197 Best Restaurants in Costa Rica

This burst of northern Indian flavor is a surprising treat. Richly swathed in warm fuchsias, red ochers, and golds, the mansion's dining area sprawls through a handful of small, intimate rooms and out to a gazebo in the tree-covered backyard. The price-to-portion ratio is a little high, particularly for North Americans used to good, cheap Indian food, but the sharp tandoori dishes, curries, and biryanis are a welcome vacation from ubiquitous European and American fare. Vegetarians may swoon at the options. Helpful waiters, in black or maroon traditional Punjabi dress, are frank about recommendations.

This roadside grill is home to the country's best barbecued pork and beef, slow roasted for 16 to 18 hours over a wood fire and served with dynamite barbecue sauce. Sides go beyond coleslaw or fries to include lentils stewed with bacon and onions. If you've been tempted to try Costa Rican–style chicharrones, try them here—served with refried beans, local cheese, tortilla chips, and salsa. Beyond barbecue, there are imported beef steaks, plus a filet mignon smothered in mushroom sauce. If you can persuade any noncarnivore to enter the premises, the menu also has salads and fish. A playground keeps small children occupied while parents dig in. And there's a Pops ice-cream parlor attached to the restaurant.

The Tres Hermanas restrooms are the poshest and cleanest on the long stretch of highway between Puntarenas and Liberia.

One of Montezuma's most scenic and sophisticated restaurants, Ylang Ylang is nestled between the beach and the jungle, offering views of waves crashing against the rocks. The lunch menu lists a selection of sushi, salads, wraps, and sandwiches with various vegan, gluten-free, and raw dishes. The ocean view and elegant terrace setting make it worth the 10-minute walk down the beach. At night, the restaurant turns on the romance with flickering candles and an inventive dinner menu that ranges from Thai-style teriyaki tuna steak to penne in seafood sauce. Whatever you choose, you'll want to save room for desserts, such as the tiramisu espresso crepe. 

Known by the locals as just "Nico's," you'll find big traditional Costa Rican breakfasts at this friendly outdoor favorite as well as surprises like savory crepes and Mediterranean specialties. The pasta and chicken shwarma for lunch are both winners, and so are the veggie pesto sandwiches with eggplant and zucchini and the falafel salad, which are every bit as good as the meat dishes if not better. The bread is freshly baked in-house and the fresh fruits burst with flavor.

Duck into the Teatro Nacional's sumptuous café, off the theater lobby, to sit at a marble table and sip a hazelnut mocha beneath frescoed ceilings. The frescoes are part of an allegory celebrating the 1897 opening of the theater. Coffee runs from $5 to $7, depending on how much alcohol or ice cream is added. Sandwiches and cakes are $6 to $9.

Guanacaste-inspired and locally sourced, the cuisine here pays tribute to the owner's Italian roots with dishes like lobster tail served with homemade black pasta, and there are vegan and gluten-free options. The restaurant has marble tables, parchment lamps, and driftwood-integrated decor under an open-air patio. The wine list is extensive and microbrews are on tap. It’s worth saving room for the flourless chocolate cake with coffee reduction and homemade ice cream.

There’s not much “aqua sport” going on at this Peruvian beachfront restaurant, unless drinking margaritas in a hammock somehow qualifies. It’s the kind of place you drop by on day one, and find yourself coming back to for the remainder of your vacation—blame the setting of Adirondack chairs lining the beach combined with fresh fish like grilled snapper served with shoestring fries. There are seven types of ceviche and a seafood soup that is good enough to make you miss the sunset between bites. For something absolutely non–Costa Rican, try the Peruvian Causa, a spicy potato-layered dish with tuna, octopus, or shrimp. You can also order familiar favorites like tacos, burgers, and surf and turf. Service is slow and prices are high, but there’s live music and tables in the sand.

Fortify yourself for a day of sightseeing with a vegan breakfast, perhaps banana pancakes or crepes, at this semi-open-air spot. For lunch, dig into a variety of vegan burgers and salads (mango is a favorite) with fruit cheesecakes for dessert, and accompany it all with a selection of gourmet coffees, milkshakes, or smoothies—the banana-coffee smoothie is one of the innovative flavors these folks have concocted. Decorated in lots of red, the space may be small, but they'll squeeze you in.

The hammocks, palapas, pool, and beach here are open to the public, so take a dip, grab some beach food, and take in a sunset, all the while trying to spot some red macaws. Showers, toilets, tables, chairs, towels, and more are available for use with a $70 minimum food and beverage purchase. 

Bamboo decks the walls at this hilltop restaurant with a spectacular view of land and sea, but it's the upscale menu that grabs one's attention due to its innovative takes on fish, shrimp, chicken, and out-of-the-ordinary bar food. Crunchy, panko-crisp shrimp make appearances in salads, tacos, and pasta, and the beer-battered fish-and-chips keep customers on repeat. Save room for homemade ice cream in unique flavors. Craft beers, cocktails, and wine are all on tap. There's live music (usually Monday, Friday, Saturday at 6 pm) by local and guest musicians playing popular music for grown-ups, from oldies to jazz to country. Check Facebook for the lineup. 

As soon as you cross the bamboo bridge, you’ll be instantly transported from a strip mall to an ocean-side Zen garden where the fish is bought fresh from the boats. Try a frozen mojito and start with a seaweed salad and steamed dumplings, then dive into the sashimi and sushi.

For consistently good American-style food, you can't beat this marina restaurant with a view of expensive yachts and sportfishing boats. Locals complain that the prices are high, but portions are hefty and include generous salads, sizzling hamburgers, and a delicious grilled dorado sandwich with a mountain of fries. Shrimp, sushi, and fish plates are pricier, but they couldn't be fresher, straight off the local boats. It's open for breakfast, too. While you're waiting for your order, take advantage of the free Wi-Fi.

Run by a mother and son team, this twinkling bistro provides a homey atmosphere to enjoy dishes like flavorful Indian-style curries, burgers, and seafood dishes using homemade ingredients. An added bonus—the classic rock B-sides soundtrack.

A local institution since 1952, this large rancho restaurant and bar is famous for its huge meat platters—we're talking 1 to 1½ kilos (2¼ to 3½ pounds) of meat—with all the típico side dishes, or you can dine more daintily on sautéed trout. The interior dining area is actually quite smart, with fresh white tablecloths overlaid with colorful cloths, and a view of the lovely Orosi church.

Costa Ricans have flocked here for over six decades to enjoy Los Anonos’ family-friendly grill fest. Your best bet is the grilled meat, and there is plenty to choose from, including imported U.S. beef and less-expensive Costa Rican cuts. Fresh fish, shrimp, and half a dozen salads round out the choices. The crowd tends toward families on weekend nights, whereas weekdays are busier during lunch, when business executives come for the midday specials. Choose between the original dining room, a rustic collection of deep booths with wooden benches, or a more elegant expanse decorated with historic photos.

On the road connecting Potrero and Flamingo, this beachfront restaurant welcomes travelers with cheerful decor and witty signs like “Trespassers will be offered a shot.” Water laps just a few feet from your table, and there’s a pier out back, making this a popular lunch spot for American classics like hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, BLTs, and fried shrimp. The tasty sangrias and margaritas are sure to keep you dazed during sunset. If you hook it, they’ll cook it with a side of fries for $10. Like many restaurants in Costa Rica, service is slow, but worth the wait. Kids eat free on Wednesday. The Beach House is easy to spot by the rainbow-colored picket fence; parking is limited so prepare to walk.

You can usually count on good food at this second-story restaurant in the trees. Take advantage of the seaside location and try the spicy poke bowl, or something more familiar, like the handmade pizzas. There are several vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free options on the menu. Presentation is always beautiful, and service is efficient and friendly.

Blanca, the owner of this longtime standby at Punta Uva, cooks up a menu of rondón, rice and beans, lobster, shrimp, and chicken with sweet mole sauce. The cool breezes of the seaside setting could not be more pleasant. Selvin's keeps limited, sometimes irregular hours, especially in the off-season, so always call ahead and head out here if you're fortunate enough to be in town when it's open.

The chocolate brownies made with their own processed cacao are known around town, and their delectable selection of fresh baked goods and homemade Costa Rican and American-style breakfasts have made this the go-to brunch joint in town for the past 20 years. The menu includes homemade specialities like cinnamon-oatmeal pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and creamy scrambled eggs, best enjoyed with a cup of French-press coffee.

Pizza, ceviche, pastas, and fresh fish are on the menu at this small, canal-side café in the center of town. Dine in breezy ranchos hung with paper lanterns or relax with a cocktail on the patio atop the many umbrella-shaded couches and lounge chairs. Ambient chill out music might be playing in the background.

The name means “honey” in Costa Rica’s indigenous Bribri language, and that—rather than refined sugar—provides the added sweetness to the baked goods here. Croissants, quinoa pancakes, and omelets make for filling breakfasts, while light beef, chicken, and veggie fare with salads round out the lunch offerings. Accompany all with cold-pressed juices, smoothies, or teas for what might ail you.

Follow your nose to this simple second-floor room offering breathtaking views by day and a deliciously inventive selection of seafood by night. The lunch menu is strong on salads, burgers, and sandwiches, but the dinner options include some of the best entrées in town, like seared tuna over a tequila-and-lime cucumber salad and calamari sautéed with capers and olives. To sweeten the deal, try the coconut bread pudding.

Fortunately for food lovers, the "Good Luck Café" serves truly astonishing vegetarian food, along with intriguing exotic juices and thick fruit smoothies. The homemade yogurt is a revelation: light, almost fluffy, and full of flavor, served over a cornucopia of fruits, sprinkled with the café's own granola, and mixed into refreshing fruit-flavored lassis. Healthful sandwiches include excellent hummus, and hot daily specials might include curried hearts of palm or juicy veggie burgers. Their espresso machine makes a mean cup of joe and the cappuccino pairs perfectly with the fudgy brownie or brown-sugar oatmeal square for the road. Bring your laptop and use the Wi-Fi. It's open 8 to 5. Sometimes open for dinner in high season, April to July. Budget travelers might want to stay the night at their simple rooms.

Vestiges of the original Swiss-French owners linger on at this bakery and alfresco eatery, open for breakfast and lunch. In addition to hearty sandwiches, the café serves burritos, bowls, and salads. It's a good place to cool off, and perk up, with a café frappé (espresso blended with bananas and ice cream). The adjoining bakery is great for take-out beach picnics, with French-style bread and an array of pastries and tarts, including chocolate mousse. Regardless of what you order, you'll be sure to find a menu promising free range, gluten-free, organic, and biodynamic farms. There's free Wi-Fi.

In a wonderful example of repurposing the old, this friendly café serves great coffees in the skylight-covered courtyard of a one-time department store. Modern art decorates the walls of the building that dates from 1907. The place can be hard to spot since you don't immediately see it from the street.

Just a few tables and a small counter are the only seating in this tiny converted garage. But the coffee, harvested from its own plantation in Tarrazú in the Los Santos region, is robust and flavorful, as are the cakes and ice creams. The main branch here in Barrio Otoya has very limited seating. A more spacious outlet operates in Heredia, out in the Central Valley.

The upstairs café at this corner restaurant serves meals on a porch, on a garden patio, or in two dining rooms. Try the soup of the day and fresh-baked bread to start; main courses include shrimp in a vegetable cream sauce or lomito en salsa de vino tinto (tenderloin in a red-wine sauce). Save room for the best chocolate cake in town, drizzled with homemade blackberry sauce. Café Mundo is a popular, low-key gay hangout that draws a mixed gay-straight clientele. This is one of the few center-city restaurants with its own parking lot, and it's a large one to boot.

The warm and welcoming vibe that exudes from this cool Barrio Otoya café is only enhanced by the friendly, attentive staff. Diners are a real mix: some chow down on a sumptuous tenderloin, while others stop in for baked goods and coffee, but almost everyone partakes in the all-day brunch, especially on weekends. Stop in for the café’s $24 Work Combo package, which includes breakfast, lunch, a table for your laptop, and free use of Wi-Fi.