Manuel Antonio and Quepos are small towns on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, in Puntarenas province. Despite their small size, they have a vibrant culture, beautiful landscapes, and an exciting culinary scene. There are fine-dining restaurants, cafes, sodas, and casual dining places all over Manuel Antonio and Quepos.
The variety of restaurants in Manuel Antonio and Quepos is incredible. I had so much fun coming up with this list. However, it took a lot of work, as many good places serve great food. You can get local foods and international cuisines, with some restaurants also offering a kid’s menu.
Key Takeaways
Manuel Antonio alone has over 75 eateries, and Quepos has its fair share. Knowing where to get a good meal is difficult, especially if it’s your first time in the area. However, Manuel Antonio and Quepos have the best food and dining experience in Costa Rica. Here are my key takeaways on the 10 best Manuel Antonio and Quepos restaurants.
- While Manuel Antonio and Quepos are small towns, they have many eateries from which to eat. You can choose fine dining or some budget-friendly choices. The restaurants also serve local foods, international cuisines, and a variety of seafood.
- If you’re a coffee lover, El Patio de Café Milagro in Manuel Antonio is worth a visit. They serve Costa Rican-roasted coffee, iced or hot. Cafetto is a good choice for some coffee in Quepos.
- Most of the best restaurants in Quepos are on the Marina Pez Vela, which offers the best views of the marina. Expect to interact with many tourists and locals coming from their fishing trips.
5 Best Restaurants in Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio attracts many visitors, especially because of the fame of Manuel Antonio National Park. Several restaurants serve different international cuisines. However, because the town is on the Pacific Coast, expect to see almost all restaurants serving seafood. For Costa Rican dishes, your best bet is a soda.
El Lagarto
Opening hours: 3–10 PM daily.
Location: Next to Vista Serena Hostel on Manuel Antonio main road.
Website: ellagartobbq.com.
Apart from its excellent view, it’s one of the best steak houses in Manuel Antonio. Their specialty is anything grilled, including vegetables, seafood, and meat. The steak house has a one-of-a-kind wood-burning grill and only sources high-quality meats from specific farmers in the Arenal Volcano area. The farmers raise their animals without using hormones, chemicals, or antibiotics.
Once you reach the steakhouse, you will see a free sample plate with different kinds of meat. Try it out so you can choose your type of meat. They serve their grilled food on chopping blocks. All the meals come with grilled zucchini, tomato, and baked potato. Portobello mushrooms smothered in garlic and cheese are better for vegetarians.
You should give 24 hours’ notice if you would rather have pork ribs, lamb, or the whole red snapper. Please note that the restaurant only caters for diners.
La Luna
Opening hours: 7 AM to 10 PM daily.
Location: After Hotel Plaza Yara.
Website: N/A.
It is part of the award-winning Gaia Hotel and Nature Reserve and one of Manuel Antonio’s best mid-range restaurants. The five-star restaurant offers the best views of Manuel Antonio, the Pacific Ocean, and the lush forests. La Luna’s staff will take you to the open-air restaurant on a golf cart at the top of the hill.
The restaurant offers Costa Rica’s local dishes, international cuisines, and cooking classes.
Its menu is vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Enjoy daily happy hour from 4 to 6 PM, with specials on tapas and drinks. It’s a famous restaurant in Manuel Antonio, and reservations are essential to avoid missing a table.
I recommend the Parmesan chicken or the ginger and panko-crusted tuna. Try their chicken alfredo, pork tenderloin, or grilled ribeye. Some of their best seafood includes.
- Shrimp Risotto
- Grilled Octopus
- Lobster Tail
- Seafood Linguine
- Ceviche
Most meals come with a bottle of wine from their extensive collection. Their skilled bartenders can also make signature cocktails, incorporating fresh fruits and herbs for a unique flavor. You’ll find their staff attentive to your needs.
El Patio de Café Milagro
Opening hours: 6.30 AM to 9.30 PM daily.
Location: Up the hill opposite Los Altos Resort.
Website: https://elpatiodecafemilagro.com/
It’s one of the town’s best cafes, serving Latin-American-inspired cuisine. You can have your breakfast at the cafe while enjoying their delicious coffee. El Patio de Café Milagro has house-roasted coffee beverages and serves the best coffee in Manuel Antonio. It has been around for more than 20 years.
In the late afternoon, enjoy delicious meals such as various seafood dishes with coconut rice. The grilled jumbo shrimp skewers are one of the restaurant’s specialties. They have plenty of gluten-free options. But the restaurant also serves the best Costa Rican dishes.
Don’t miss out on dinner at El Patio de Café Milagro. End your evening with the famous El Sapo Boracho cocktail. The lively bar scene features tropical cocktails and craft beers. If you visit in October, you’ll get dinner entrees at half the standard price. During the high season, there is live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
La Lambretta Pizzeria
Opening hours: 12–9 PM daily, but closes on Tuesday.
Location: Plaza Vista on the main road in Manuel Antonio.
Website: N/A
One of the best restaurants in Manuel Antonio, La Lambretta Pizzeria, has a coastal view and serves Italian wood-fired pizza. Unlike a traditional oven, the wood-fired ovens give the pizza a unique and delicious flavor. La Lambretta Pizzeria sits at the edge of a jungle and elevates above the tree line.
The restaurant specializes in desserts, pasta, salads, and all types of pizza. It’s next door to Cafe Emilio. You can order great baked desserts from there and have them at La Lambretta Pizzeria. Please make reservations if you are going for dinner during the weekend.
You can also get vegan and gluten-free pizza options at La Lambretta Pizzeria. The chef makes the pizza dough daily and bakes it in a traditional brick oven. They also have a great dessert menu with lots of yummy choices. Their service was so quick that we only had to wait 60 minutes for our pizza to be ready.
Playitas Beachfront Restaurant
Opening hours: 7 AM to 9 PM daily.
Location: Inside the Arenas Del Mar Hotel.
Website: arenasdelmar.com/playitas-beachfront-restaurant.
It is on the beach, and you can have meals overlooking the Pacific Ocean as you sink your toes in the sand. On hot days, the breeze from the ocean cools the air. The menu at the Playitas restaurant comprises meats, vegetables, and seafood, and the ingredients are freshly sourced. The main course includes a generous grilled catch for the day, served with vegetables.
Other popular options include a seafood platter, sea bass, grilled octopus, ceviche, and tuna tartare. The restaurant also offers excellent desserts and cocktails, such as coconut flan and chocolate lava cake. It has an extensive list of cocktails, wines, and beers. They also have a kid’s menu.
The service at Playitas Beachfront Restaurant is exceptional, and the staff is amiable. You can choose to have your dinner in the following environment:
- Costa Rican street food nights
- Beachside BBQ
- Private dinner on their secluded beach.
Join in the restaurant’s classic tortilla-making classes.
5 Best Restaurants in Quepos
Quepos is a small town on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast. It has a history as a fishing village, and its waters are a magnet for tuna, sailfish, and other seafood. Hence, most restaurants will have seafood on their menus.
Mangata Peruvian Restaurant
Opening hours: 12 12–10 PM daily, but closes on Monday.
Location: Main entrance to Boca Viejo, in front of the bus stop.
Website: menusqrcostarica.com/restaurante-mangata/
If you want a casual dining experience in Quepos, Mangata Peruvian restaurant is the best. The chef, Dan, who owns the restaurant, ensures you enjoy delicious and authentic Peruvian dishes. I recommend trying out their Lomo Saltado or any of the Chafas. Alternatively, try out their Peruvian Ceviche.
Some of the restaurant’s meals include:
| Main meals | Appetizers | Desserts |
| Tuna Tartar | Fried plantains with chicken Aji and guacamole | Fritters with ice cream |
| Fried panko | Yuca al Mojo | Brownie with ice cream |
| Octopus Tiradito | Tuna tostada | Suspiro Limeno |
| Tenderloin, chicken, and seafood | Shrimp tostada | |
| Pork Chicharron |
Soda Sanchez
Opening hours: 6.30 AM to 10 PM daily.
Location: A block after the Quepos bus station, opposite BCR bank.
Website: N/A.
Quepos has many casual sodas (traditional Costa Rican) restaurants. However, Soda Sanchez was my personal favorite. It serves excellent Costa Rican dishes at affordable prices.
You can have gallo pinto for breakfast and casado for lunch. Soda Sanchez also has fresh fruit smoothies, which cost around $1. However, you can also get burritos, pasta, or rice.
Some other great meals at Soda Sanchez include:.
- Grilled steak
- Quesadillas
- Fried bananas and vegetables
Soda Sanchez also serves the most tender beef steak in Quepos and offers free Wi-Fi for its guests. It also has excellent rice dishes, shredded beef, seafood, and hamburgers. Unlike some sodas, this particular one is spotless. It has chic seating, green plants, and wooden paneling.
The Runaway Grill
Opening hours: 7 AM to 10 PM daily.
Location: Marina Pez Vela.
Website: runawaygrill.com.
It’s one of the few places that offers to cook your catch of the day. Hence, if you have gone fishing and caught some seafood, visit the Runaway Grill and have the chef grill it for you. However, due to its conservation policy, the restaurant does not serve swordfish or marlin.
The restaurant overlooks the marina and offers one of the best views of Quepos. Its location on the marina makes it a favorite with fishermen after a day in the ocean. The Runaway Grill serves local dishes and various international cuisines and even offers comfort food for the ex-pats who migrated there.
The restaurant also serves excellent cocktails and has a kid’s menu.
Gabriella’s Steak Seafood & Pasta
Opening hours: 4–9 PM daily.
Location: Marina Pez Vela.
Website: gabriellassteakhouse.com.
Gabriella is one of the best steakhouses in Quepos. It is located on the seaside and has an elegant atmosphere with comfortable seating. But its meat is what will keep you going back. The steaks are juicy and tender, and the chef cooks them to perfection. The side dishes include creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, and sautéed vegetables.
Gabriella’s serves Costa Rican, Italian, and American cuisines. Its seafood options include shrimp scampi, lobster tail, snapper, and salmon. The restaurant’s extensive wine selection is one of its main attractions.
Gabriella serves 100% Angus and Wagyu steaks.
Cafetto
Opening hours: 6.30 AM to 10 PM, but closes on Sunday.
Location: In front of La Garza Shopping Center
Website: N/A.
It has the best and freshest coffee in Quepos. Cafetto is a coffee shop and restaurant. Their main focus is locally grown and roasted coffee. Cafetto serves delicious milkshakes, smoothies, and hot and iced coffee options.
However, the restaurant also serves some great meals. It is best for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. They also serve great sandwiches and burgers. If you prefer an American breakfast, they also serve great pancakes, waffles, wraps, and omelets. They also have delicious cakes. The vegetable panini and cajun chicken wrap can make a good lunch choice.
All the meals at the Cafetto come with fries. Free Wi-Fi and fans keep the restaurant cool on a hot day, making it comfortable to pull out your laptop and do some work.
Aside treating yourself to great Costa Rican meals, you should also enjoy the sun and sand with our guide to the 7 Best Beaches in Manuel Antonio
Conclusion
Manuel Antonio and Quepos have some great places to have your meals. Most will serve local and fresh ingredients, and some will even take the trouble to cook your catch for the day. Their prices are friendly, too.
About Michelle Schmidt
Born in California, Michelle traveled extensively through the USA and Europe before moving to South Florida during the pandemic. Her career in Marketing has taken her all across the world. Her favorite country is France but she'll never turn down a beach vacation!
