29 Best Restaurants in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Step back 150 years into one of Liberia's grandest mansions, complete with an original ceiling painting of cupids, doves, and garlands of flowers. Creative takes on tropical ingredients, all with a French twist, make this the most sophisticated restaurant in town. Loyal customers drive over an hour for the incredibly fresh ceviche with mango and cilantro. Don't miss the Wagyu beef burger, the chicken pesto sandwich, or the mahimahi with chimichurri. Herbs are grown on-site, juices are 100% natural, and the organic coffee is perhaps the best you'll taste in Costa Rica. Save room for any of the fabulous desserts, like the classic cheesecake, lemon pie, or the molten chocolate lava cake made with Belgian chocolate.

This friendly lunchtime Peruvian café has a revolving menu of flavorful delights made from fresh ingredients that are almost as beautiful as they are tasty. Try the ceviche (a slight change from the usual Costa Rican) in the breezy palapa or the lomo saltado or the eggplant---we promise you'll want to return every day for lunch. Note the odd hours so you don't miss out.

A romantic setting, ocean breezes, and a creative Italian menu make this the one of the most popular restaurants in Sámara. By day, rustic wooden tables are shaded by white sails strung between palms; by night, diners bask in the glow of white globe lamps and light-festooned trees. You can sit under a covered area or out on the sand. The soundtrack is trendy, and the food is good too. Gusto starts the morning at 8 with great espresso and croissants; the rest of the day, there are salads, burgers, Italian fries sprinkled with Parmesan and pepper, and, of course, pizzas. Service is efficient and executed with style. Menu prices do not include the obligatory 25% tax and service.

Dawn to dusk, this casually chic restaurant overlooking Playa Pelada is the most scenic place to have breakfast, lunch, cocktails, or dinner, with tables spilling out of the interior onto a wide, covered terrace and onto the sand. The menu is mostly Mediterranean, ranging from Moroccan-spiced or limoncello-marinated fish of the day, to beef or fish carpaccio and brick oven–fired pizzas. At sunset, you can cozy up in a settee on the sand with a cocktail, and share a Mediterranean platter of dips, including harissa-hot hummus served with fluffy pita. Breakfast, starting at 7 am, ranges from typical Costa Rican to full English, with eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, grilled mushrooms, and tomatoes. Vegetarians can opt for toast topped with avocado and goat cheese. Some outdoor, picnic-style tables make this restaurant family-friendly during the day, while the terrace tables are more romantic at night.

Fresh seafood is the specialty at this poolside alfresco restaurant, with inventive daily specials that focus on the day's catch prepared with Asian and Mediterranean flavors. After 3:30, the dedicated sushi chef produces such treats as panko-crusted prawn roll with ahi tuna, mango, and avocado. Come for lunch and enjoy the calming sea view peeking through the tropical foliage, or come for a special-occasion candlelit dinner backed by the sound of the surf. It’s pricey, but worth the splurge if you crave a sophisticated scene.

You can’t get any closer to the water than at this outdoor beach garden, where rustic tables are shaded by enormous ficus trees draped with wicker lamps. Classic French cuisine with Costa Rican flavors include dishes like fresh seafood with fruit reductions and organic meats seared on hot lava stones. It's one of the few places in Tamarindo serving lamb, and 100% of the ingredients are local. For something light, try the tropical goat cheese salad with mango chutney or the yellowfin tuna tower topped with mango and avocado.

Arty driftwood tables and sculpted chairs scattered along the rocky beach and an inventive Mediterranean menu have made this one of the most scenic, as well as one of the best, restaurants in the country for almost 30 years. The eclectic menu changes daily and features local seafood, lamb, beef, and even duck. The decor is funky with "found" art and hanging lamps, and the restaurant is most spectacular at night, when flickering lanterns combine with crashing surf to create a dramatic and romantic dinner experience. Daily pasta specials focus on seafood. Portions are plentiful and artistically presented on huge platters.  Don't pass up the velvety dark-chocolate tart if it’s on the dessert menu. The restaurant is sometimes open Saturday night, on the chef's whim; call ahead to find out.

An unexpected outpost of divine French cuisine, this oasis of elegance overlooks a sparkling blue pool edged by lush palms, while lounge chairs shaded by orange umbrellas tempt diners to stay overnight (six stylish rooms are available). Lunch and dinner feature lots of local seafood, produce, and goat cheese from the chef’s nearby farm. Try the fresh grouper fillet bathed in lemon-herb-butter sauce, or the seared ahi tuna with ginger-carrot puree. Vegetarians can feast on ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms, sage, and sun-dried tomatoes. Desserts include classic French options—fruit crepes, crème brûlée—as well as chocolate lava cake with raspberry compote. The service here is exemplary. You can order wonderful wines by the glass or bottle—a rare opportunity in these remote parts. While waiting for your meal to arrive, ask to view the photo album of the chef’s famous clients.

As if the breathtaking view high in the hills above Playas del Coco weren't enough (you may recognize it from its feature on the television series Restaurants on the Edge), the innovative menu at one of the few oyster bars in Costa Rica takes it a step further. Try the oysters raw or grilled or order the tuna nachos alongside a spicy ginger margarita or watermelon mojito. More creative dishes include avocado fries with chipotle dip, lobster grilled cheese, Korean beef tacos, and the ahi tuna sticky rice bowl. Come for happy hour from 1 to 3 and stay until the sun goes down. Reservations are recommended for sunset dining.

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. 

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. This restaurant is one of the area’s more upscale places to dine, with marble tables, parchment lamps, and driftwood-integrated decor under an open-air patio. There are vegan and gluten-free options, and $4 cocktails from 4 to 6. 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 something for everyone any time of day at this three-story bakery/bistro/lounge/cocktail bar.  In the morning, there are savory quiches and homemade granola as well as tartlets, pies, and every other type of sweets and bread (including gluten-free), while lunch has a more upscale menu with delectable soups (bouillabaisse), salads (poached lobster), sandwiches, and artisanal pizza. Dinner standouts are linguine del mare with lobster, shrimp, octopus, and clams, or tender grilled guava barbecue short ribs. 

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 dinner-only, open-air eatery within sight and sound of the ocean. The simple wooden tables are on a patio bordered with gardens or, during the drier months, practically on the beach. The Italian owners serve an eclectic menu ranging from shrimp curry to squid in spicy puttanesca sauce to tenderloin with porcini mushrooms. The restaurant usually opens just in time for sunset, at 5 pm.

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. Six air-conditioned cabinas, eight with kitchens, face a small pool next to the restaurant.

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 tapas restaurant, featuring Asian and Mediterranean flavors, is in a modern glass-and-steel tree house that's cantilevered on the side of a hill and includes a spacious deck. Delectable appetizer-size offerings include seared pepper-crusted tuna atop pickled ginger slaw, or panfried sea bass fillets with a divine ginger-and-mandarin-orange butter sauce. Not to be missed are Ginger's crispy shoestring fries, served with roasted garlic mayo. Portions are small, but layers of condiments and garnishes make them surprisingly satisfying. The fun thing to do is order several dishes and share. The varied wine list includes Old and New World wines by the glass, and specialty martinis and tropical cocktails go well with the tapas. For dessert, warm chocolate lava cake is rich enough to share, but only with someone you truly love. Be aware that the menu prices do not include tax and service (another 23%). It's open 5 to 10 pm.

North of Santa Teresa, this trendy sushi place off a dusty dirt road is one of the most popular restaurants in the area. Fabulous sushi, sashimi, and tempura are carefully crafted, and there's a daily blackboard menu featuring hand rolls and wraps. About 30 wood tables are scattered around a gravel-bottomed, Zenlike garden, with palm trees and a stand of bamboo. The decor is mainly votive candles, flaming torches, and tin-can hanging lamps. There's also tempura shrimp, beef tenderloin, and ginger-pork main dishes. Vegetarians can order spring rolls and steamed vegetables with quinoa, but it hardly seems worth it to make the trip here unless you are going to chow down on fish and seafood. To wash it down, there are coconut-milk fruit shakes, sake, Costa Rican craft beer, and notably expensive wine.

This beach club–restaurant–lounge–jazz club is the most romantic and sophisticated dining spot on the beach. By day, you can lounge by the pool or surf between bites of ceviche, panini, burgers, or mussels with fries; by night, you'll find tables set with white linens and candles arranged under swaying palms around two glowing pools. Start with a lobster and mango salad or a flaky pastry nest filled with goat cheese and spinach. Move on to a divine fillet of sole bathed in a velvety, peppery champagne-cream sauce. For dessert, try the crepe suzette flambé. Come back the next day to work off your meal at the attached fitness center or yoga studio.

At El Mangroove’s trendy poolside restaurant, guests can dine with a glimpse of the ocean or head indoors to the more formal dining room enclosed in glass. Most ingredients are locally grown, and nearly every item on the menu is organic, including the grass-fed beef. Start with red snapper carpaccio with grapefruit and fennel, or the seared scallops with caramelized cauliflower. Signature entrées include cavatelli pasta with grilled octopus, and the remarkably tender ribs served with apple-jalapeño puree. Portions are small, which means you may have room for the chocolate cheesecake. The mosquitoes are enough to ruin your meal, so wear long pants or dine indoors.

Pleasing a loyal legion of local fans since 1974, Nogui's offers a hearty menu of seafood and meat dishes that pair perfectly with a tamarind margarita. With feet-in-the-sand dining and ocean views, it's a great place to let the kids play on the beach while you enjoy one of Tamarindo's best places to watch the sunset.

The aroma of baking bread is irresistible as you pass this German bakery, just south of the Liberia airport, whose baked goods are delivered all over the peninsula. The display case is filled with tempting strudels, Bundt cakes, and flaky fruit pastries. The cheesecakes and cinnamon rolls are so soft and moist, you might lose your fork. There is also a full-fledged restaurant, serving everything from wood-fired pizzas to fish sandwiches. Vegan and gluten-free choices here as well. The menu is huge, and so are portions, making this the ideal place to come pre- or postflight. The German owner has made sure that Deutsche classics hit the table, including bratwurst with sauerkraut, pork schnitzel, and hearty dark breads. The restaurant also has a gluten-free menu, a beer garden, and playground. It's open daily from 7 am to 8 pm.

This modern glass building seems almost out of place on the road connecting Liberia to the coast. Filling a void in healthy cuisine, the restaurant serves wraps, salads, sushi, and sandwiches such as organic chicken with fresh basil. Vegetarians have plenty of options, including veggie skewers, orzo salad, spring rolls, asparagus soup, or a portobello sandwich. The bruschetta, tacos, and burgers are particularly delicious, while the seafood dishes are hit or miss. The prices are much higher than what you’ll find in central Liberia, but it’s a good stop for a quick bite.

Chow down at this casual place a block from the beach, or party at the extensive bar, which occupies about a third of the restaurant. Portions are large, so pace yourself—especially if you order the popular barbecue ribs with mashed potatoes. On the seafood side, you can count on teriyaki tuna, grilled mahimahi, and coconut-crusted sea bass. The salads are topped with healthy ingredients like chickpeas, avocado, and quinoa. The chalkboard menu features the daily specials, your best bet for what's in season. Prices are on the high side, but you can arrive early for half-price cocktails from 4 to 6; the spicy jalapeño margarita packs a punch. There is also Sunday brunch in high season.