20 Best Places to Eat in Costa Rica: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

Costa Rican gastronomy is a fresh, flavorful celebration of tropical harvests, rich coffee, Pacific and Caribbean seafood, and traditional comfort foods. From traditional soda lunch counters to fine dining fusion restaurants, eating in Costa Rica is a delight.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

When traveling across Costa Rica, be sure to sample these iconic traditional dishes:

Gallo Pinto: Traditional breakfast of rice and black beans seasoned with Lizano sauce, sweet peppers, and onions, served with eggs and plantains.
Casado: Classic Costa Rican lunch platter featuring rice, beans, plantains, salad, cheese, and a choice of chicken, beef, or fish.
Chifrijo: Popular bar snack layered with crispy fried pork belly (chicharrón), rice, red beans, fresh pico de gallo, and avocado.
Rondón: Traditional Caribbean seafood stew slow-cooked in rich coconut milk with fish, yucca, plantains, and spices.
Sopa de Pejibaye: Creamy, comforting soup made from boiled peach palm fruits (pejibayes).

20 Best Places to Eat in Costa Rica

1. Restaurante Silvestre

Cuisine: Modern Costa Rican Fine Dining
Location: Barrio Amón, San José
Must-Try Dish: Reimagined Casado tasting course
About the Place: Set in a restored historic mansion in San José, Silvestre elevates traditional Costa Rican ingredients into artful multi-course fine dining menus.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurante Silvestre

2. Grano de Oro Restaurant

Cuisine: French & Tropical Fusion
Location: San José
Must-Try Dish: Macadamia-crusted Sea Bass
About the Place: A premier dining landmark set inside a Victorian boutique hotel, serving elegant French culinary creations infused with local Costa Rican flavors.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Grano de Oro Restaurant

3. Soda La Parada

Cuisine: Traditional Costa Rican (Soda)
Location: La Fortuna, Arenal
Must-Try Dish: Classic Beef or Chicken Casado
About the Place: A beloved local "soda" serving affordable, generous portions of authentic Costa Rican casado platters, fresh fruit juices, and gallo pinto.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Soda La Parada

4. Don'a Lidia Caribbean Kitchen

Cuisine: Authentic Afro-Caribbean
Location: Puerto Viejo, Limón
Must-Try Dish: Caribbean Rondón Seafood Stew
About the Place: A legendary Caribbean eatery where slow-simmered coconut milk stews, jerk chicken, and coconut rice are served with tropical warmth.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Don'a Lidia

5. La Ena (Soda Tapia)

Cuisine: Classic Costa Rican Comfort Food
Location: San José
Must-Try Dish: Traditional Chifrijo & Fruit Shakes
About the Place: Operating since 1965, this famous local diner is renowned for serving authentic chifrijo bowls, stacked sandwiches, and fresh fruit batidos.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Soda Tapia

6. El Avión Restaurant

Cuisine: Seafood & Grill
Location: Manuel Antonio
Must-Try Dish: Seared Yellowfin Tuna with coconut rice
About the Place: Built directly around a converted historic C-123 Fairchild cargo airplane perched on a cliff, offering panoramic ocean views and fresh seafood.
Explore More: Read our full guide to El Avión Restaurant

7. Pangas Beach Club

Cuisine: Pacific Seafood & Hot-Stone Grill
Location: Tamarindo, Guanacaste
Must-Try Dish: Volcanic Hot-Stone Grilled Red Snapper
About the Place: Set right on the sands where the estuary meets Tamarindo beach, serving upscale Pacific catches under shade-giving guanacaste trees.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Pangas Beach Club

8. KOKO Beach Cafe

Cuisine: Caribbean Coastal Fusion & Cafe
Location: Puerto Viejo, Limón
Must-Try Dish: Coconut French Toast & Caribbean Fish Tacos
About the Place: A charming oceanfront cafe serving specialty tropical coffee, healthy smoothie bowls, fresh baked goods, and Caribbean-inspired lunches.
Explore More: Read our full guide to KOKO Beach Cafe

9. Soda Viquez

Cuisine: Authentic Country Home Cooking
Location: La Fortuna
Must-Try Dish: Fresh Trout Casado with fried plantain
About the Place: A family-run favourite in La Fortuna serving hearty country platters, fresh papaya juices, and warm Costa Rican hospitality.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Soda Viquez

10. Mirador Ram Luna

Cuisine: Traditional Costa Rican BBQ & Folklore
Location: Aserrí, San José Mountains
Must-Try Dish: Mixed Parrillada BBQ Platter
About the Place: Perched high above San José in the mountains, offering traditional buffet dining, folklore dance shows, and glittering night city vistas.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Mirador Ram Luna

11. Ginger

Cuisine: Pan-Asian & Tropical Tapas
Location: Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste
Must-Try Dish: Seared Tuna Asian Slaw & Coconut Curry
About the Place: Tucked into a rainforest treehouse canopy near Playa Hermosa, serving creative Pan-Asian small plates and tropical cocktails.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Ginger

12. Cafe Britt Coffee Tour & Restaurant

Cuisine: Coffee Plantation Gastronomy
Location: Heredia, Central Valley
Must-Try Dish: Gourmet Coffee-rubbed Beef Tenderloin
About the Place: Located on a historic coffee plantation, offering specialty coffee cupping tastings paired with gourmet Costa Rican highland cuisine.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Cafe Britt

13. La Luna Restaurant at Gaia

Cuisine: Mediterranean & Pacific Fusion
Location: Manuel Antonio
Must-Try Dish: Pan-seared Mahi Mahi with mango passion fruit salsa
About the Place: Set atop a coastal hillside, La Luna delivers 180-degree Pacific ocean vistas, romantic sunset dining, and refined seafood.
Explore More: Read our full guide to La Luna Restaurant

14. Soda El Angel

Cuisine: Traditional Country Soda
Location: Vara Blanca, near Poás
Must-Try Dish: Sopa de Pejibaye & Fresh Strawberry Juice
About the Place: A highland mountain soda famous for creamy pejibaye soup, fresh strawberry shakes, and hot gallo pinto breakfasts near Poás Volcano.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Soda El Angel

15. La Banana Bistro

Cuisine: Italian & Caribbean Seafood
Location: Cahuita, Limón
Must-Try Dish: Handmade Pasta with fresh Caribbean lobster
About the Place: A charming open-air garden venue in Cahuita combining handmade Italian pasta with fresh local Caribbean catches and coconut flavors.
Explore More: Read our full guide to La Banana Bistro

16. Tree House Restaurant

Cuisine: Central American & International
Location: Monteverde
Must-Try Dish: Wood-fired Pizza & Grilled Meat Skewers
About the Place: Built around a massive living Ficus tree inside Monteverde town, providing a novel canopy dining experience under lit branches.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Tree House Restaurant

17. Soda San Martín

Cuisine: Traditional Guanacaste Country Food
Location: Nicoya, Guanacaste
Must-Try Dish: Guanacastecan Tamales & Tortilla con Queso
About the Place: An authentic traditional eatery celebrating Nicoya peninsula food heritage, famous for handmade corn tortillas, cheese, and stews.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Soda San Martín

18. HiR Fine Dining

Cuisine: Experimental Osa Rainforest Tasting Menu
Location: Puerto Jiménez, Osa Peninsula
Must-Try Dish: Multi-course Foraged Jungle Tasting Menu
About the Place: An intimate culinary experience in the Osa rainforest, where chefs craft inventive tasting courses using wild foraged jungle ingredients.
Explore More: Read our full guide to HiR Fine Dining

19. Mercado Central Food Stalls

Cuisine: Historic Market Street Food
Location: Downtown San José
Must-Try Dish: Fish Ceviche & Ice Cream from Lolo Mora
About the Place: Founded in 1880, San José’s central market offers traditional food stalls serving fresh ceviche, empanadas, coffee, and sorbet.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Mercado Central

20. Mar y Sol

Cuisine: Hillside Pacific Seafood
Location: Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste
Must-Try Dish: Seared Yellowfin Tuna with passion fruit reduction
About the Place: Perched high on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Papagayo, offering panoramic ocean sunset views and gourmet Pacific seafood.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Mar y Sol

Featured Image

Traditional Costa Rican Casado Meal