2 Best Restaurants in Manuel Antonio and the Central Pacific Coast, Costa Rica

This cozy café is the only place in town that serves its own fresh-roasted coffee, with an eclectic menu serving inventive dishes like chilled avocado soup, mango chayote salad, roasted pork with sautéed papaya, and dorado with Caribbean salsa. Top sellers include jerk chicken, fish tacos, and the fish of the day with passion fruit sauce. The breakfast burritos, baked goods, and variety of sandwiches make this a top breakfast and lunch spot. Tables in the front dining room overlook the road, but there's also 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.

Bordered by a white picket fence, this charming art café serves meals prepared with organic ingredients delivered daily by local farmers. The ever-changing chalkboard menu usually features home-ground burgers with fresh-baked buns or seared ahi on buckwheat noodles with roasted vegetables. Breakfasts are hearty, ranging from banana pancakes to eggs Florentine. Salads are topped with fresh strawberries, and cocktails are made with natural fruit juice—try the lemon basil margarita.