on toast and big colorful bowls…
Must-see restaurants in Costa Rica
Playa Tamarindo
This delightful cafe and shop specializes in freshly brewed java, but also serves fresh, local and organic foods. For breakfast, it does amazing things…
Quepos
Run by a hardworking fisherman's family, this institution with brightly tiled floors serves the best seafood in town, yet is practically unknown to…
Puntarenas
Offering the most upscale dining in Puntarenas, El Shrimp Shack's silly name belies a graceful interior – wood-paneled walls, marble-topped tables,…
Quepos
Real New York–style bagels, lox salmon (a real rarity in Costa Rica) and rye bread! This adorable little bakery bakes its fresh wares every morning, and…
Southern Costa Rica & Península de Osa
A couple of kilometers along the beach road to Punta Banco, this cheerful place decked out with fairy lights is the most happenin' spot in town. Ample…
Central Pacific Coast
On the road going south of Puntarenas, you'll find this excellent seafood restaurant opposite the beach. It has a modern, airy, tiki feel and serves up…
Puerto Jiménez
The best breakfast spot in town, Monka makes excellent coffee drinks and smoothies, as well as extensive breakfast platters, ranging from tropical French…
Playa Tamarindo
Don’t leave town without eating here. Israeli chef Shlomy offers a short list of carefully selected and perfectly prepared dishes. Depending on the…
San José
Owned by four brothers, this Spanish tapas restaurant is over-the-top hospitable, offering guests a complimentary glass of cava (sparkling Catalonian wine…
Península de Nicoya
Jack and Karen Hunter are renowned for their decadent five-course candlelit dinners (reserve one day in advance), potent piña coladas, fresh-picked mango…
San José
Bò – a double-take on the Catalan word for 'good' and 'botifarra' (their signature salchicha; sausage similar to a hot dog) – truly is a sausagefest…
La Fortuna
Though nothing fancy from afar, the love radiates outward from Mari and Alvaro's kitchen to warm your belly and your heart. Cheap, delicious casados (set…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Stroll 250m out of town toward Playa Cocles to this romantic low-lit patio cafe serving creative cuisine that combines elements of Caribbean, Indian,…
San José
Inspired by Tico author Aquileo Echeverria, Cordon Bleu alumnus Jose González serves market-fresh produce, often from his own finca. Family-style dishes…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
If you can't afford a flight to Spain, just sit down 'Beneath the Tree.' Basque chef Julio's menu changes daily, but he whips up an extraordinary…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
It’s a fine line between hokey and happy. But this restaurant – built around a hundred-year-old higuerón (fig) tree – definitely raises a smile. There’s a…
Península de Nicoya
Hang out at this stylish beach cafe while waiting for the waves. Slanted wood chairs are planted in the sand beneath thatched umbrellas. A tree-stump bar…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
Zwart means 'black' in Dutch, but this shabby-chic, artist-owned gallery and cafe is all white (or mostly – damn dust!). You'll love the surf-inspired…
San José
There are life-sized plastic zebras in the dining room at this snazzy Escalante open-air restaurant. An extension of Saúl Mendez, the Guatemala-based…
La Fortuna
Best place in town, hands down. Cesar cranks up weepy ranchera music while you drink in the atmosphere: a troika of sombreros and painted skulls complete…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
This Argentine cafe above the Bat Jungle specializes in creative and delicious everything, from sandwiches on homemade bread and fresh salads, to more…
San José
Hidden away in the living room of a 1927 Barrio Otoya home, this intimate French restaurant regularly welcomes well-heeled locals with something to…
San José
Chef Santiago has created a sensation upstairs with his six-course tasting menu. Equally enjoyable and more relaxed, the downstairs cantina serves…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
The menu at this fine-dining establishment is wide ranging, always highlighting the local flavors. But these are not your typical tipica (traditional…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
At the far end of Mal País village, this unassuming, open-air restaurant has a tin roof, polished-concrete floor, wood oven and blackboard menu. It offers…
La Fortuna
If you have a hankering for pizza, you can’t do better than Anch’io, where the crust is crispy thin, the toppings are plentiful and the pie is cooked in a…
San José
This Barrio Escalante gem serves a superb mix of authentic Mediterranean specialties, including house-made hummus, tortellini, grilled lamb and a rotating…
Montezuma
A locally beloved restaurant decorated like a bedouin tent, Puggo's specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine, including falafel, hummus, kebabs and aromatic…
Playa Tamarindo
These chicken wings are so darn good, people plan their days around them. The meaty, oversized wings are a perfect combo of crunchy and tender, but it's…
San José
Known for its Costa Rican–fusion cuisine, this stately, flower-filled restaurant is one of San José’s top dining destinations. The menu features unusual…
San José
With several distinct spaces – from the low-lit, intimate basement to the outdoor garden courtyard – this hip cafe has something for everyone…
Playa Tamarindo
Beloved for its refined menu and its upscale tiki-bar atmosphere, this open-air dining room has twinkling lights and lanterns, with a subtle dragonfly…
Monteverde & Santa Elena
With its Nuevo Latino cuisine – a modern fusion of traditional Latin American cooking styles – Sofia has established itself as one of the best places in…
San José
Food court! American burger bar! Brewpub/pizzeria! Performance space/movie theater/lecture hall! The Stein, seized from German immigrants during WWII and…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
A high-end favorite for drinks and dinner, this sleek eatery at the eastern end of town cranks up the lounge music and sports an interior furnished almost…
Cahuita
Give chef/owner Walter a 'bum-bah-tah' and he'll shout back 'pata-boom-boom!' While his secret language remains so, there's no mystery why folks come to…
San José
Fans of bohemian chic will appreciate this quirky pizzeria, hidden in a mustard-yellow house (No 3396) along the railroad tracks north of Av Central in…
Playa Sámara
The 'Luv' has moved from the mini-mall to the beachfront, and several sister restaurants have opened in Nosara and San José. It's all veggie, all the time…
Playa Tamarindo
Sprout specializes in – wait for it – healthy food. Here, 'healthy' is a code word for fresh, nutritious and delicious, with a menu featuring giant salad…
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