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.
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1. Celajes
$$$ | |In the wood-polished dining room of Hotel Belmar, this elegant restaurant, whose name means “sunset clouds,” is indeed the best place to admire the stunning views, with soft jazz and artisanal cocktails that set the tone for the farm-to-table menu. Start with the gorgeous cheese platter or the refreshing grilled-watermelon salad before moving on to the divine chicken stuffed with goat cheese, prosciutto, and spinach, and bathed in a white-wine-and-passion-fruit sauce. Although the tiramisu is big enough to share, after one bite you may suddenly become a little selfish. From 4:30 to 5:30, you can swing by for "Tico Time" featuring free appetizers, drink specials, and craft beers from their on-site microbrewery.
4 km (2½ miles) north of town, adjacent to Monteverde Cloud Forest, Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica866-978–6424-from U.S. and CanadaKnown For
- Local organic ingredients from the Belmar family ranch
- Filet mignon with coffee glaze
- Homemade pastas
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2. Orchid Coffee Shop
$$ | |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
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3. Café Caburé
$$ | |This restaurant/bakery/chocolateria is one of only a few in Costa Rica that grinds its own cocoa beans. Start with a meal in the open-air restaurant serving savory empanadas, mole dishes, and chipotle wraps with a creamy secret sauce before getting to the sweet stuff, like ganache with blackberry sauce, chocolate-passion-fruit mousse, and exquisite chocolate truffles.
Paseo de Stella Tourist Center in Old Monteverde, Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica2645–5020Known For
- Vegetarian options
- Curried chicken and mango salad
- Tours of adjoining chocolate factory
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. -
4. Rain Forest Café
$ | |Reasonable prices and excellent quality have made this café a traveler’s favorite, with meals ranging from churrasco (grilled meat) and empanadas to salads and sandwiches. There's typical Costa Rican casado (chicken, beef, or fish served with rice, beans, plantains, and salad) along with tempting desserts like chocolate pie, carrot cake, flan, and a variety of pastries. The free Wi-Fi and books-for-borrow might help you escape from reality, but the wall lined with bagged coffee for sale will remind you where you are.
In front of Hotel Las Colinas, 125 meters (410 feet) south of park, La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica2479–7239Known For
- Scrumptious macadamia cakes
- Local coffee
- Crazy Monkey smoothie made with banana, milk, cinnamon, and coffee
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5. Restaurante y Pizzería La Parada
$$ | |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
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Stella's Bakery
$ | |This local institution is a good place to get an early-morning fix before heading to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Pastries, rolls, muffins, natural juices, and coffee are standard breakfast fare, and light sandwiches, soups, and quiches are on offer at lunch.
Across from CASEM, Monteverde, Puntarenas, 60109, Costa Rica2645–5560Known For
- Terrific pastries
- Homemade lasagna
- Local art
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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