63 Best Bars in Costa Rica

The cellar tavern beneath Le Monastère restaurant is a great place to stop for a drink before dinner, or stay on and while the evening away. You can dance to live music on Thursday through Saturday nights.

Sip an exotic tropical cocktail or munch on hummus and pita bread while watching the sun set at this lovely Mediterranean restaurant and bar, which has settees and rattan chairs set out on the sand, as well as seats in the chic new indoor lounge. You'll most likely need a reservation for sunset.

This La Fortuna hot spot has local and imported beers plus plenty of cocktails to get you in the mood for live music every Wednesday and Saturday from 7 to 10. An unorthodox happy hour is from 9 to 11 am, and you're likely to have desperate-looking dogs underfoot, telepathically begging you to take them home. Lava Lounge owner Scott Alan runs a dog rescue at this pooch-friendly establishment. Donations to the cause are always appreciated.

This formerly boisterous bar has gotten an upgrade in service and a new, friendlier feel.

Many Costa Ricans learn to merengue, rumba, mambo, cha-cha, and swing (called cumbia elsewhere) at a young age. Play catch-up at dance school Merecumbé, which has 16 branches around Costa Rica. With a few days' notice you can arrange a private lesson with an English-speaking instructor. An hour or two is all you need to grasp the fundamentals of merengue and bolero (what Costa Ricans call the rumba), both of which are easy to master and work with the pop music you're likely to hear back home.

This tiny boîte of a bar is the coolest place in town, with an Escher-inspired tile floor and hip lighting. Bellying up to the bar is a pleasure; in fact, practically the entire space is given over to a handsome bar with an old-fashioned bar rail to lean on. A cool soundtrack accompanies your beer tasting. You can try a sample of any of the 16 Costa Rican craft microbrews on tap. Once you find your favorite, a 12-ounce cold brew costs around $5. A few high tables spill out onto the street, surrounded by groups of happy beer drinkers. Happy Hour runs 2–6, boasting two drinks for $9. 

One of the coolest bars in Uvita was appropriately birthed out of conversation and cocktails among friends. That 2017 discussion of “what if” popped the cork on a jungle wine bar that brings sushi, charcuterie, and over 40 bottles from around the globe to your table. Not sure what to order? Just ask Casey, the owner and certified sommelier to find the perfect blend for your palate. If you fall in love with a particular glass, you can buy a bottle from their wine shop.

Sunsets, with occasional live music, are the main events in the evening on Playa Pelada, and both locals and tourists gather to watch it here at this beach shack and bar with the best view. Olga's also serves an excellent fried whole red snapper.

This is a good choice for a cocktail, after-dinner drinks, or a late-night meal. It has a big bar in back, pool tables, and DJs and dancing on weekends.

Tuesday night there's a barbecue with tiki torches, a bonfire, and tables right on the beach. Come at 5:30 to watch the sunset; it's a good idea to reserve ahead.

Expats come for the microbrews, the satellite TV tuned to football, a game of Ping-Pong or pool, and the live music. Although the bar brings the people in, it’s the food that keeps them there—braised oxtail, pork ribs, tuna poke, and burgers seem to justify another round. If you stay long enough, you’ll find that the sweet homemade cheesecake goes surprising well with a bitter IPA.

Sink into a comfortable chair at this chic poolside lounge on Playa Langosta to watch the sunset over the Pacific and listen to jazz under the stars (Tuesday 7 to 9 pm), or treat your ears to some Brazilian music on Friday.

In the far, far southern suburbs, 14 km (9 miles) south of downtown San José, Ram Luna is most famous for the views—the lights of the Central Valley sparkle at your feet—and the music. Make reservations if you plan to be here for Wednesday or Thursday evening's folklore show—a bilingual emcee fills you in on the cultural background of what you're enjoying—or Friday evening's dancing to live music. 

This beachfront restaurant-lounge in Santa Teresa is a fixture on the nightlife scene, with "SoundLab" Tuesday and Saturday, featuring international live and DJ music, from 4 to 11 pm. Salsa lessons, bonfires, and torch-fire shows add to the excitement. The crowd is a mix of locals and tourists.

Quieter than Coco's across the street (although if Coco's is hosting live music, you'll hear it from here, too), Ricky's is a good place to kick back with a beer and watch the passing parade on the main street. (The food here is nothing special, though.) It's "Ricky's" or "Rikki's," depending on which sign you look at.

This is the biggest, most popular sports bar in town, with huge TV screens showing up to six games at once. After the game, both floors play extremely loud music for dancing. There's live music on Monday, karaoke on Tuesday, and ladies' night Saturday. If sports aren't your thing, the bar food is amazingly good. The action starts at 11:30 am and goes to 2:30 am.

You can hear live music many Saturday evenings at this organic-food restaurant.

Tuesday is $2 taco night at the lively, sometimes rowdy, Tasty Waves Cantina. There's live music on Friday and karaoke on Saturday. Movies get under way at 7:30 pm on Monday and occasionally other nights of the week as well.

Ojochal has a whole new lease on nightlife with live music at sunset, Friday, Saturday, and Monday at the Bamboo Room in the Alma Hotel. You could see owner-musician John on the piano, or Ken Nickell, a songwriter, singer, and storyteller. 

Live acoustic music on Saturday night draws a big crowd.

Although part of the enormous Multiplaza mall, sophisticated wine bar Tintos y Blancos (“reds and whites," as in wine colors) has its own entrance in back. It offers a quality selection of libations, primarily Chilean and Argentine wines, with several French and Italian to round out the choices.

The popular Tropicana is where the Latin dance action is on Friday and Saturday nights, from 9:30 pm to 2:30 am, for locals who love to dance and visitors who want to salsa, too.