Arenal, Monteverde, and the Northern Lowlands Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Arenal, Monteverde, and the Northern Lowlands - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
Sort by:
9 Recommendations
{{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }}
0 Recommendations
Loading...
-
1. Orchid Coffee Shop
$$ | |An astonishing level of culinary perfection comes out of this A-frame shack serving breakfast, lunch, and early dinner. The menu is enormous, with crepes, pancakes, granola, and French toast alongside tomato soup, veggie panini, 25 types of coffee, and fresh smoothies made with homemade yogurt and local ingredients like pineapple, cucumber, carrot, and basil. With free Wi-Fi, ambient music, and local artwork, the cheerful setting in the center of town is the ideal place to take a break.
Santa Elena, Puntarenas, Costa Rica2645–6850Known For
- Espresso mocha made with hot chocolate, whiskey, and mint
- Neighboring Orchid Garden
- Careful attention to detail in preparation
-
2. Café Caburé
$$ | |This restaurant/bakery/chocolateria is one of only a few in Costa Rica that grinds its own cocoa beans. Start with a meal in the open-air restaurant serving savory empanadas, mole dishes, and chipotle wraps with a creamy secret sauce before getting to the sweet stuff, like ganache with blackberry sauce, chocolate-passion-fruit mousse, and exquisite chocolate truffles.
Paseo de Stella Tourist Center in Old Monteverde, Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica2645–5020Known For
- Vegetarian options
- Curried chicken and mango salad
- Tours of adjoining chocolate factory
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. -
3. Chipotle's
$$ | |Fresh bold flavors, local products, first-class service, and marvelous murals elevate this basic roadside restaurant to a delightful dining experience. The chef and owner trained in Mexico, so you can taste the authenticity in the tacos and the mezcal in the margaritas. They don't open until 12:30, so don't plan for an early lunch.
Plaza Arenal, La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica2479--9700Known For
- Fresh guacamole and homemade chips
- Tacos every which way
- Churros
-
4. La Choza de Laurel
$$ | |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.
400 meters (1,312 feet) northwest of church, La Fortuna, Alajuela, 21007, Costa Rica2479–7063Known For
- Banana splits served in a pineapple
- Choza plate with chicken
- Black bean soup with homemade tortillas
-
5. Los Platillos Voladores
$$ | |It might not look like much from the outside, but this Italian restaurant has homemade dishes like tortellini in sage butter, lasagna with bubbly, browned mozzarella, and crispy thin-crust pizza with folds of prosciutto. Start with a caprese salad and move on to one of the pasta dishes buried beneath a blanket of shaved Parmesan. The back patio is a quaint spot to enjoy a glass of red wine. If you stop by for dinner, make it an early one; the place closes at 7:30.
Hwy. 142, Nuevo Arenal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica2694–5005Known For
- Large portions
- Rich panna cotta
- Panini to go
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
6. Monteverde Beer House
$$ | |Middle Eastern food and craft beer are rarities in Monteverde, but this bold combination has filled a void in the local culinary scene. An open kitchen serves a simple menu of kebabs, falafel, hummus, feta salads, and pita sandwiches.
Across from Super Compro, 50 m from Santa Elena bus station, Santa Elena, Puntarenas, Costa Rica2645–6943Known For
- Chocolate stout
- Mix-and-match Middle Eastern menu
- Live music on Saturday night
-
7. Morpho's
$$ | |With its rain-forest murals, glass patios, and tree-stump tables, you’re never far from nature in this pleasant restaurant. Parsley potatoes, and creative sauces like pineapple curry, blue cheese, or bay-leaf-and-garlic sauce (a take on chimichurri) infuse the menu of flavorful chicken, pork, beef, or fish dishes.
Santa Elena, Puntarenas, Costa Rica2645–7373Known For
- Friendly service
- Fresh salads
- Peanut butter pie
-
8. Restaurante y Pizzería La Parada
$$ | |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.)
Across from Parque Central and regional bus stop, La Fortuna, Alajuela, 21007, Costa Rica2479–9098Known For
- Quick, cheap food
- Surprisingly impressive wine selection
- Busy atmosphere
-
9. Tramonti
$$ | |This glass-walled restaurant is warm and inviting, with dangling fairy lights, hardwood floors, candles dripping onto old wine bottles, and chefs tossing dough high overhead beside a wood-fired oven. The pulpo (octopus) and beef carpaccio are ultrathin, a perfect accompaniment for the pizzas that come piled high with toppings like asparagus, mushrooms, ricotta, and Gorgonzola. Service is excellent; takeout is available.
3 km (2 miles) from Monteverde Cloud Forest, Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica2645–6120Known For
- Homemade rolls
- Eggplant ravioli
- Romantic atmosphere
-
{{ (numCurrentPage-1)*numPageLimit+index+1 }}. {{ item.name }}
{{ item.price_tag }} | {{ item.neighborhood }} | | {{ item.first_keyword }}{{ item.address }}{{ item.phone[0] }}Known For
- {{ capitalizeFirstLetter(pro) }}
{{ item.details.title }} Details
{{ item.details.content.toString() }} -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
No Restaurants Results
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName}} Restaurants in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:
