6 Best Restaurants in Arenal, Monteverde, and the Northern Lowlands, Costa Rica

Celajes

$$$ Fodor's choice

In the wood-polished dining room of Hotel Belmar, this elegant restaurant, whose name means “sunset clouds,” is indeed the best place to admire the stunning views, with soft jazz and artisanal cocktails that set the tone for the farm-to-table menu. Start with the gorgeous cheese platter or the refreshing grilled-watermelon salad before moving on to the divine chicken stuffed with goat cheese, prosciutto, and spinach, and bathed in a white-wine-and-passion-fruit sauce. Although the tiramisu is big enough to share, after one bite you may suddenly become a little selfish. From 4:30 to 5:30, you can swing by for "Tico Time" featuring free appetizers, drink specials, and craft beers from their on-site microbrewery.

La Choza de Laurel

$$
The aroma of rotisserie chicken, porterhouse steak, and fresh fish bathed in garlic attracts passersby to this open-air restaurant a short walk from the center of town. Wooden picnic tables and a cigar shop storefront replicate an old Costa Rican village, adding a cultural touch to your meal. The menu is overwhelmingly large—as are portions—ranging from pastas and burgers to soups and salads.
Costa Rican Lunch Dinner $$
400 meters (1,312 feet) northwest of church, La Fortuna, Alajuela, 21007, Costa Rica
2479–7063
lachozadelaurel.com/en
Known For
  • banana splits served in a pineapple
  • Choza plate with chicken
  • black bean soup with homemade tortillas

Morpho's

$$
With its rain-forest murals, glass patios, and tree-stump tables, you’re never far from nature in this pleasant restaurant. Parsley potatoes, and creative sauces like pineapple curry, blue cheese, or bay-leaf-and-garlic sauce (a take on chimichurri) infuse the menu of flavorful chicken, pork, beef, or fish dishes.
Costa Rican Lunch Dinner $$
Santa Elena, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
2645–7373
Known For
  • friendly service
  • fresh salads
  • peanut butter pie

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Pollo Fortuneño

$

This bustling open-air eatery has an extensive menu, but they specialize in wood-fired chicken and ribs. It's worth a stop to grab a rotisserie chicken if your room has a mini-refrigerator or a barbecue picnic lunch for your hike. Other items include a mashup of Costa Rican cuisine (ceviche, chicken and rice) and American favorites like burgers and nachos.

Costa Rican Dinner Family Lunch $
Rte. 142, La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica
2479--7475
Known For
  • fall-off-the-bone ribs
  • delicious patacones (fried plantains) and dips
  • pollo

Rain Forest Café

$
Reasonable prices and excellent quality have made this café a traveler’s favorite, with meals ranging from churrasco (grilled meat) and empanadas to salads and sandwiches. There's typical Costa Rican casado (chicken, beef, or fish served with rice, beans, plantains, and salad) along with tempting desserts like chocolate pie, carrot cake, flan, and a variety of pastries. The free Wi-Fi and books-for-borrow might help you escape from reality, but the wall lined with bagged coffee for sale will remind you where you are.
Costa Rican Breakfast Lunch Dinner Quick Bite $
In front of Hotel Las Colinas, 125 meters (410 feet) south of park, La Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica
2479–7239
Known For
  • scrumptious macadamia cakes
  • local coffee
  • Crazy Monkey smoothie made with banana, milk, cinnamon, and coffee

Restaurante y Pizzería La Parada

$$

This locals' favorite late-night eatery (open until midnight) does a brisk business serving pizza, pasta, nachos, burgers, and grilled fish. There's a buffet, if you'd rather just point and choose. The reasonable prices and convenience make this local cafeteria one of the more frenzied spots in town, so look elsewhere if you want some peace with your meal. This is a convenient place to stock up on snacks for long bus rides. ("La Parada" refers to the bus stop.)