197 Best Restaurants in Costa Rica

This surf café features such Peruvian specialties as ceviche and causa (cold mashed potatoes studded with shrimp and tuna chunks). The menu also includes a few familiar favorites like hamburgers and BLTs. Desserts are homemade and delicious, and the pisco sour cocktail is not to be missed. 

The vine-covered fence might cause you to miss this converted Barrio Amón house as you go by, but inside, Vietnamese combines well with Costa Rican fare. Main menu choices are a mix-and-match affair with a variety of bún dishes (meat or vegetables with vermicelli noodles) paired with sauces and other ingredients. Vegan and gluten-free options are well-marked on the menu. Top it all off with a variety of non-Vietnamese desserts such as carrot or chocolate cake and an inventive coffee and cocktail menu.

This café blends and roasts its own coffee on-site which pairs well with the cakes and pies on offer. All coffees served here are also for sale in the shop, including samplers of eight different varieties from around the country in individual single-cup sachets.

Its strip mall location doesn't give this eatery the best ambience, but the bustling plaza is a terrific place to fill your belly before or after flying; you'll find something for everyone on the huge menu along with mighty portions. Scrumptious breakfasts feature Costa Rican and American favorites like bagels, crepes, and breakfast burritos which are served either inside in the air-conditioning or outside on the sidewalk, where people-watching is a pleasant pastime. For lunch and dinner, there are healthy options like a teriyaki shrimp bowl or artichoke salad, as well as sandwiches, pasta, and burgers. Grab a cappuccino to go before your next venture.

Treat yourself to a latte, mocha, or coconut cappuccino, all made from organic, fair-trade coffee from the Turrialba region in the far-eastern Central Valley, and roasted here. After coffee or a hearty breakfast, join the daily 2 pm guided chocolate tour that winds through a cacao farm and up to a mountaintop view of the sea, learning about (and tasting) some fine chocolate along the way.

It might not be beachfront, but this snazzy restaurant has an upscale vibe with hardwood floors, white brick walls, and a wine bar shaking up divine watermelon martinis. For more ambience, grab a table on the outside deck where dishes like salmon risotto, poached sea bass, and shrimp sautéed in coconut milk are served. For something from the land, try the caramelized pork in a honey-and-lime sauce or the heavily requested Dijon beef tenderloin. Don’t skip dessert—try the Bailey's panna cotta with passion-fruit coulis.

Follow the glow of multicolor lanterns to this open-air eatery within sight and sound of the ocean. The simple wooden tables, on a patio bordered with gardens or, during the drier months, practically on the beach, are where the owners serve an eclectic menu ranging from shrimp curry to squid in spicy puttanesca sauce to tenderloin with porcini mushrooms. Service can be hit or miss but the food makes it worth the gamble. Be sure to take note of the strange operating hours.  

Beloved by locals for serving consistently tasty traditional Caribbean plates like ceviche and arroz con camarones (rice with shrimp), this casual open-air eatery in the center of Puerto Viejo dishes out generous portions at a fair price. There is also an opportunity to try hiel, a traditional beverage made with lemon, wild sugar cane, and fresh ginger, or the tart but refreshing hibiscus and ginger drink.

Fabulous fish burritos, steak with tropical sauce, and a savory fillet of sea bass with a smoky jalapeño cream sauce are a few of the delights at this screened-in-porch restaurant in a bright-yellow clapboard cottage on the beach. Chicken or fish curry is popular with the locals. Attention is paid to sides, too, including creamy mashed potatoes, cheese-topped toasted garlic bread, and perfectly cooked vegetables. Beer and wine by the glass or bottle are available. Service here is with a smile, and everything is cooked to order, so relax—you're at the beach. If you want to try the banana pancakes at breakfast, consider staying at one of the four beachfront cabins, or just come along at breakfast time, 7 to 10 am. Bikes and boards can be rented here as well. 

The intimate ambiance of this small Spanish garden restaurant affords a glimpse of the chef at work preparing his sumptuous plates of tuna carpaccio and tender grilled octopus alongside classic Spanish dishes such as tortilla española and gazpacho, each plate served with the care and love of people who are passionate about what they are creating. Fine European wines pair beautifully with the succulent Iberian ham and Manchego cheese sourced from the homeland.

You’ll need four-wheel drive, deep pockets, and most likely reservations to dine here, but the experience and the sunsets are half the draw. The menu at the mountaintop restaurant features starters like tuna tartar, fish carpaccio, and smoked oysters (all locally fresh), and hearty mains like tomahawk steak and smoked short ribs that come with rosemary fries, seasonal greens, and crispy cauliflower. Natural light floods into the glass-walled restaurant, but at golden hour, most people gather around fire bowls or at picnic tables in the garden where sunsets are on the agenda for everyone with an Instagram account. Understandably so, since guests wait for their chance to pose on the tree swing that hangs near the cliffside. 

Follow your nose to this bakery where loaves of bread, cakes, and pastries lure customers from the point of "just a bite" to breakfast on repeat—it’s hard to resist the huevos rancheros, French toast, and pancakes. Swing by later in the day for a sandwich or a smoothie. If you plan to grab a coffee and go, avoid the glass display case tempting chocolate croissants dusted in powdered sugar.

A feast for the senses, this plant-filled haven has coffee, smoothies, and dishes that look lovely and taste delicious. Whether you order the impeccably presented "Eggs Nest" (sous vide eggs in a nest of crispy, fried sweet potatoes) or the art-topped green matcha latte, having an enjoyable meal here is practically kismet. Don't worry about trying everything on the menu, you'll likely be back. Note that the restaurant closes early at 3 pm. 

An ample selection of good Italian food, including crispy pizzas, decadent pastas, generous salads, and a lengthy Italian wine list (available by the glass, too), makes this sidewalk trattoria a good spot for lunch or dinner. Tuna carpaccio is a lighter option, or try the insalata caprese, with fresh basil. There's also a selection of local tico dishes and seafood. Unlike the checkered tablecloths you'd find elsewhere, here you have glass tabletops showcasing shells or plain wooden tables by the pool. Save room for a delicious mint-chocolate panna cotta.

The homemade gelato served here gives Costa Rica’s ubiquitous Pop’s ice cream chain a run for its money. These folks get adventurous with their flavors: maracuyá (passion fruit) and mango are two popular ones. Eat inside or in the pleasant garden with your gelato on a crepe or get it to go in a waffle cone.

With a view over the Barú estuary, this open-air Japanese restaurant serves local seafood in all the usual rolls and sashimi, with some tropical twists, plus imported Sapporo beer, sake, or green tea. Dark bamboo furniture, Japanese lanterns, and colored globes set the modern, minimalist scene, while smooth, jazzy music sets a cool mood. Try the tico roll, with spicy shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and mango, wrapped in sweet plantain; or dig into the ahi poke salad, with cubes of raw tuna marinated in sesame oil, chili, and soy sauce, atop a Hawaiian salad sprinkled with peanuts or almonds. You can perch on a stool at the counter to watch the sushi chefs at work.

The L-shaped bar fronting the main street is a popular expat and tourist hangout for its fresh food and tasty cocktails. 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.

The name translates as “with two hands,” and that’s what it takes to handle the monster burgers here. The capital’s best burgers are made from grass-fed beef (except for the veggie and chicken burgers), with inventive toppings such as Caesar salad, mac and cheese, or hash browns. Informality reigns here with a few picnic tables scattered among the more "grown-up" furniture. Commuter trains rumble by during the evening rush hour.

Paper lanterns suspended over wooden tables and polished concrete floors bring rustic elegance to this A-frame restaurant supported by tree-trunk columns. The place has been a favorite for years and remains trendy with international fusion dishes like Buddha bowls or seared yellowfin tuna with wasabi aioli.

Sink your chops into steak (rib eye, New York, or T-bone) grilled on an open fire and served Argentine-style with garlicky chimichurri sauce at this family-run, pleasant rancho restaurant. Other specialties include grilled chorizo sausages or Milanesa, the classic Argentine breaded steak, served with French fries. Wash it down with a glass or bottle of Argentine vino tinto. There's salad, chicken, and, yes, fish when available, but people come here mainly because of the meat. Sixteen air-conditioned cabinas, 14 with kitchens, face a small pool next to the restaurant.

The kind of extraordinary restaurant you hope to stumble on in the most unlikely place, this intimate five-table, wood-and-bamboo dining room is presided over by chef Esteban Acuña, whose family owns the attached small hotel. Drawing on his California training, Acuña gives local ingredients contemporary twists, flavored with herbs from the adjoining garden. Creamy soups are a meal in themselves. Trout, tuna, chicken, and tofu arrive in curry, vodka, red wine, and wasabi sauces. Desserts are delectable, so save some room.

It’s the setting that will lure you, but the food that will keep you on repeat at this seafood restaurant just steps from the sand. Bamboo, wood, and rattan decor will make you want to throw on a Tommy Bahama shirt and order a mai tai. Stars of the menu include grilled lobster and jumbo shrimp in a creamy garlic sauce. The sound of crashing waves blends with chill-out music, setting the scene as one of the more upscale, and oldest, restaurants in Jacó.

Meat lovers can get their fix at this local grill, where sizzling cuts are seared on a wood-fired grill and served on chopping blocks. The bar serves powerful margaritas and daiquiris, but it’s the grass-fed beef from neighboring La Fortuna that you’ll want to try. Other specialties include whole red snapper, pork ribs, or lamb (with 24-hour notice). All mains include a baked potato, tomato, and grilled zucchini. Vegetarians can opt for the portobello mushrooms smothered in garlic and cheese, served in a cast-iron skillet. Take a moment to appreciate the charming floors, inlaid with tree stumps, and the tabletops, made from driftwood.

El Lagarto serves up fresh, local seafood and high-quality meat, grilled to perfection on a massive, open-air, wood-fired barbecue. Sink your teeth into juicy tenderloin, lamb chops, mahimahi, prawns, tuna, mussels, chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and cheese, portobello mushrooms, or a whole grilled lobster. You won't find any barbecue sauce here; everything is simply brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned with a bit of garlic, salt, and pepper to complement the flavor of the food. Dinners include grilled vegetables and potatoes; salad is à la carte. There's also a kids' menu, an ample wine list, and an extensive cocktail selection, not to mention banana splits. The restaurant is open for dinner only, though it opens at 3 pm for cocktails. Tax and service are not included on the menu prices, so expect to pay 25% more than advertised.

This cozy café is the only place in town that serves its own fresh-roasted coffee, with an eclectic menu serving inventive dishes like calamari with chorizo, kale with quinoa, and roasted pork with guava glaze. Top sellers include Caribbean chicken, fish tacos, and spice-encrusted tuna with avocado salsa. The breakfast burritos, baked goods, and variety of sandwiches make this a top breakfast and lunch spot. Tables in the front showcase the lively terrace and bar, and there's more seating in the back garden. They have craft beers on tap, and there's live music Monday through Saturday from 7 pm to 9 pm. The attached store and their small coffee roaster in Quepos sell bags of their award-winning coffee to take home.