2 Best Restaurants in Manuel Antonio and the Central Pacific Coast, Costa Rica

The outdoor tables are pretty much always full, owing to a location on Manuel Antonio's busiest corner, across the street from the beach near the national park entrance. This is a convenient place to grab breakfast after an early-morning hike—maybe banana pancakes or a típico, with eggs and gallo pinto (black beans and rice). The lunch and dinner menu ranges from the ubiquitous arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) to tenderloin with french fries, and jumbo shrimp in garlic and lemon butter. The fresh mahimahi and tuna are always a good bet. Daily happy hour is 4:30–6:30, featuring two-for-one cocktails.

Just behind the original location is a new and improved venue where a spectacular sunset view comes with friendly, attentive service and a tempting menu that includes such typical tico dishes as sopa negra (black-bean soup), ceviche, shrimp and fish on a skewer, and filet mignon wrapped with bacon and topped with a mushroom sauce. Up a long dirt road, this is the best place in town to soak in the ocean views—especially when accompanied by a glass of their famous white-wine-and-vodka sangria.