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

You can usually count on good food at this second-story restaurant in the trees. You can get wild with crocodile fingers, or try something more familiar, like the handmade pizzas. There are several vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free options on the menu. Presentation is always beautiful, and service is efficient and friendly.

At El Mangroove’s trendy poolside restaurant, guests can dine with a glimpse of the ocean or head indoors to the more formal dining room enclosed in glass. Most ingredients are locally grown, and nearly every item on the menu is organic, including the grass-fed beef. Start with red snapper carpaccio with grapefruit and fennel, or the seared scallops with caramelized cauliflower. Signature entrées include cavatelli pasta with grilled octopus, and the remarkably tender ribs served with apple-jalapeño puree. Portions are small, which means you may have room for the chocolate cheesecake. The mosquitoes are enough to ruin your meal, so wear long pants or dine indoors.