2 Best Restaurants in Nuevo Arenal, Arenal, Monteverde, and the Northern Lowlands

Gingerbread

$$$

Choose from the ever-changing menu or let the chef guide you through what might just be the best meal you’ll have in Costa Rica. You'll discover fresh dishes like filet mignon, shrimp risotto, organic Greek chicken, and blackened tuna. The menu is always changing, with a rotation of hits like palmito artichoke salad, mussels with mushrooms, and tender pork. Family style is a great option; it lets you have a variety of dishes. Opt for a table on the patio rather than a booth near the U-shape bar, unless you like a lot of noise with your meal.

Next to Villa Decary, Nuevo Arenal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
2694–0039
Known For
  • lamb curry
  • wine cellar
  • macadamia cheesecake
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch, Reservations essential

Los Platillos Voladores

$$

It might not look like much from the outside, but this Italian restaurant has homemade dishes like tortellini in sage butter, lasagna with bubbly, browned mozzarella, and crispy thin-crust pizza with folds of prosciutto. Start with a caprese salad and move on to one of the pasta dishes buried beneath a blanket of shaved Parmesan. The back patio is a quaint spot to enjoy a glass of red wine. If you stop by for dinner, make it an early one; the place closes at 7:30.

Hwy. 142, Nuevo Arenal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
2694–5005
Known For
  • large portions
  • rich panna cotta
  • panini to go
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.