Top Restaurants in Mal Pais
Top Things to do in Mal Pais
Most Popular South American food in Mal Pais, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Discover Restaurants offering the best South American food in Mal Pais, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Near the southernmost tip of Peninsula de Nicoya, Mal Pais offers rocky coves, white sand beaches, waterfalls, rainforests, surfing, and relaxation near a remote fishing village and Cabo Blanco National Park. The prime attraction is surfing at beaches like Playa Mar Azul, Playa Santa Teresa, Playa Manzanillo, and Playa Carmen. Plus there is fishing, boating, snorkeling, diving, hiking, horseback riding, biking, and 4-wheel drive touring. A 4-wheel drive vehicle comes in handy for navigating unpaved roads in this still mostly wild area, particularly during the rainy season. Though locals zip around on quad bikes and motorcycles transporting their surfboards. Allow the better part of a day driving from San Jose Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) to Mal Pais. Budget extra time to board the car ferry from Puntarenas across the Golfo de Nicoya to Paquera on the Peninsula de Nicoya. Or take the short flight from San Jose to Tambor Airport (TMU), and be within an hour of Mal Pais. Some Mal Pais beaches have little sand, and judging point break direction and swell size requires surfing acumen. A Mal Pais surf camp may be perfect for family members wanting to learn to read the surf better. Santa Teresa’s beaches have more white sand, and point breaks like Suck Rock are almost legendary among surfers flocking here when the seas around Playa Carmen get too rough. Playa Carmen has enough variety to accommodate all levels of surfers, but the swells can get too rough and too frequent to get out during the rainy season. A bit to the north, with waters calmed by a rock jetty, Playa Manzanillo is known for its annual sand castle competition.
Things to do in Mal Pais
10. Isla Coco's Bar & Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 95 reviews
It is a pleasant place , open-air .... Our products come from handcrafted providers being of the highest quality .
Reviewed By EdPhoto
We stopped in at Isla Coco's for lunch. It was a Saturday and we arrived 30 minutes early, before the 12 noon opening time. A waitress came out and offered us a table and served us drinks while we relaxed and waited for the staff to get organized. We ordered fish (tuna) tacos and whole red snapper. The food was prepared perfectly and quite good.Hola , muchas gracias por su recomendación, nos complace saber que fue de su agrado..!!Gracias de parte de nuestro personal..!
9. Referee's Pub & Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 56 reviews
Reviewed By lifeinthetopbunk
This sports bar was open for the Women's World Cup final at 9:00 am on a Sunday, so I was happy! They have a good selection of international beers, a great-looking menu (cheaper too than most of the restaurants downtown), and an excellent sound system with TVs throughout the bar. The friendly bartenders and atmosphere made me feel immediately at home.
8. Cafe Escondido
Overall Ratings
5 based on 49 reviews
Fresh Local Food ... Typical Costa Rican Dishes... International Family Favourites... Healthy Options... Wood Fired Brick Pizza Oven...cafe Vibe By Day - Atmospheric By Night ... Spectacular Views All Day Every Day.
Reviewed By mattg201797
Weâre staying at the Monteverde Inn, which is the same property as Cafe Escondido. The food here is so good!... weâve ate in town, and itâs totally not up to scratch compared to Cafe Escondido. Traditional pizza oven , fantastic views, great service and cooking from Gustavo and Helen .. I had steak tonight , and wifey had chicken fajitas. Kids loved it too. Romantic, with family or with pals for a few beers , itâs great!... thanks guys..
7. Vista Hermosa B&B Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 62 reviews
Please Call ahead to Book!!! We are a small 24 seat restaurant with a warm friendly atmosphere offering exceptional friendly service. We purchase the best quality and freshest products available. All of our beef is USDA Choice. Our top sellers are Baby Ba
Reviewed By timwood69
Went here on 23rd March while staying at Tango Mar. I phoned Judy to make a reservation on the day and she kindly picked us up (and took us back) The food was excellent particularly the steak which was one of the best I have ever eaten. Judy and her staff were friendly and attentive, the bar area and the eating area are beautiful, wine was good too definitely our best meal in Costa Rica I cannot recommend it highly enough. I was very angry at the 1 star review that was put on on the day we visited by someone who had made no reservation and got lost ( but didn't think to phone!) this place is beautiful but off the beaten track and if no one has made reservations then it doesn't open. Believe me this place deserves to be the no 1 restaurant in Tambor and the reviews are true. Thank you Judy for a great last night in Tambor.
6. Restaurante Arrecifes
Overall Ratings
4 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By HikerBob66
We were in Monteverde without a car, so we taxied to Arrecifes, taking our host's recommendation. It's out of the town center on a very un-glamorous road so our view was of trucks and motorcycles as darkness fell. Although it was open from noon, our 5:30 arrival was obviously too early and service was slow for us, the only diners in the restaurant. At 6 a waiter showed up and then another couple. The food was satisfying although not cheap.
5. The Papaya Lounge Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 131 reviews
Reviewed By sarahYjan
We stayed at moana lodge for 3 nights, papaya lounge is the hotel restaurant. The first night we had dinner at the restaurant, the ocean views are amazing (high climb to the restaurant but 100% worth it!). The frensh bartender makes delicious cocktails and does a great job! Happy hour is from 4 till 6 perfect for watching the sunset! The food is oké, but little pricy, its a tapas concept so you can taste a lot of everything. Some or better then others, we loved the fresh calamari with home made sauce. The food itself was overall too salty. I self use a lot of salt while cooking at home, but the food in papaya lounge was really toooo much salted. Otherwise the dishes were perfect! The 2nd and 3th night of our stay the restaurant was closed, which was not so pleasant while we had no transportation. I couldn't understand because breakfast was served in the morning! it couldn't be that hard to make something for a few couples, if you can bake eggs in the morning you can improvise a little menu too! We enjoyed the food in town more, and for the same money you get better food! For cocktails tough its 100% recommended !
4. Soda La Amistad
Overall Ratings
4 based on 477 reviews
The best traditional and typical. Fast food: Veggie burgers and fries, hamburgers with meat, chicken sandwich, meat, cheese and ham, Nachos and more. Casado with Chicken, Bistek, meat sauce, fish. Spaghetti with meat and garlic bread and spaghetti with ve
Reviewed By KaZThisisproaging
We happened on this quaint, small, but friendly soda and are SO glad we did. We got our usual cascados and they were plenty of well cooked, perfectly seasoned, and delicious dishes. I even got my favorite Tamarindo drink!! The ladies couldn't be nicer and were fine with me speaking in my broken but heartfelt Spanish. They don't rush you. They make you feel at home. There are plenty of other sodas in the area but this cottage-industry, small-run soda definitely is worth your time, your appetite and your money. Incredibly reasonable prices!
3. Restaurante De Lucia
Overall Ratings
4 based on 229 reviews
Restaurante De Lucia is one of the oldest and most renown restaurants in the Monteverde area with a little over 22 years since it opened it's doors to the public. It's a family owned business with a friendly and comfortable environment and a very nice loc
Reviewed By Don. T
Restaurante de lucia is a bit off the well traveled tourist road but definitely worth the short way on a dirt road. It is a quiet lovely, uncluttered dining room and our waiter was just the right amount attentive, available but not hover-y. However, what brings me to writing this review is that they have the best fish tacos I have ever eaten. Generous servings of pan fried to perfection, very fresh fish.
2. Restaurante Sofia
Overall Ratings
4 based on 297 reviews
Reviewed By TBoneTravels
We have been coming here for years; the variety offered and the excellent fruit shakes keeping bringing us back. Try the Maracuya (passion fruit milkshake- awesome!). The sweet potato & plantain soup is delicious as is any of the seafood main dishes. Highly recommend this place for such a variety of quality healthy dishes and a quiet ambience
Best Costa Rican food near Mal Pais, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
1. Product C
Overall Ratings
5 based on 185 reviews
We are a small family-run restaurant that serves up daily, locally caught, fresh fish, lovingly cooked in a friendly ambience near the beautiful beaches of Mal Pais, Costa Rica. We have outdoor shaded patio seating and are open Monday to Friday from 11am
Reviewed By ramonm273
The price is NOT high at all! I mean, the place looks fancy and clean so we almost didnât sit down because we thought the serving was gonna be small... wrong!! The servings are big, the service was really casual and cool, yet attentive. But the flavor: 10/10. My gosh the Sailor Bowl - creamy, toasty, nutty, fishy, just perfectly salty and kinda guilt-free cuz the rice was whole grain...If you are nearby, donât think twice before dropping by and having at least 79 Sailor Bowls on my behalf. And the fish pâte, I give you my word youâre gonna like it.So happy you enjoyed our little restaurant and took the time to wtite those enthousiastic comments!
Top 10 Seafood food in Mal Pais, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
