Restaurants in Central America
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Restaurante De Lucía
On the same road as El Jardín de las Mariposas, this Chilean-owned place is Monteverde’s most famous restaurant. Chef José Belmar, who speaks more languages then you and your friend put together, regularly chats to guests and asks for feedback on the cuisine, and dishes (a good mix of Italian and South American specialties) are always flawless, and reasonably priced.
reviewed
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Dulce Marzo
Yummy home-baked sweets, wraps, sandwiches, good espresso drinks and a favorite-cafe feel make this one of those places to linger over a late-morning coffee as you skim the paper or your guidebook. Foreign magazines scatter the tables and there’s also a book exchange if you need reading material for the next leg of your trip. Located next door to Atmosphera gallery.
reviewed
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Restaurante Las Calas
An artistic sort of place with lilies growing in the patio and lily-themed art on the walls (and a gallery in the back), Las Calas serves good medium-priced meals. Satisfying portions of chicken, fish or beef are creatively prepared and served with a unique salsa picante. This restaurant also features cheaper vegetarian dishes and a daily regional specialty.
reviewed
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Café Caburé
An Argentinean cafe set in the gorgeous Santa Fe–style lodge above the bat cave in Paseo de Stella. It specializes in creative and delicious wraps, tortillas stuffed with chicken mole, chipotle rubbed steak, curried potatoes, or lemon shrimp. The beef empanadas are fabulous, and it has magnificent gourmet truffles too! Seriously, the chocolate is high art.
reviewed
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Happy Lobster
The lobster at this Caulker institution is actually not that happy, but you will be after eating big plates of fresh fish, spiced with Creole flavoring or sweetened with coconut. The place has plenty of vegetarian options, as well as a popular breakfast menu, and the front porch is a pleasant place to catch the breeze off the ocean and watch the activity on Front St.
reviewed
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E
Nelly's Pizza
A leafy courtyard with potted trees, gurgling fountain and the requisite red and white checkered tablecloths make this is a great place for a drink or early evening meal. As darkness falls, holiday lights blink on, adding to the ambiance. The food (so-so) and service (slow) don't quite live up to the setting, but if you stick with the pizza you should go home happy.
reviewed
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Café Mundo
Location. Location. Location. This longtime Italian cafe and expat favorite has it. Set on a sprawling terrace in a vintage Barrio Otoya mansion, it’s a perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine and good (if not earth-shattering) pizzas and pastas within sight of a splashing outdoor fountain. The wine list is good and even includes a selection of bubbly Spanish cavas.
reviewed
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Hode's Place
Locals love this rambling place north of the center. A large terrace restaurant opening onto a citrus orchard and kids' playground, it's a popular spot for families (a jukebox and games room also help). Friendly service and satisfying food – from burritos and fajitas to steaks, seafood and rice and beans – complete this place's recipe for success.
reviewed
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Opalaca’s Restaurant
Ask for the best restaurant in town and most people will point to this one. It certainly looks the part, housed in a colonial-era building with high wood-beamed ceilings, and offering cloth napkins and real water glasses. All of which makes the menu that much more surprising, with grilled beef, grilled pork chops, Honduran barbecue, plus hamburgers and sandwiches.
reviewed
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Tunkul Restaurant & Bar
You wouldn't expect it from the outside, but the dining area in this longtime restaurant and bar is quite large and, with a leafy interior courtyard, stone floors and wood tables, downright outdoorsy. (Well, almost.) The food is tasty and the portions large, and there are a number of vegetarian options. Drink specials and a lively crowd make this a good bar, too.
reviewed
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Panadería Latino
So much more than a bakery, this downtown institution is popular for its huge comida a la vista (buffet). Just smile and point - the servers will fill your plate with all manner of steaming delights including tasty lasagna, beef in salsa, and crisp veggies, then ladle you a cup of horchata (soft drink) from plastic pails at the end of the line.
reviewed
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La Bella Esquina
A 'beautiful corner' indeed, which you can enjoy from a window table at this friendly eatery. Fresh comida a la vista (meal-served buffet) includes beef soup, baked chicken and other Salvadoran fare. For breakfast, look for eggs, beans or tamales; the weekend speciality, as at most restaurants, is sopa de gallina india (wild hen soup).
reviewed
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Le Chandelier
Whether you’re sitting next to the fireplace or outside on the patio, it’s hard to find a more romantic place than this two-decade-old Los Yoses outpost. Here, chef Claude Dubuis serves traditional French specialties (think duck à l’orange) with a few Costa Rican flourishes. Save room for the crêpes suzette for two (US$12).
reviewed
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Soda Tapia
An unpretentious ’50s-style diner, this place is perpetually filled with couples and families noshing on grilled sandwiches and generous casados. If you have the nerve, try the monstrous ‘El Gordo,’ a pile of steak, onions, gouda cheese, lettuce and tomato served on Spanish bread. But save room for dessert: Tapia specializes in sundaes.
reviewed
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Creole Rotisserie Chicken
Super tasty roast chicken is served in quarter-, half-, or whole-bird portions at this small, open-air eatery, along with large sides of rice, beans, potato salad or coleslaw for a buck and change each. The fish fingers don’t disappoint, either. This is a longtime backpacker haunt, but you don’t have to be on a budget to appreciate the good food.
reviewed
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Sofía Restaurante Mediterraneo
A hidden gem, Sofía serves a variety of Turkish and Mediterranean specialties, including fresh hummus, dolmas, house-made tortellini, grilled lamb and a rotating selection of daily specials. Save room for their sweet, delicate baklava.
reviewed
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Luces del Norte
This longtime favorite has a casual atmosphere, inexpensive meals and a postcard-stand to boot. The menu has all the standard breakfasts and platos fuertes (main dishes) plus great sandwiches – fish, chicken, BLT, even peanut butter and banana – and a long list of soups, such as vegetable clam and one called Queen’s Seafood Soup.
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Morpho’s Restaurant
This romantic downtown restaurant spices up typical Costa Rican food by adding gourmet flair. Casados feature a variety of European-influenced sauces (think sea bass in a fruity demiglaze), and are served with a traditional batido (fruit shake) or a glass of wine. The menu also has a good variety of vegetarian dishes.
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Stashu's con Fusion
Stroll 250m out of town toward Playa Cocles to this romantic candlelit patio cafe serving up creative fusion cuisine that combines elements of Caribbean, Indian, Mexican and Thai cooking. Steamed spicy mussels in red-curry sauce and tandoori chicken in coconut are just a couple of standouts. Excellent vegetarian and vegan items round out the menu. Owner and chef Stash Golas is an artist inside the kitchen and out. Do not miss.
reviewed
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Tropical Sushi
Quepos has gone cosmopolitan: for authentic Japanese (yes, the sushi chef is from Japan!), try this colorfully decorated restaurant, which packs in the hostel crowd for all-you-can-eat specials (US$20). If you’re a purist, you can stick to the tuna sashimi spreads, though it’s worth venturing out a bit and sampling some of the local Costa Rican–style rolls.
reviewed
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Rainbow Grill & Bar
Perched on a deck over the turquoise waters, this local favorite is evidence of Caulker's agreeable temperatures. By day, nibble on vegetarian plates, burgers, quesadillas, burritos and sandwiches. At night fancier fare includes fish, shrimp, conch and lobster cooked how you like it, from simple lemon with butter to Jamaican jerk or oriental style.
reviewed
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Tong’s Thai
You really can’t beat the ambiance – right over the water with ceiling fans warping overhead, pine everywhere and views of the Caribbean night on all sides – and the Thai cuisine isn’t bad either. But the service moved at a snail’s pace when we visited, so be sure you have the next couple of hours free before you commit.
reviewed
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Don Wang
This hopping Cantonese eatery is an ideal place for dim sum – served all day every day – as well as a long list of Chinese specialties, from stir-fried shrimp with cashews to mu shu vegetables (there are more than a dozen veggie dishes to choose from). Parents will love the children’s play area in the corner – ideal for restless toddlers.
reviewed
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Glenda's Café
Glenda's serves traditional Belizean food in a clapboard house on the island's west side. It has the best cheap breakfasts in town, from cinnamon rolls and orange juice to full breakfasts of bacon or ham, eggs, bread and coffee. Burritos, tacos, sandwiches and chicken with rice and beans are offered for lunch. Get there early for breakfast.
reviewed
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Fritangas
Granada has excellent street food, with bags of fruit salad and other goodies on sale between the parque central and Mercado Municipal in the morning. Just before sunset, fritangas set up in the parque central and Calle La Calzada, dishing up barbecue, gallo pinto (rice and beans) and all things fried, onto washed banana leaves for you to enjoy.
reviewed