Best Restaurants in Nosara, Costa Rica: A Local Food Guide (2026)

Nosara's food scene is one of the better-kept secrets about this place. Visitors arrive expecting a small beach town with a couple of tourist-facing restaurants and leave genuinely surprised by the quality and variety of what's available. The community is international, North American, European, South American, and Costa Rican residents all eating together in a small area, and the restaurants reflect that.

This guide covers the categories of dining you'll find in Nosara, with honest descriptions of what makes each type worth seeking out and what to order. Because the restaurant landscape changes, places open, owners move on, hours shift between seasons, we focus on the types of experiences rather than rankings that go stale. For current recommendations and to find specific businesses, browse our live Nosara business directory.

The most important category and the one most visitors skip. A soda is a small, family-run Costa Rican restaurant, typically without an online presence, a printed English menu, or prices above $12 for a full meal. They are almost always excellent.

The standard order is a casado ($7, 12): a plate divided into rice, black beans, salad, sweet plantains (maduros), and your choice of protein: fish, chicken, beef, or vegetariano. The fish is usually fresh-caught from the Pacific. The plantains are caramelized and soft. Everything comes at the same time and it is one of the most satisfying, honest meals you'll eat.

Sodas in Nosara tend to be in the town center (the area inland from the beach, near the soccer field) and in the Bocas de Nosara neighborhood. They're often recognizable by the handwritten signs out front, the plastic chairs, and the family members visible through the open kitchen. Look for the ones with a line of locals at lunchtime. That's your guide.

What to order: Casado de pescado (fish plate), arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), or whatever the daily special (plato del día) is, usually the best thing on the menu and cheapest.

Fresh Ceviche and Beach Shacks 🌊

Nosara sits on the Pacific coast with direct access to fresh tuna, mahi-mahi, red snapper, shrimp, and octopus. The ceviche here is made the right way: fresh fish, lime juice, cilantro, and whatever local additions the cook feels like adding that day. It is not the mass-produced, previously-frozen version served in tourist traps.

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