9 Best Bars in Costa Rica

This colorful bistro has live music several days of the week and handcrafted brews made in-house. Drop by on Wednesday to hear local musicians at open-mic night.

Ojochal has a live-music outlet at sunset on most Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays at the Bamboo Room in the Alma Hotel. They showcase local and guest musicians playing popular music for grown-ups, from oldies to jazz to country. Check Facebook for the music lineup.

Live acoustic music on Saturday night draws a big crowd.

Music fans chill out here. The boxy club hosts an eclectic live-music lineup.

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

In high season, 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. Bonfires, and torch-fire shows add to the excitement. The crowd is a mix of locals and tourists.

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

This upscale Italian restaurant is also a popular nightspot, with great wine and a romantic atmosphere. There's live music Friday and Sunday from 7–9 pm.

In high season, Villa del Sueño hosts live music on Friday and Sunday nights, as well as occasional concerts featuring top national bands and performers.