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Count on finding lots of fresh fish and tropical fruits on the menu, whether at a roadside soda (casual eatery) serving comida tipica (typical food) or a sophisticated restaurant in Dominical or Ojochal. Up in the mountains, don't miss out on eating fresh, farmed trout. The food at most remote eco-lodges is excellent.
Tangy, tart, and refreshing, this ultrasophisticated restaurant lives up to its name, both in its daring decor and inventive fusion menu spanning the globe from the Far East, across the Mediterranean to chef Marcella Marciano's culinary homeland, France. The menu careens from classic French escargots and moules marinières to Japanese wasabi-spiced shrimp, to Indian chicken curry. Make a light meal of international tapas, say: Korean steamed kimchi-and-shiitake dumplings, Belgian cheese croquettes, or a duo of salmon and tuna tartare. Local seafood makes appearances as Greek-style fish fillet with almonds and caper butter or in a seafood-packed umami sushi bowl. The signature seafood platter reigns supreme with lobster, mussels, calamari, and shrimp bathed in a creamy lemon-and-garlic sauce. Craft beers are on tap, along with a wide-ranging wine list. Presentation is exquisite. Desserts are de rigueur; if you like chocolate, don't pass up the divine choco-choco flourless chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. In the off season (December through March), it's open only 7--10 am.
Fabulous French cuisine with tropical accents served on an intimate alfresco patio in the tiny French-Canadian enclave of Ojochal keeps this romantic restaurant at the top of locals' list of go-to special-occasion restaurants. Raked sand, red lanterns, and "curtains" of fairy lights set the tone for a menu that includes an intriguing Tahitian fish carpaccio bathed in a creamy banana and coconut marinade, a hearty serving of fish or shrimp in a banana-curry sauce, or a spicy Vietnamese chicken soup. French favorites include cognac liver pâté and a pricey but excellent duck breast with orange sauce. Presentation is artistic, with garnishes of flowers and sprigs of exotic greenery. The wine list is international and reasonably priced. Desserts are all homemade and luscious. Chocoholics won't want to miss the Devil's Fork flourless chocolate cake, rich and dense, with a hint of chili pepper. For a refreshing finish to a meal, the passion-fruit ice cream with a blackberry coulis will leave your taste buds tingling. This restaurant has just 14 tables encased in greenery under a thatch roof.
Picture a dream location: a high headland jutting out into the sea with vistas up and down the coast, and throw in a breeze-swept terrace, polished service, a boat-shape bar, and some fine seaside cuisine, and you are at La Parcela. The turquoise and white decor is reminiscent of Greece, the sunsets are spectacular, and shrimp and lobster dishes are pricey but excellent. A perfect, but less expensive, light lunch is the beer-battered fish with crunchy carrot and cabbage salad, served with guacamole. Reasonably priced appetizers include ceviche, fried calamari, and clams in white-wine sauce. Desserts here are rich and substantial enough to share. If you're just passing through Dominical, this is a good place for a cold beer and an appetizer, or a naturale, a tall glass of freshly whipped fruit juice.
Authentic paella, made with nutty, saffron-infused Spanish rice and the freshest seafood, is the main reason to wend your way along a rutted dirt road behind Playa Ballena to this jungle outpost of Catalan cuisine. The smallish, open-air rancho is nothing fancy, with wooden chairs and tables and a few potted palms, but it fills up fast. The warm welcome along with the expertly executed Catalonian menu quickly dispel any qualms about the seriousness of this restaurant. There's a classic, spicy, Andalusian gazpacho for starters or tapas to share while you wait the 40 minutes for your cooked-to-order paella. Try the delicate, sweet mussels, bathed in a spicy wine sauce, or the succulent mushrooms marinated in garlic and olive oil. The list of seafood specialties includes whiskey-flambéed shrimp, and meat-lovers can sink their teeth into sirloin slathered with a wine-and-fresh-grape sauce. Chicken takes on tropical flavors with sauces featuring mango, rum, and curry. The pace is a little leisurely, but a pitcher of excellent sangria, studded with tropical fruit chunks, helps to pass the time enjoyably. There are only five or six tables at this dinner-only restaurant, so reservations are advised.
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