Nosara doesn’t have a main strip lined with restaurants. There’s no one block you walk down and pick from. The food scene is spread out, a little tucked away, and better than most people expect when they arrive.
Once you know where to go, you find yourself returning to the same spots every day, not because there’s nothing else, but because they’re that good. Here’s where we send our guests.
Start and/or End at Sendero Kitchen
Most mornings begin here, and for good reason. Sendero’s kitchen keeps things low-key but doesn’t cut corners: the ingredients are carefully sourced, the menu is focused, and the setting makes it easy to linger. It’s the kind of breakfast where the coffee is actually good and the food doesn’t feel like an afterthought. From smoothies with fresh fruit to our take on Caribbean gallo pinto, you won’t be disappointed.
Guests who eat here in the morning tend to come back for an evening drink or a light dinner later on. The vibe carries through the day. It’s relaxed, unhurried, quietly well done.
Rosi’s Soda
If you want to have what the locals are having in Costa Rica, Rosi’s is the place. A soda is a small, family-run local restaurant, and this one is a Nosara staple. Expect rice and beans, fresh fish, plantains, and portions that are generous in the way that only no-frills local cooking tends to be.
It’s unpretentious, affordable, and consistently good. The kind of spot that reminds you why the simplest version of a thing is often the best version.
La Luna
La Luna sits right on the beach, and the setting alone is worth going for. It’s where you go when you want the meal to feel like an occasion. The food matches the atmosphere: fresh, well-prepared, and not in a rush to be anything other than what it is.
If you’re celebrating something, or just want one dinner that feels different from the rest, this is it.
Olivia’s
Pizza in a surf town sounds almost too good to be true, but Olivia’s delivers. It’s casual and lively, the kind of place you end up staying at longer than you planned because it’s a nice night to be outside and nobody wants to leave. Good for a group, good for a night when you want something easy and delicious. It’s also relatively light for pizza, so it’s great for sharing a few different pies.
Howler’s Bar
For a drink at the end of the day, Howler’s is where the local crowd ends up. It’s a proper Playa Guiones neighborhood bar: cold beers, margaritas, unpretentious atmosphere, and a mix of guests and Playa Guiones, Nosara regulars who’ve been coming in for years. You don’t need a plan to go to Howler’s. That’s the point.
The Food Trucks at the Main Guiones Beach Entrance
At the main entrance to Playa Guiones, a couple of food trucks have become fixtures of the beach experience. Zest does fresh, clean food: bowls, sandwiches, juices, things that make sense after a morning in the water or on your way to sit at the beach. Tacos y Tacos does exactly what the name suggests, and does it well. They’re the right size for the moment: quick, satisfying, eaten standing up with sand still on your feet.
A lot of guests end up here after the morning surf session without ever planning to. It becomes part of the routine.
A Note on How Eating Works in Nosara
The food scene here doesn’t follow normal restaurant logic. Hours can shift, but typically dinner starts early. Places fill up without reservations. Some of the best meals happen somewhere unexpected. Note that if you’re visiting at an especially busy time, as our front desk to book you a reservation.
The best approach is to ask around, stay flexible, and not over-plan. The town (or Sendero’s conceirge) will point you in the right direction.
Book your stay with us at Sendero today and enjoy the best of Costa Rica.
