It’s dinner time in Tamarindo and one thing you have for sure is too many choices! Where to go? What’s good? What’s everybody’s favorite?
Lucky you, you just asked a whole pack of Tamarindo locals and we are going to hook you up with the 5 restaurants you can’t leave Tamarindo without trying. Don’t even think about it. These places serve our favorite dishes, they’re always good, and they’re fun places to hang out in. Nobody loves good food and great times like the Tamarindo locals, and nobody insists more on fair prices. So relax. We’ve got you covered. It’s going to be a great night.
Pangas Beach Club
The Vacation Rentals of Tamarindo hands-down number one Tamarindo restaurant choice is Pangas Beach Club. It’s a little hard to explain the ambiance at Pangas without sounding sappy. There is actually something magical about that spot on the beach where the ocean meets the Las Baulas estuary and giant Laurel de La India trees grow. That’s where Pangas Beach Club is located, and that’s one of the reasons we love it. Most of the Pangas’ seating is right on the sand. Comfortable cushioned chairs at wooden tables under the canopy of trees give such a relaxed atmosphere to Pangas, that you never want to leave.
They serve lunch and dinner all week, and breakfast as well on Sundays. This is a great place to come for sunset! Pangas Beach Club, of course, has cold beer, and they have a full bar and a yummy appetizer menu. Pangas’ menu is based on local ingredients like fish, beef, and lots of fresh vegetables. Reservations are a good idea because Pangas does a lot of special events like weddings (you’ll see why the minute you walk in the door) which means on those nights the restaurant is closed to regular diners.
Seasons
Seasons, owned and run by Israeli chef Shlomy has been a Tamarindo favorite since 2003. The menu at Seasons is “Mediterranean Gourmet,” and everything on it is delicious! Seasons is located in the Arco Iris hotel, on a breezy wooden patio beside the pool. Ask any Tamarindo local what their favorite appetizer, dinner, or dessert is at Seasons, and he or she will have answers for you—guaranteed. Seasons has a full bar and serves a mean martini.
Seasons takes cash only and is open for dinner only, every night of the week. Reservations are a good idea because it’s a local favorite.
La Baula
La Baula is one of Tamarindo’s original restaurants. We love it for that reason, we love it because we love their pizza, we love it because we love the beautiful open dining area, and we love it because we love the play area outside for the kids.
La Baula’s menu is simple. They have thin-crust Italian pizza with any and every imaginable topping, a fantastic mixed veggie salad with or without tuna, a few flavors of gelato, and a tiramisu you must not leave town without trying. Those are the only choices, you say? And this is one of your top 5 picks? Yes, you heard us right. Go to La Baula and try it out. You’ll see what we’re talking about. They are open for dinner only every night of the week. Their full bar is sure to have your favorite after-dinner drink from the old country.
Patagonia
Patagonia, being an Argentinian grill, is Tamarindo’s favorite place for steak. Their menu includes lots of other options as well, but we’re just saying: you want steak? Go to Patagonia. Make a reservation, too, because Patagonia’s dining area is smaller than their fan base and it is always full. They serve lunch and dinner daily.
El Mercadito
El Mercadito is one of the newer additions to Tamarindo’s dining scene and it has been an immediate favorite. It isn’t exactly a restaurant, however, it’s more like it’s name suggests: a little food market. El Mercadito is an open-air upscale food-court style market with the Medusa Bar created out of an actual boat, right in the middle. What’s not to love? It’s the restaurant with 100 things on the menu. The individual restaurant kitchens that surround the bar and shady seating area include: Asian poke bowls, a completely vegan kitchen, a tropical curry kitchen, sushi, an Argentinian grill, Venezuelan arepas, burgers of all types, a French bakery, and an ice cream shop.
The best thing about El Mercadito, besides the fact that everybody in your group gets to have their favorite thing for lunch or dinner, is that it’s budget-friendly. Nothing there costs more than $12 and all of it is fabulous because each type of food comes from a kitchen that specializes in that. And at the Medusa Bar, try the champagne sangria. Just try it.
Still have questions about dinner or about how to book the best Tamarindo vacation ever? Contact us and let us help you sort out the answers!
