7 Best Restaurants in Arenal, Monteverde, and the Northern Lowlands, Costa Rica

Que Rico

$$$ Fodor's choice

This lovely Italian-inspired restaurant adds touches of romance with wooden tables draped with red-and-white linens and soft music and candles. The menu is long, with options ranging from local ceviche to tamarind chicken, but the Italian specialties are best: the brick-oven Volcán pizza with ham, mushrooms, bacon, and pepperoni is a local favorite. Gluten-free options are available. You can also order from Tabulle, their sister restaurant next door, for some enjoyable Middle Eastern fare.

Chipotle's

$$
Fresh bold flavors, local products, first-class service, and marvelous murals elevate this basic roadside restaurant to a delightful dining experience. The chef and owner trained in Mexico, so you can taste the authenticity in the tacos and the mezcal in the margaritas. They don't open until 12:30, so don't plan for an early lunch.
Mexican Lunch Dinner $$
Plaza Arenal, La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica
2479--9700
Known For
  • fresh guacamole and homemade chips
  • tacos every which way
  • churros

Don Rufino

$$$
The L-shape bar fronting the main street is a popular expat and tourist hangout. The user-friendly menu is marked with symbols of chili peppers for spicy dishes, a tomato for vegetarian dishes, and a check mark for those that are highly recommended, like the chicken seasoned with chocolate, coffee, and tarragon or forest lasagna made with wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, and ricotta cheese. Their grilled meats are local, organic, and are served with a side of polenta, lentils, and caramelized apples in a balsamic dressing. The tilapia in bacon-and-tomato sauce is also very good. Although this is one of the more upscale restaurants in the area, there's no need to dress up here: this is still La Fortuna, after all.
Eclectic Lunch Dinner $$$
Across from gas station, La Fortuna, Alajuela, 21007, Costa Rica
2479–9997
donrufino.com
Known For
  • organic, local meats
  • friendly service and clientele
  • occasional live music

Recommended Fodor's Video

La Choza de Laurel

$$
The aroma of rotisserie chicken, porterhouse steak, and fresh fish bathed in garlic attracts passersby to this open-air restaurant a short walk from the center of town. Wooden picnic tables and a cigar shop storefront replicate an old Costa Rican village, adding a cultural touch to your meal. The menu is overwhelmingly large—as are portions—ranging from pastas and burgers to soups and salads.
Costa Rican Lunch Dinner $$
400 meters (1,312 feet) northwest of church, La Fortuna, Alajuela, 21007, Costa Rica
2479–7063
lachozadelaurel.com/en
Known For
  • banana splits served in a pineapple
  • Choza plate with chicken
  • black bean soup with homemade tortillas

Pollo Fortuneño

$

This bustling open-air eatery has an extensive menu, but they specialize in wood-fired chicken and ribs. It's worth a stop to grab a rotisserie chicken if your room has a mini-refrigerator or a barbecue picnic lunch for your hike. Other items include a mashup of Costa Rican cuisine (ceviche, chicken and rice) and American favorites like burgers and nachos.

Costa Rican Dinner Family Lunch $
Rte. 142, La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica
2479--7475
Known For
  • fall-off-the-bone ribs
  • delicious patacones (fried plantains) and dips
  • pollo

Rain Forest Café

$
Reasonable prices and excellent quality have made this café a traveler’s favorite, with meals ranging from churrasco (grilled meat) and empanadas to salads and sandwiches. There's typical Costa Rican casado (chicken, beef, or fish served with rice, beans, plantains, and salad) along with tempting desserts like chocolate pie, carrot cake, flan, and a variety of pastries. The free Wi-Fi and books-for-borrow might help you escape from reality, but the wall lined with bagged coffee for sale will remind you where you are.
Costa Rican Breakfast Lunch Dinner Quick Bite $
In front of Hotel Las Colinas, 125 meters (410 feet) south of park, La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica
2479–7239
Known For
  • scrumptious macadamia cakes
  • local coffee
  • Crazy Monkey smoothie made with banana, milk, cinnamon, and coffee

Restaurante y Pizzería La Parada

$$

This locals' favorite late-night eatery (open until midnight) does a brisk business serving pizza, pasta, nachos, burgers, and grilled fish. There's a buffet, if you'd rather just point and choose. The reasonable prices and convenience make this local cafeteria one of the more frenzied spots in town, so look elsewhere if you want some peace with your meal. This is a convenient place to stock up on snacks for long bus rides. ("La Parada" refers to the bus stop.)