Restaurants in Manuel Antonio National Park
Scores of dining options are available around Manuel Antonio and Quepos, and almost every hotel has some sort of restaurant. For the cheapest meals around, try a simple soda in Quepos, or head to one of the open-air joints on the beach road before the national park entrance. Here the standard Tico menu prevails, with prices in the C3,500-to-C6,500 range. Of these, Marlin Restaurant ★ ((tel) 2777-1134), right in front of Playa Espadilla, is your best bet. Mi Lugar, or “Ronny’s Place” ★ ((tel) 2777-5120; www.ronnysplace.com), on the outskirts of Quepos, is another fine option. Mar Luna ((tel) 2777-5107), on the main road as you climb the hill from Quepos toward Manuel Antonio, would be another choice, a Tico-owned spot specializing in seafood.
For lunch, try the beachfront Playitas ★★ at Arenas del Mar; in addition to its great location and secure parking, you get pool privileges for the price of an excellent meal.
For a taste of the high life, head to the La Luna ★ restaurant at Gaia Hotel & Reserve for the sunset tapas menu. The views are stellar and the creative tapas very reasonably priced.
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8 Results
- International
Agua Azul
Sitting high above the rainforest, with sweeping views over the trees to the Pacific Ocean below, this corrugated zinc-roofed, open-air restaurant has one of the best settings in town. There’s little in the way of decor, but there really doesn’t need to be when the sunsets are so…$$Around Town - Seafood/International
Barba Roja
Open since 1975, this is a prime sunset-admiring spot, so on clear nights, you’ll want to grab one of the lounge-style low tables on the broad wooden deck. Service can be slow, and the food isn’t as exciting as the show in the sky, but it’s usually tasty, ranging from Tex-Mex to…$$Around Town - Nuevo Latino/Fusion
Café Milagro
A local institution since 1994, this offshoot of the coffee-roasting operation offers a full range of barista-brewed concoctions. But the appeal here goes well beyond java—breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the crayon-colored dining room and patios here, and they’re all…$$Around Town - Seafood/International
El Avión
El Avión, or “the plane,” is one of two former CIA C-123 supply planes used to send arms to the Contras in Nicaragua’s civil war. The other one was shot down by the Sandinistas in 1986, leading to the exposure of the Iran-Contra scandal. The remaining plane was decommissioned and…$$Around Town - Seafood
El Gran Escape
This longstanding local institution has a new home on the second floor of the commercial space overlooking the Pez Vela Marina. They do seafood wonderfully here, and even have a “you hook ‘em, we cook ‘em” policy for anyone heading out fishing. Seating is comfortable in a large,…$$Around Town - International/Bakery
Emilio’s Café
There’s no better place to start the day than Emilio’s Café, a bakery with fabulous bagels and a range of pastries. But you might also want to stop here for lunch, because the salads are bursting with flavor, as are the sandwiches, made with house-baked ciabatta bread. For dinner,…$$Around Town - Seafood/Costa Rican
Rafael’s Terrazas
This simple open-air restaurant has a stunning location, clinging to a steep hillside with a perfect view of the Pacific over a patch of thick rainforest. The hillside is so steep the dining rooms are terraced (hence the name) and spread over three floors connected by steep steps.…$$Around Town - Seafood
Runaway Grill
Housed on the open second floor above and overlooking the Pez Vela Marina, Runaway Grill has kept most of the menu, vibe and management of the old El Gran Escape, including a “you hook ’em, we cook ’em” tradition. Start things off with the fresh tuna sashimi, and then go for the…$$Around Town
