Closer to the beach is Howler’s Beach Lounge, an al fresco spot that has the best carpaccio and fish tacos in town, plus Costa Rican microbrews on tap. Sendero Kitchen brought in chef Oliver Palazzo to overhaul its menu with bright flavors and locally sourced ingredients, and it’s become one of the best spots in town for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks.
The best breakfast spot in town is Destiny Café & Restaurant, which is close to the beach and features inventive pastries. The smoothie bar at the Harmony Hotel is another local institution. For breakfast and lunch, the open air La Ventanita (“little window”) features fresh, local, healthy food that’s absolutely bursting with flavor, like the shrimp bowl with raw vegetable “noodles.” For seafood in laid-back setting Pacifico Azul does it just right; the mahi mahi is tender and perfectly seasoned. For authentic Tico (meaning Costa Rican) food, check out Celajes Restaurante; locally owned, its casados (traditional dinner plates featuring meat, veggies, beans, and rice) are the real deal. The same could be said for Almendros Cantina which is open for lunch and dinner and is a favorite among locals. Rosi Soda Tica (three locations around Nosara) is about as simple and authentic a Costa Rican lunch as you can get, if you just want a particularly delicious casado. And lastly, if you’re looking for a gorgeous sunset over the water, La Luna beachfront restaurant is the move, but come hungry because the portions are absolutely massive.
Kirsten Ellis/Sendero Hotel
Other hotels to stay at in Nosara
There are plenty of non-surf hotels in the area for those who prefer to just watch the waves. To the north of Surf Simply’s compound is the lovely Harmony Hotel. Each room comes with its own private back yard space with outdoor shower, breakfast, and a free daily yoga class in its lovely open-air studio. There’s also a pool, a meditation shala, a restaurant with full bar, and a lively juice bar and café that becomes one of the towns beloved hangs during the day. It’s only a two-minute walk to Playa Guiones, and they have plenty of boards you can borrow, too.
