Our Favorite Local Spots For Food, Fun, and Frolic
Food & Fun in Langosta and Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Here are a few of our local favorites for food, fun, and frolic – we encourage you to tell us your own! Feel free to contact our concierge from the home phone or local cell at 2653-1561 to arrange a reservation. To reserve before your visit, email us at concierge@stayintamarindo.com.
Food
Our area features over 50 amazing restaurants, and three unique food courts to satisfy any appetite and budget.
If you are walking, here are a few awesome choices close by:
Breakfast: The 5-Star B&B Sueños del Mar immediately next door to the north serves the best 4-course gourmet breakfast in town, and they are open to the public when not booked for a private event. Access from the road or beach – they take very good care of our guests so tell them where you came from. Langosta Bistro is a great option as well offering American and local breakfast options. This is a great spot for brunch totoo!
Lunch: The 5-Star hotel Cala Luna is directly across the road, and there is an entrance to their pool area about 20 yards to the north of the house. It is a great place to have lunch or cocktails poolside.
Fish & Cheeses are fantastic. An authentic Italian restaurant is located right down the road where The Penisula condos are located. They offer homemade pasta, cheese, olive oils and more. The lasagna and truffle pasta.
The Surf Club and Grill ran by Matty is located near the grocery store and serves up delicious sandwiches, salads, sliders, tacos, and more. They have fun games to play such as pool, foosball, ping pong, horseshoes and more. A great option for families and children!
Dinner: A couple hundred yards towards town, the Langosta Beach Club serves upscale food at a gorgeous beachfront setting, with table, bar, and poolside seating available. Another great option is Langosta Bistro offering a variety of upscale American dishes and great ambiance. The restaurant is located right up the road from Casa De Luz on the corner. Another great addition is an Indian Restaurant named Masala just down the main road to the right of Casa de Luz with authentic dishes.
If you are driving or taking a taxi to town, there are dozens of amazing food choices. A few of our favorites are:
Breakfast in town is usually casual and outdoors, but for Eggs Benedict and cappuccino with air conditioning on a hot morning, head to Rumors.
Casual: Wild Panda (low-cost fresh fish, and always 2 for 1 drinks), Food truck (low-cost) and La Esquina (great pastas and pizzas Argentina style).
Upscale: Patagonia (incredible Argentinian steaks).
Dragonfly is also another favorite spot with amazing food and great ambiance.
And surely you will love the Red Door for dinner these days.
If you want to venture out of town Patagonia del Mar located in Brasiltio and across the street from the beach offers sushi, fish, steaks and more.
Beach: Why not try our in-house beach club, Pangas? The food is great, the view amazing, and our guests receive red carpet treatment and a discount. Reservations required as it is often booked for private events. For a more casual happy hour stop and amazing sunset, try Nogui’s at the end of the circle in town.
And don’t miss the Night Market every Thursday, a mini-street faire with lots of great food vendors, arts and crafts shopping, and live music.
Fun
For fun by day, Playa Tamarindo offers hundreds of activities and tours and we know the best tour operators. Some of the most popular include:
Local Activities Available In Town:
Surf lessons in Playa Tamarindo, or advanced surfing in Langosta.
Sport fishing, departing from Playa Tamarindo.
Kayaking to a deserted little island off Tamarindo beach.
Estuary tours of Crocodile River.
Lazing at the beach with a cold beer and people watching!
Many, many more!
Adventures & Tours From Playa Tamarindo:
The best spa day of your life – guaranteed.
Jungle canopy/zip line or horse riding tours.
Volcano and national park tours.
Adventure day combo in Rincon – rafting, zip-lining, hot springs, horseback riding, lunch, tubing and more.
Frolic
By night, Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica is the place to frolic, with many bars, clubs, and restaurants open late – the town is not that big and most of the venues are on the two main streets, so walking it is the best way to play.
There is a casino at Hotel Diria, and if the big game is on (for US or Tico audiences) it is sure to be on the big screen at Sharky’s Bar.
Chiringuitos or Tabu offers great happy hours on the beach with live music. This is a favorite among locals and tourists. You might also try El Vaquero on the beach or Tamaonda that has live and local music and fire shows. Handlebar is a local hangout for IPA beers and people watching
For late-night clubbing, the action generally moves to different clubs depending on the night of the week – Wednesday & Thursdays at Pacifico Bar, Tuesday Karaoke Night at Sharkys, Thursday at Rumors, Friday at The Crazy Monkey, and Saturday at Sharkys, Rumors, Oveja Negra, and more. Other popular spots include Chiquitas located on the intersection by Sharkys and The Alley located behind Sharkys offering themed nights, live music and DJs. If you want to drink and dance late with tourists and locals alike, follow the crowd there. Just watch your purse/wallet, and be careful like in any nightclub worldwide.
Good thing it is only 5 minutes by car, and about $5 cab fare or you can take an Uber if they are available…and that your day was filled with “Pura Vida” everywhere!
San Jose Airport Hotel Discount
If you are flying in or out of San Jose and want a clean, cute, quality hotel with good food for your first/last night, use this link to receive a 10% discount. We recommend this hotel because they offer good service and free airport transfers.
