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Count on finding lots of fresh fish and tropical fruits on the menu, whether at a roadside soda (casual eatery) serving comida tipica (typical food) or a sophisticated restaurant in Dominical or Ojochal. Up in the mountains, don't miss out on eating fresh, farmed trout. The food at most remote eco-lodges is excellent.
Picture a dream location: a high headland jutting out into the sea with vistas up and down the coast, and throw in a breeze-swept terrace, polished service, a boat-shape bar, and some fine seaside cuisine, and you are at La Parcela. The turquoise and white decor is reminiscent of Greece, the sunsets are spectacular, and shrimp and lobster dishes are pricey but excellent. A perfect, but less expensive, light lunch is the beer-battered fish with crunchy carrot and cabbage salad, served with guacamole. Reasonably priced appetizers include ceviche, fried calamari, and clams in white-wine sauce. Desserts here are rich and substantial enough to share. If you're just passing through Dominical, this is a good place for a cold beer and an appetizer, or a naturale, a tall glass of freshly whipped fruit juice.
Perched on the boulder-strewn bank of the rushing Savegre River, this handsome blond-wood-and-stone rancho specializes in serving up fresh trout in myriad ways at riverside tables, perfect for bird-watching. If you're not a fan of fish, try the kuku tamu, a chicken breast sandwich with chiverre (black seed squash) preserve, red onion, fresh cheese, mustard, and arugula. The coffee (kahawa in Swahili) is excellent, as are the fruit smoothies and craft beers.
A giant, colorful chorreador, the traditional wooden stand for making coffee with a socklike filter, marks the spot for this tiny but sophisticated café, a showplace for the award-winning, high-altitude coffee from the nearby Tarrazú coffee region. Watch barristas expertly concoct flavorful espresso and cappuccino, complete with artistic swirls in the milk foam.
Among the handful of sodas in town serving typical Costa Rican food, this one is notable for its affordably priced whole fish and hearty portions of seafood served on a breezy veranda. Stick to the desayuno típico for breakfast, with traditional rice and beans and eggs, starting at 7 am. The omelets are great, but they come with limp french fries, the bane of tico restaurants. There are three big TV screens to keep you company while you eat, and loud traditional music blaring from the rafters of the burlap-bag covered ceiling.
This simple alfresco restaurant in the heart of Puerto Jiménez is the most likely spot to meet locals and run into just about every visitor in town, making it a good place to pick up information. It serves decent comida típica, salads, pasta, reliably fresh seafood, and excellent fruit smoothies. For a taste of home, the menu has several "fast food" options ranging from burgers and hot dogs to tacos and chicken wings.
No worries if you can't decide between lunch or the beach, because you can get both at this cheerful, casual restaurant and beach club, complete with swimming pool and showers. Just steps from Playa Ballena, Villa Leonor allows you to stroll down to the beach between courses or chill out with ice-cold beer while the kids play in the pool. Typical casados are a bargain, with fish or chicken and lots of sides. Local lobsters, broiled in garlic butter, can be ordered ahead. The restaurant also offers mixed chicken and fish fajitas, excellent fruit smoothies, and tropical cocktails. Service is sprightly, and the friendly owners are usually on hand to greet customers.
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