9 Best Restaurants in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

A romantic setting, ocean breezes, and a creative Italian menu make this the one of the most popular restaurants in Sámara. By day, rustic wooden tables are shaded by white sails strung between palms; by night, diners bask in the glow of white globe lamps and light-festooned trees. You can sit under a covered area or out on the sand. The soundtrack is trendy, and the food is good too. Gusto starts the morning at 8 with great espresso and croissants; the rest of the day, there are salads, burgers, Italian fries sprinkled with Parmesan and pepper, and, of course, pizzas. Service is efficient and executed with style. Menu prices do not include the obligatory 25% tax and service.

Located at Giada Hotel, poolside tables and ultrasophisticated cuisine make this Italian restaurant the best dining spot in Samara. Chef Gigio Palazzo prepares dishes with fresh local seafood, meat from sustainable farms, and organic-hydroponic produce. Start your experience with in-house cured pancetta with goat cheese, followed by mains like grass-fed tenderloin, organic duck breast, or homemade pork sausage. All breads, pastas, and pizzas are made from scratch, including the gluten-free favorites. Desserts are prepared fresh each day. The walls are enlivened by white fabrics and vibrant tropical-bird wallpaper in the cool interior. The attentive chef makes frequent appearances in the dining room and his enthusiasm is contagious. Service is polished and smooth. The restaurant is small and open for dinner from 5 to 11 daily.

Arty driftwood tables and sculpted chairs scattered along the rocky beach and an inventive Mediterranean menu have made this one of the most scenic, as well as one of the best, restaurants in the country for almost 30 years. The eclectic menu changes daily and features local seafood, lamb, beef, and even duck. The decor is funky with "found" art and hanging lamps, and the restaurant is most spectacular at night, when flickering lanterns combine with crashing surf to create a dramatic and romantic dinner experience. Daily pasta specials focus on seafood. Portions are plentiful and artistically presented on huge platters.  Don't pass up the velvety dark-chocolate tart if it’s on the dessert menu. The restaurant is sometimes open Saturday night, on the chef's whim; call ahead to find out.

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.

An ample selection of good Italian food, including crispy pizzas, decadent pastas, generous salads, and a lengthy Italian wine list (available by the glass, too), makes this sidewalk trattoria a good spot for lunch or dinner. Tuna carpaccio is a lighter option, or try the insalata caprese, with fresh basil. There's also a selection of local tico dishes and seafood. Unlike the checkered tablecloths you'd find elsewhere, here you have glass tabletops showcasing shells or plain wooden tables by the pool. Save room for a delicious mint-chocolate panna cotta.

Literally, the coolest place in town is this blissfully air-conditioned ice-cream parlor with an array of refreshing Italian gelato flavors, cool fruit smoothies, and milk shakes. It's airy and bright, with large windows looking onto the main street and an outdoor terrace. Lavazza coffee is served, along with homemade Italian savories, including toasted panini and bruschetta. This air-conditioned space in town makes a welcome retreat from the heat.

Head to this spot for the biggest pizzas in town in a large, roofed-over garden near Playa Pelada. The house pizza is thin crust with carrots, broccoli, olives, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, ham, and pepperoni. If you like it hot, dribble on some of the house specialty: red-hot flavored oil. You can watch your pizza being dressed, or choose from a full menu of salads, pasta, grilled fish, seafood, and meat—all done Italian-style. It's cheerful and hearty; no one leaves here still hungry. In high season there's sometimes live music at dinner.

A favorite local hangout, this rustic pizzeria has an outdoor clay oven and an open kitchen. There are 14 types of pizza, like the house special with goat cheese, pesto, and caramelized onions. They also serve salads and gluten-free pizzas, as well as barbecued meats from the pizza oven (with 24 hours’ notice). If you can’t find a pizza that sounds good, you can build your own from a list of toppings. As the area’s top local hangout, the place gets packed, so plan to enjoy some sangria while you wait for your food and bill.

Two Italian brothers offer well-prepared Italian classics and thin-crust pizza, as well as some interesting seafood dishes like tuna tartare and tagliolini with crab in a cream sauce. For dessert there's an intriguing panna cotta or classic tiramisu. If it's a romantic night, try to get a table outside next to the fountain, and be sure to check out the selection of Italian wines. There's live music at least once a week. For those lazy evenings after a day at sea, you can call the restaurant and request delivery.