Guari Guari

My favorite place hands down in Bocas del Toro was the awesome little restaurant Guari Guari. It is a small house located across a beach on the outskirts of town where all the tables are on the front verandah. The restaurant probably seats 20-30 people so a reservation is definitely a must if you're only in town for a few days ( the first two nights we wanted were booked up). While making the reservation we were asked if we had allergies and do if we have any major food dislikes. This kind of personalization is the mark of a good evening to come. Guari Guari tailors its always changing menu to its guests, which has a great way of making you feel special and at home. For $25 you get six courses (including dessert) made by the chef/owner and you are served by the very attentive co-owner, Ozzie. The food was outstanding, especially when you consider where you are in the world: a tiny little chain of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Ozzie informed us that sometimes they don't have electricity or food shipments brought in. This is not New York City, folks.  


For our six courses we were served: a smooth gazpacho with cucumber puree swirl, hummus covered in pimento, sesame seeds and olive oil served with warm pita bread, tuna cake with a spicy aioli, thai marinated chicken with a sweet chili sauce and for the main course a perfectly cooked pork tenderloin with a whole grain mustard wine sauce, roasted potatoes and a cold carrot puree. Dessert was a classic flan with a hint of coconut served with a "siren" chocolate sauce. Everything was amazing! I still dream about how perfect the pork tenderloin was. 

If you're a foodie and end up in Bocas del Toro, this tiny restaurant is a must. You will have outstanding service by Ozzie and what feels like your own personal chef busting out great dishes all for $25 a person. I dare anyone to find a better deal than that!

Rock La Casbah!

La Casbah is a great restaurant to check out while in Bocas del Toro. It is located at the far end of the main strip as you are headed out of town. It has a great outdoor seating area on the road to people watch and you can still see what is going on in the open-air kitchen. Best of both worlds for me. The restaurant was pretty full when we arrived and the host/owner/only server seemed to have his hands very full. But this must be a common occurrence because he is on top of his game with a full house. We felt fully attended to the whole meal, which is not common in a lot of places in Central America. Even hunting down a very cool bag of ice to chill off the warm red wine (wine connoisseurs don’t be offended- its hot here, we like chilled red wine). We started off with three appetizers: Gazpacho, dates wrapped in bacon and tuna Carpaccio. All three were great! Anything wrapped in bacon is always a good choice and the crispy bacon with the sweet dates was an easy home run. The gazpacho was creamy and nicely balanced the sherry vinegar and sweet tomato flavor. It came with a side of croutons and diced red onion and red and green peppers. I like the idea of adding crispy elements to the smooth base. The tuna Carpaccio was served with red onion, green peppers, Parmesan, tomatoes, basil and good olive oil. The flavors were all there and strangely did not overwhelm the thinly sliced tuna. If anything the dish needed a bit more citrus and fresh ground pepper. We forged on with main dishes of sole (fish of the day) served with a cucumber coconut sauce and the house special of Greek chicken, which is stuffed with goat cheese and prunes and topped with a sundried tomato sauce. The chicken was nicely cooked (not dried out which restaurants tend to do when stuffing) and the sundried tomato sauce paired well with the prunes but the goat cheese was lost amongst the strong flavors. I enjoyed this entrée over the fish of the day though. Sole is a very delicate fish and it needs a light non-overbearing sauce. Serving the creamy and heavy coconut cucumber sauce with a heartier fish would be divine but the sole was bogged down. But with the great preparations of all the other dishes this just entices me to go back one day and try the next fish of the day. While in Bocas del Toro you must try La Casbah! Even just for appetizers and wine, it’s a great restaurant! 

Welcome to Panama!!

Crossing the border from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica to the archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Panama was no easy task. Granted we hired a van, crossed a bridge that should have been out of commission years ago (Don’t look down is a good mantra), trekked through a single lane wheat and banana field “road” with sixteen wheelers competing for space (think I-95 traffic in the middle of a farm), got packed into a tiny boat with a slightly over confident captain who charged at giant waves like we were on a navy vessel and all of this in the down pouring rain but we made it! Bocas del Toro, Panama. And to be honest- I love the adventure of traveling in Costa Rica- it always makes for interesting stories.

Our first pit stop was a random local bar and restaurant called The Pirate (easily found on the main strip due to the giant pirate head on top of the restaurant). The food is nothing great but it quieted our hunger pangs. We had arroz con pollo (Caribbean style is made with coconut milk) and fried fish with patacones (fried plantains). The meal was cheap and easy and something to tide us over before we headed to dinner at El Ultimo Refugio.

El Ultimo Refugio, on the other hand, was exactly the type of restaurant I anticipated on this trip. The restaurant sits directly on the water and with its mix of reggae and hippie ambiance (hemp tarps on the ceiling, bamboo laden walls, chill reggae beats) I felt immediately calm sitting down for dinner. The chalkboard written menu changes daily (depending on what’s fresh) and it was difficult to choose just one thing to order. A well-written menu always makes for tough choices. We decided to start with deviled eggs as I have yet to see them on a menu in Central America and was intrigued. There were two deviled eggs for each of us and one was topped with salty caviar and the other with bacon and celery. I’m a huge deviled egg fan and these were done extremely well (although cannot beat my BF’s mother’s recipe). And for $1.50 for an appetizer, you just cannot go wrong. For our main course my BF ordered mahi-mahi with spicy pineapple salsa and I ordered curry chicken. The mahi was cooked well and flanked with coconut rice in the shape of a fish, and perfectly sautéed veggies. One thing I have found in Central America is that restaurants really know how to cook side veggies well. They are never soggy or uncooked, always a lovely al-dente. My curry chicken was to-die-for. Having grown up in a country with a 50% Indian population, I tend to be a harsh curry critic. But this curry chicken was succulent and seasoned well with a hint of coconut in the sauce and the typical rice and veggies were a nice compliment. I was truly happy with this meal. The service wasn’t overly nice but was very fast which is unheard of in these parts. Pair all this with a $15 bottle of red wine and we were all smiles. El Ultimo Refugio is the real Bocas deal. 

La Pecora Nera

Finding decent Italian food in Costa Rica is comparable to my sister’s quest to find an ocelot while visiting here. It can be done but it is fairly difficult  (if craving great ravioli see blog on Dragon Fly Bar and Grill). Our first night in Puerto Viejo our lovely hostess recommended an Italian restaurant called La Pecora Nera (translation: the black sheep).  Many times I have been recommended great Italian places here and none of them have been above par, so with skepticism I set out to find Pecora Nera. Set back from the one main road in Puerto Viejo, it is a fairly large bamboo open air restaurant filled with beautiful wooden tables and giant wooden chairs that make you feel very regal. At the gated entrance we were greeted by extremely large geese and by the chef/owner of the place. Due to our tardy arrival (9:30pm) the chef told us that the kitchen was open but some things were not available to order. He rattled off a bunch of items were and as our attention spans at this hour were short, we let the chef bring us one appetizer and two entrees of his choice. The meal started with an amuse bouche of flatbreads and crostini served with a herb aioli. Our appetizer was a shrimp carpaccio served on thinly sliced star fruit with tomatoes, garlic and oregano and then drizzled in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a sweet citrus juice. This was by far my favorite part of the meal. The chef brought out a pizza with fresh arugula, tomatoes, parmesan and prosciutto and it tasted great. Its not the best pizza I’ve had in Costa Rica (the search still continues) but I will never turn down this traditional flavor combo. Our second entrée was goat cheese ravioli in a homemade marinara sauce. Usually goat cheese served in any dish is a favorite of mine but unfortunately the marinara sauce was over salted and took away from the delicate homemade raviolis. This was a disappointment but I could see the well meant intentions of the chef (chefs have bad days too). Try La Pecora Nera if in the neighborhood and make sure to order the shrimp carpaccio. 

Best. Steak. Ever.

If you put the word Argentinian in front of steak you are usually guaranteed a pretty damn good piece of meat and El Refugio Grill proves this theory. The intimate 25 top restaurant nestled in the jungle of Puerto Viejo is run by an Argentinian couple. Soledad runs the front of the house while her husband mans the grill. The menu is short but enticing. And the service by Soledad is top notch. We settled on the house malbec and guacamole and chips to start. The guacamole was good, although needed a touch more citrus and the house made fried tortilla chips were crisp and fresh. There was an entrée portion of pulpitos al pimenton which is grilled mini octopus served with garlicky potatoes in a smoked paprika sauce and they happily made it an appetizer portion for us. This dish was a close second best compared to the skirt steak. The octopus was grilled to perfection (a not-so-easy feat in the culinary world). We followed our appetizers with one order of the Argentinian skirt steak and an order of the grilled tuna. The tuna was served with a fresh garlic and parsley mixture (similar to a persillade) and fresh cut steak fries. The tuna was cooked to medium (my choice) and the table salsa with jalapenos was a nice compliment. This tuna dish at any other restaurant would have been a great order but did not come close to the amazing steak. In the future I would order two steaks because the BF and I came close to shedding blood over it. The traditional chimichurri sauce was an amazing salty compliment to the perfect medium skirt steak. If you find yourself in Puerto Viejo and only have time for one dinner, this is the place to go. I left the restaurant floating in foodie heaven. True story. 

Don't waste your moola!!

I am a self admitted travel guide junky. I have read my Costa Rica tour books cover to cover at least twice. I fully admit to reading (and believing) Trip Advisor almost daily. I believe I am a pro at reading through the bullshit reviews and the people, like me, who mean what they say. When I decided to travel to the Carribean coast of Costa Rica you would not believe the tireless hours I spent researching restaurants, places to visit, what hotels to book, etc. My BF thinks I'm borderline crazy when I do this. Just picking a new restaurant to try requires a search for my online foodie recommendations and since my BF's motto in life is "live easy"he doesn't understand my need for strangers approval on the places I go. Two places that came highly recommended for our trip to Puerto Viejo was Maxi's and Soda Tamara. The first being the place to get lobster and the second being a place where the locals like to eat. My guide books hailed them as places to not miss while on the Caribbean. I went to both and I will have to disagree with them. 


Maxi's has a great ambiance and very reggae caribbean feel to it. Its on the beach at the end of the road in Manzanillo and I think its definitely something you should see while in the area but food wise it didn't impress me. From blogs and guidebooks, the lobster here was supposed to be unbelievable. I ordered it at a little over $30 and I wish I hadn't wasted my money. The presentation with the full lobster shell is impressive but the meat was overcooked and tough. The only thing I genuinely liked on it was the light curry with onion sauce it was smothered in. We also ordered the rondon soup (its whatever the chef can "run down" and it usually consists of a meat, fish, vegetable combo) and the flavor was there but there wasn't many edible pieces in it.  I felt like I was scavenging for food amongst bones but the spicy coconut flavor of the broth slightly made up for that. Maxi's was overpriced and not nearly as good as people say. I would have much rather had beers and just enjoyed the beach view and Bob Marley ambiance.


Soda Tamara is supposed to be a local hotspot and not only did I only see tourists in there but the prices weren't really the local prices I expected. I ordered arroz con camarones (rice and shrimp caribbean style is made with coconut milk and differs from the rest of Costa Rica) and my fellow friends ordered fish, beans and rice. The portions were great but the food was just so-so. Nothing that you HAVE to try while in the Caribbean. I'll stick to my local sodas on the Pacific coast where prices are great and the food is comforting. 


My guidebooks, online reviewers and foodies have let me down on these two places. I'd skip them on your next visit to Puerto Viejo. There is much better food to be had. (read future blog posts)

Koorigan Lodge

It says something about your lifestyle if you go on a trip, take a nap and in your dream you are tirelessly looking for a wifi connection. This is exactly what happened during our trip to the more remote area of Puerto Viejo, well Punta Uva to be exact. I have traveled quite a bit, probably a majority, of Costa Rica but I have never ventured to the Caribbean coast and upon my arrival to my B&B at the Koorigan Lodge and during my much needed siesta, I dreamed of what I could not find: WiFi. Coming from the generation that has a need to check Facebook and email every time we go anywhere, staying in a hotel without internet is kind of a struggle (sorry to my boyfriend who could not check to see if his fantasy team made it to the final round of the playoffs).  But Koorigan Lodge relieved this generational issue by the sheer beauty of the area. Who needs Facebook updates when I’ve got a jungle surrounding me?  The Koorigan Lodge is nestled among the giant trees and gorgeous vegetation of Punta Uva and the B&B owners, Ingrid and Erwan are amongst the kindest people we have met in our travels. They genuinely care about their guests. And better yet, they genuinely care to feed their guests. Breakfast always starts with fresh bread or chocolate croissants, yogurt and homemade granola, tea or coffee and a plate of fresh fruit. This is followed up with eggs of your preference and bacon or sausage. By the time lunch rolls around, you aren’t even hungry, even after we did a morning of hiking (in the rain). There are a ton of great places to stay while on the Caribbean coast but the Koorigan Lodge creates a true sense of home and a breakfast your mama would make. 

Dragonfly Bar & Grill

As a chef the first question people inevitably ask me is: What is your specialty? And I usually spout some answer about how I never had a job that focused me on what particular type of food and therefore my range of cooking is varied. But the real answer is that my specialty is and always has been: pasta. Even before culinary school took hold of me and my cooking I cooked pasta dishes like a pro. And this isn't me bragging (well maybe a little) because if you know me I rarely love what I cook but pasta has always had my heart and taste buds from an early age. I attribute this love of Italian carbs to my very first job as a babysitter at the young age of 11 (side note: who leaves their children with an 11-year-old?). I babysat for a family who used to live in Italy for four years and their mother made the most amazing pasta dishes and I quickly learned from her and haven't stopped making pasta and Italian dishes since. A creamy pasta dish with mushrooms with a side of a Shake Shack burger would probably be my last meal if I were on death row. And the place I would have create my heavenly mushroom pasta meal would be The Dragonfly in Tamarindo. Their combination of wild mushrooms, cream, a hint of sherry and perfectly al-dente raviolis filled with spinach and ricotta and then topped with parmesan is out-of-this-world delicious. I have been to this restaurant twice and ordered it both times and both times I have wanted to order a second helping. It is truly a dish made for me. To boot the other dishes my boyfriend and I have ordered are always presented with style and have flavor profiles that wow the senses. On our last venture to Dragonfly the BF ordered a special of sea bass with grilled fennel and a citrus sauce on top of a medley of couscous with a side of tzatziki and sautéed green olives. As always with Dragonfly, he was not disappointed. We also ordered a starter of corn and jalapeno fritters, which were good, but on the heavy side and probably not something I would order again. Dragonfly has not yet let me down and it is somewhere you should experience if staying near Tamarindo. This restaurant is considered a little more upscale (including the price) but if you're looking for a place for a great date night (hint, hint BF) or to wow the family, look no further! 

Website: http://www.dragonflybarandgrill.com/index.htm

*The online menu does not have the ravioli dish for some reason but as of a couple weeks ago it was on the restaurant menu

Get to a Lola's ASAP

It is quite rare you find a restaurant where ambiance and food are perfectly combined for a fanstastic meal but Lola’s in Playa Danta (and Playa Avellanas for that matter) does just that. I have had a hand full of meals at the original Playa Avellanas Lola’s and craving their fish and chips made me venture out to the new location in Playa Danta. Driving out to Playa Danta from Playa Grande was a wee bit of a hike and as the road is literally in the process of being laid out and paved, can be a sort of treacherous climb at times. But making the trek is worth the result.  As you pull into the guarded parking lot (which is a bonus when traveling in Costa Rica) there is a little bridge that crosses you over in the land of Lola’s. With a very similar layout to the original with all wooden tables and funky modern wooden beach chairs, the only thing missing is Lola herself. Lola’s is named after a giant pig who lives at Playa Avellanas and can sometimes be seen frolicking in the waves in front of the restaurant; hence the wooden outline of a pig on their sign. Walking into the seating area of Lola’s is immediately calming as all tables are shaded by the tall trees or umbrellas and all have an amazing view of the Danta beach within a few steps of where you eat. The Lola’s menu is very precise and what I love about it is that in its conciseness it covers all ranges of cravings. If you want something on the healthier side they have seared tuna salads or if you’re craving something heartier you can have a cheeseburger or fish and chips. My go-to is always the fish and chips and if I’m super hungry, I make my boyfriend share a pesto pizza with me. Their pizza is thin crust and the pesto sauce with whole pine nuts, parmesan and fresh tomato slices is amazing. Today I opted for just fish and chips and like always was not at all disappointed. They use dorado (mahi mahi) for their battered fish and thick cut fries. It is served with homemade zingy tartar sauce , ketchup (completely unnecessary with the perfect tartar sauce) and a side salad with a citrus vinaigrette. It has been two hours since the meal and I am still full, but a happy full. My boyfriend ordered the seared tuna salad which is served with a sesame seed herb crème fraiche and it was out of this world. I might even be convinced to order it next time. There really is nothing else to say except add Lola’s to your to-do list while traveling in Costa Rica. My sisters still hail the Avellanas location as their favorite memory of Costa Rica. Stop reading this and just get there! 

Pura Vida Ride

Pura Vida Ride is not a destination for food. It’s where you go to rent stand up paddleboards, bikes and kayaks. Located in Playa Danta (about a 20 minute drive north of Flamingo) next to Lola’s and inside the gorgeous Las Catalinas compound, Pura Vida Ride is definitely a place to check out if you’re interested in trying stand up paddleboarding. As my boyfriend and I have our own boards which are strapped onto our little Toyota Yaris, we ventured to Pura Vida Ride solely because we heard good things and wanted to check it out. As we are both early risers in Costa Rica (I swear you cannot sleep in here if you tried) we headed off to PVR in search of a cool spot to paddleboard. Arriving at 8am, nothing was open. At this point I was starving and if you know me, you know hunger and I are not pals. As my crankiness started to set in, I was happily (and luckily for my boyfriend) distracted by the huge family of howler monkeys playing in the trees overhead. By 9am Pura Vida Ride opened and to my great surprise they had a café inside. Being a non-coffee drinker (I drink maybe 4 iced coffees a year when in dire need of caffeine) I was unsure of what to order. The board was filled with different types of cappuccinos, mocha this and espresso that. But watching Jake make his French presses and use his fancy Italian machine with such precision, made me want to drink an iced coffee- hazelnut  flavored for that matter. And I swear, it was the best iced coffee I’ve ever had. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts aren’t even in this league. Sitting at their little tables out front and having the monkeys playing over head while sipping on this delicious libation, waves crashing on the beach ahead of us: this was my favorite morning here, thus far. It also can’t hurt that Jake made homemade pumpkin, pecan, chocolate chip bread that morning and it was still warm when I ate it. Amazing.

If you’re looking for a new adventure in the Guanacaste area, rent a paddleboard from this place and snorkel at the end of the bay like we did. Not only did a giant ridley turtle stalk us while we paddled (highlight of my life) but the people, the vibe, the bread and the coffee at Pura Vida Ride are worth the trip. 

Website: http://www.puravidaride.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaRide

Abuela's: the place to be on Sunday nights

Abuela’s, meaning grandmother’s, is a sort of pop up restaurant in the heart of Playa Grande town. The “restaurant” is located at the MarBar every Sunday from 4 to 9pm or until the food sells out. Abuela’s menu is based on Mexican fare and is small but precise. Every week there is a featured food item and this past Sunday was shredded red chilli pork. You have the option of having them in two tacos or two enchiladas and there is also a main plate of the day using the featured item. Abuela’s also offers vegetarian options for those veggie lovers out there so don’t let the featured protein deter you.

 There are a few appetizers typical of Mexican joints- queso fundido, guacamole, tio G’s famous salsa and chips, etc. I opted for the queso fundido and being a queso lover, was thoroughly impressed with the fundido which had a slightly spicy taste but was offset by the delicious sausage and tomatoes in it. It is served with two warm tortillas which is not enough to eat the entire mini bowl of queso so you are left to eat the melted cheese with a spoon, which is just fine by me. For the main course I chose the two soft tacos with shredded pork and was delighted to see that they came in actual human portions. As hip taco bars are now the new cool restaurant to open in my suburbia of New York City, I have become accustomed to mini sized corn tortillas barely filled and because they denote items such as charred poblanos and pickled red onions it is fair to charge crazy amounts for a two bite taco. The tacos at Abuela’s were perfectly filling. My boyfriend ordered the enchiladas which were also good but as I am not a huge enchilada fan (thanks to an old executive chef who made me make hundreds a week) I’d go with the tacos over the enchiladas. The shredded pork was super tasty, not the least bit dry (as pork can sometimes be) and had a hint of spice which was nicely balanced with the cabbage slaw, pico de gallo and queso blanco served on top. My only downfall to the entrée was that the side of Mexican style rice with corn was very dry. But to be honest it was not missed on the plate. The two tacos and the queso fundido was worth the trip to Abuela’s alone and I have not even touched on the specialty cocktails and dessert, both of which were excellent. We had the churros with caramel sauce for dessert (I NEVER turn down churros anywhere) and although they were not a true Mexican style churro which tends to be super light and airy- they were delicious; almost like eating a friend doughnut/pancake. Be aware that the caramel sauce is not very thick and tends to drip, as my skirt caught most of those drips but if you’re a dessert person as I am, order it!

Abuela’s serves beers, house special sangria and a margarita of the day which happened to be sunrise margaritas (a take on tequila sunrises but margaritas style). All cocktails were delicious and I happen to be a huge fan of anyone that can do sangria well and Abuela’s certainly does. I recommend coming here on the earlier side as Alyssa (one of the co-chefs and servers, who also happens to own Senorita Casitas www.senoritacasitas.com -the best place to get your Playa Grande rentals) says they do tend to sell out and we arrived around 6pm which was right before a crowd showed up. The margaritas sold out while we ate at the bar and by the time we left around 7:30, the food was more than half way gone.

The service and food at Abuela’s certainly does make you feel like you are at your grandmother’s having a great meal. And as our entire dinner for two (shared appetizer, two entrees, shared dessert, including many cocktails and beers) came to only $36. You can’t beat that!! Check out Abuela’s on Sundays at the Marbar and like them out on Facebook to see what the featured menu items are: http://www.facebook.com/#!/abuelaspg. 

Who knew?

Driving down the roads (some barely deserve to be in the “road” category) in Costa
Rica you inevitably pass produce vendors in small shanties selling their sandias (watermelons), pipas frias (cold coconut water), naranjas (oranges), limons (lemons) or what have you. I rarely stop unless forced by hunger; and not because I don’t love street produce (I happen to love all street anything) but more so because there tend to be a few vendors within feet of each other all selling the exact same items and I feel guilty spending money at one over another. Therefore in Costa Rica I tend to buy produce at outdoor markets or at the super Mercado. But today as I was driving I happened upon a man selling fruit out of the back of his truck in the town of Playas del Coco.  As I had just finished a grocery run I was definitely not in the market (pun intended) for any more fruits or vegetables, but a pile of red fruit caught my eye and I yelled at my boyfriend to stop the car. As I approached the truck filled with cantaloupe and this spiky red fruit, I was running through a mental list of what this random red unknown could be. Nothing came to mind. For the normal person this is completely acceptable but for someone who has a culinary degree and spends majority of their day pondering what to eat or cook next- this was just not cutting it. How had I never seen this before? Not even on some Anthony Bourdain-esque food show. So I ask the guy, “que es esto?”  (the extent of my Spanish knowledge). And he grabs one, twists and rips the top off, revealing a white opaque flesh inside. “Lychee nut” he says. Now I have eaten and cooked with the lychee fruit, added it to salads, enjoyed many a martini made with their nectar and sampled lychee sake but in all that time it was either out of a bottle, a can, or a jar. I was always under the assumption that the lychee fruit (called a nut by the seller but nut allergists rejoice, it is not at all related to nuts) looked somewhat how it looked in a can when in nature. To be honest, I’d really never thought a moment past, hmm this tastes good when it comes to lychees so for all you people out their wondering a) what does a lychee fruit look like in nature and b) does its spiky exterior make for difficult eating. Here is a picture to answer question A and question B is answered by my boyfriend driving and eating them (something he rarely does; he thinks eating in cars is equivalent to eating on the toilet). Super easy to rip in half and pop the sweet flesh in your mouth. Avoid eating or swallowing the pit and you will be in lychee heaven. And for all you health freaks- the lychee nut is only 125 calories per cup, has more antioxidant Vitamin C than oranges or lemons and is filled with potassium and fiber. If you ever find them NOT in a can, jar or bottle, eat them! Worth the pull-over.

PS Did you know hearts of palm actually come from the inside of young palm trees? Good to know if you’re stuck on a deserted island.

Soda Las Palmas

Costa Rica is definitely not known for their diverse food culture and a prominent food history but there are certain items you can find at just about any Costa Rican restaurant such as arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), gallo pinto (rice with beans), fried yucca, etc. One of my absolute favorite places near where I live has all these items and more. It is sort of off the beaten path in area of Villa Real just east of Tamarindo and if I had a great sense of direction I’d tell you exactly how to get there but this is all I’ve got: as you drive away from Tamarindo on the main road you eventually come to a main street where you can go right or left, take a right (this is all Villa Real) and after driving about ¾ of a mile you will see a field and school on your left and there will be an awkward left turn that will bring you behind the field and on the right hand side of that street you will find the Costa Rican jewel: Soda las Palmas. 

The restaurant is only open for lunch and features a buffet and drinks. The Soda (Costa Rican restaurant) is an open air design and the space can fill up quick at peak lunch hours. For those of you who are not so great at Spanish (like me) you can just point to the items that look appealing and they will pile up the plate for you. My ideal plate if they have the items that day is: arroz con pollo, the purple colored potato salad (its beets and potatoes), the amazing fresh salsa, the shredded chicken in a light red sauce and fried yucca or plantains. Bring your appetite as the servings are very big and sometimes I run wild piling up the plate. Last week when I went, I shared a plate with my boyfriend and felt full but not bloated like I usually am after a plate to myself. On the table there are onions in a vinegar hot sauce and if you like serious spice, add some to your plate- I love them! There is also the typical Lizano on every table but not in the usual bottle so taste test the sauce before dumping it on your food; two are very spicy. 

To quench your thirst all of the fresh juices are unbelievably good and refreshing. My boyfriend happens to hate the carrot juice so if you fall into that category, avoid the dark orange colored juice. I happen to love it and it’s my favorite, so to each his/her own. I don’t know what they do to the juices but they are truly refreshing and, if possible, make the meal even better. Don’t avoid the juices just because they’re made with tap water. I drink tap water all the time down here and have never had an issue. 

Soda las Palmas is the one of the few places I crave when I am back in the United States. Besides the true local vibe of the place, the food is the most Costa Rican you can get and with a giant plate and drink costing between $6-10 (depending on how much you pile on) it is beyond worth it!