4 Best Restaurants in Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula

The Surf Box

$ Fodor's choice

Pop into this charming spot with “California cool” and cozy up in the corner booth, where the clean white walls set a backdrop for rainbow-hued books and surf-themed wall decor. Outside, be prepared to share the pura vida vibe and maybe a table—it's communal seating, and it gets busy during brunch with treats like homemade bagels with egg and avocado and rich ricotta pancakes.

American Breakfast Brunch Dinner Fodor's Choice Lunch $
Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
8437–7128
Known For
  • acai bowls bursting with healthy goodness like fruit, chia, and homemade granola
  • innovative smoothies with eco-friendly metal straws
  • Miami-inspired Cuban sandwich
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.

Angelina’s

$$$

Guanacaste-inspired and locally sourced, the cuisine here pays tribute to the owner's Italian roots with dishes like lobster tail served with homemade black pasta. This restaurant is one of the area’s more upscale places to dine, with marble tables, parchment lamps, and driftwood-integrated decor under an open-air patio. There are vegan and gluten-free options, and $4 cocktails from 4 to 6. The wine list is extensive and microbrews are on tap. It’s worth saving room for the flourless chocolate cake with coffee reduction and homemade ice cream.

Italian Dinner $$$
Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
2654–4839
www.angelinasplayaflamingo.com
Known For
  • homemade thin-crust pizza
  • wide-ranging wine list
  • juicy steaks aged in custom Himalayan salt chamber
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No lunch

Coco Loco

$$
The "crazy coconut" is one of the few places where you can dine with your toes in the sand while watching the sunset without anything separating you from the water. Start with the fried calamari or mixed ceviche, and move on to mains like the blackened swordfish wrap, the sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna taco, or the slow-cooked ribs with pineapple barbecue sauce. Although not on the menu, they usually have a whole lobster for $20. Entrées come with a choice of coleslaw, fruit, fries, or rice and beans, and can be prepared Caribbean-style, with coconut milk. If you haven’t already overdosed on coconut, try the homemade coconut sorbet. Sunset diners should come with mosquito spray, since those little buggers love naked feet in the sand.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Marie's Restaurant

$$

A Flamingo institution serving beachgoers and locals for more than three decades, this popular restaurant has an array of sandwiches and salads, as well as reliably fresh seafood in large portions at reasonable prices. Settle in at one of the wooden tables beneath the ceiling fans and massive thatch roof for a traditional Costa Rican ceviche, avocado stuffed with shrimp, or heart of palm and pejivalle (palm fruit). The main fare includes whole fried red snapper, shrimp and fish kebabs, and a delicious plato de mariscos (shrimp, lobster, and fish served with garlic butter, potatoes, and salad). For a lighter meal, you can't beat the scrumptious fish tacos. Save room for Marie's signature banana-chocolate bread pudding. At breakfast, try the unusual papaya pancakes, French toast made with cream cheese and jam, or eggs Benedict. There's free Wi-Fi for customers and live music three times a month (call ahead for schedule).