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!
