Other restaurants in Central America
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A
Koki Beach
Doing its best to channel Miami Beach, this sleek spot cranking reggae-lite classics has fruit-colored paper lanterns and Adirondack chairs that face the ocean from an elevated wooden platform. There’s a decent selection of Peruvian-inflected ceviches, meat and seafood dishes as well as some watery cocktails. If you’re going to snack, the yucca chips and guacamole are quite good.
reviewed
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Munchies
Located on the 1st floor of an island home built in 1864, this restaurant has a great Caribbean vibe, with pleasant outdoor seating on the front porch and at the back. The menu is a bit limited, but includes good vegetarian options and big breakfasts, which keeps it busy with travelers.
reviewed
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Colbert Restaurant
Two kilometers east of the Poás Volcano Lodge, you’ll find this charming French restaurant with nice views and a chef that looks like he’s straight out of Central Casting: Joël Suire is not only French, he is bequeathed with an ample moustache and wears a toque. Expect a menu loaded with traditional French items such as onion soup, house-made paté and beef tenderloin grilled with green peppercorns. There is a good wine list (bottles from ₡7800), strong on vintages from South America and France. Don’t miss the fresh bread or to-die-for lace cookies.
reviewed
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B
Trio
From the same people who brought us Chimera and Sofia comes this amazing new fusion restaurant. We were in heaven after savoring the camarones mojitos – grilled shrimp drenched in a garlic, cumin, onion, rum and orange-juice sauce, served on a bed of potatoes, veggies and avocados. Follow up the flavor explosions with to-die-for desserts like the mango split sorbet. The contemporary, stilted building is oddly located in a dark corner behind the SuperCompro supermarket. It may not have the ambience of its sister restaurants, but this is hands-down our favorite dining experience in Monteverde.
reviewed
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C
Habaneros
Caulker’s ‘hottest’ restaurant, named for the habanero chili, is located in a brightly painted clapboard house in the center of town. Here chefs prepare gourmet international food, combining fresh seafood, meat and vegetables with insanely delicious sauces and flavors. Wash it down with a fine wine or a jug of sangria. Sit in the funky bar and sip a fruity cocktail or enjoy the buzz and eat by candlelight at the tables on the verandah. Reservations are recommended.
reviewed
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RJ’s BBQ
Huge, cheap, well-prepared dishes attract a crowd here – it’s lucky for the other restaurants in town that RJ’s is only open three days a week. Choose from barbecued chicken, wahoo, kingfish, pork or beef, all of which are served with mashed potato and salad. The selections are written on a chalk board near the cash register, and erased one by one as the night wears on and the food runs out. Needless to say, come early. It’s across from Alton’s Dive Shop.
reviewed
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D
Chimera
Latin-infused tapas are complemented by an excellent wine list featuring robust reds like Chilean Syrah-cabernets and crisp whites like pinot grigio. Dine alfresco at the trellis patio or the big-windowed dining room with beautiful jungle views. Charming staff will lay out a spread of cocktails (like kiwi caipirinhas, with lime, sugar and rum) and tapas like sea bass with passion-fruit cream and spicy mayo, or fried yucca with chipotle garlic aioli, all on white tablecloths.
reviewed
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Sabor Español
She’s from Barcelona. He’s from Ibiza. And together, Heri and Montse have created one of the most authentic and lovely Spanish restaurants in Costa Rica. The couple specialize in paella, fresh fish, meats and chicken. We loved the stuffed avocado appetizer, followed by shrimp flambéed in whiskey. Wash it down with some of the best sangria this side of the Atlantic. The ambience is super tranquillo and well worth the trip 2km north of downtown.
reviewed
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E
Maravilla
Just about the cheapest and most authentic restaurant in Santa Elena, this charming soda serves typical Costa Rican specialties including excellent casados. The menu also features American favorites such as fajitas, pancakes, French toast and 12 kinds of milk shakes. This place gets very crowded during lunch hour, so plan accordingly.
reviewed
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Hanna’s Restaurant
Hanna’s is the most popular spot in town, any time of day. Go for fresh-squeezed juices, hearty omelettes and homemade yogurt at breakfast; rice and beans or filling sandwiches for lunch; or Hanna’s delectable spicy ginger rum shrimp for an unbeatable dinner. Indian dishes and other meatless options cater to vegetarians.
reviewed
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Bamboo Grill
Arguably the best location on the island, this casually cool bar and grill sits right on the beach, with swings hanging from the rafters and tables set up in the sand. Besides the Cajun specialties, you can feast on a huge seafood burrito or a delectable grilled fish sandwich, washed down with a fruit smoothie.
reviewed
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Como en Casa
This Argentinean grill is a popular weekend lunch spot, serving a comprehensive round-up of grilled meats and a strong selection of pastas (including vegetarian options). There is a good wine list (from ₡6600 abottle), as well as desert crepes stuffed with local strawberries.
reviewed
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G
La Pizzería de Johnny
Woodfired, thin-crust pizzas will warm you right up after a long hike through the cloud forests (or up the hill from Santa Elena). The warm atmosphere and lovely dining area makes it feel as though you are having a nice dinner out without paying the price.
reviewed
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Wish Willy’s Bar & Grill
This funky place is named for a scaly tailed iguana. On the back side of the island, it’s a great place to watch the sunset, whether you’re sipping a Belikin beer or feasting on the day’s BBQ special.
reviewed
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H
Carnitas Nia Lola
An American bar-and-grill planted firmly on the Honduran mainland, this restaurant feels a bit more upscale than other spots in town and draws an older – we mean ‘more mature’ – crowd.
reviewed
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I
ViaVia Café
A hip boho atmosphere with outdoor and indoor seating; the daily specials are the way to go at this place. Each day the chef takes a crack at various world-food dishes and often pulls them off with flair.
reviewed
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Umi Sushi
In the courtyard of the Centro Comercial Playa El Carmen, this sushi bar has a pleasant dining room and tables outside. If you’re lucky, it will have a surf movie projected on the outside wall while you savor your Mal País roll. Beer drinkers, beware: it only serves Japanese beers, at exorbitant prices.
reviewed
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Orgánico
When they say ‘pure food made with love,’ they mean it – this healthy cafe turns out all vegetarian or vegan dishes including spicy Thai burgers, sushi and noodles, nachos, burritos, falafel, smoothies and other meat-free treats you can feel good about.
reviewed
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Andre’s Beach Bar
The best pizza place in town also has one of the best breakfast spots, serving omelettes and eggs Benedict. English and French are spoken.
reviewed
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Pizzería Restaurante Lilliana
This great spot for Italian fare is proud to offer more than a dozen different kinds of pizza, all of which are made from scratch. The lovely mountain views and old-world environs make this a pleasant place to spend an afternoon.
reviewed
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J
Stella’s Bakery
Order your choice of sandwich on delicious homemade breads with a con-venient order form (one side is in English), and don’t skimp on the veggies, many of which are locally grown (and organic). You can also get soups, salads, quiches and lots of tempting sweet pastries.
reviewed
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Bite on the Beach
Perched on a rocky outcrop at the north end of the beach, this was West Bay’s second establishment, and the first restaurant, when it opened in 1996. (How times have changed!) The friendly American owners, who took over in 2001, serve an eclectic menu, from hamburgers and blue-cheese-and-sundriedtomato chicken to Thai curry and conch soup. Its large garden salads are made with vegetables from Roatán’s hydroponics garden, and the key lime pie is divine. The view isn’t too shabby either – from the restaurant’s raised two-level eating area, the bay and ocean spread out below you, both endlessly blue.
reviewed
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Sitio Archeológico el Puente
Ten kilometers southwest of La Entrada, Sitio Archeológico El Puente sees only a trickle of visitors. With one large-ish pyramid and no stelae, El Puente (the Bridge) doesn’t begin to compare in size or artfulness to Copán, but having a Maya site all to yourself is a memorable and increasingly rare experience. Unfortunately, there are no buses to the site. If you have a car – or better yet, a bike – it’s well worth a trip out there. By taxi, well, you’re better off spending that money on a guide at Copán.
reviewed
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Mayoka Lodge
For a couple of grand each, you and the other jurors can deliberate in style at this stunning six-bedroom, 1980-sq-meter beachfront home, surely one of the most beautiful houses (and most luxurious accommodations) in the whole country. Overlooking Sandy Bay, the home features a wine cellar, cigar humidor, infinity pool, flat-screen TVs, multilingual book and DVD library, pool and poker tables, tennis courts, kayaks, sea scooters, wireless internet, maid, chef and chauffeur service…the list goes on and on. Rates include meals and most drinks, but not taxes.
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