Costa Rica Directory
Al Mercat
Al Mercat brings Barcelona-trained technique to Costa Rican ingredients with a confidence that has made it one of the capital's most consistently excellent restaurants. Chef-driven and farm-focused, the kitchen leans on produce from its own growers, and the format is Mediterranean-inspired sharing plates: burrata with Central Valley tomatoes and basil, grilled prawns with romesco, suckling pig with apple and fennel.
Andaz Papagayo
Hyatt's Andaz brand brings a younger, more design-forward sensibility to Peninsula Papagayo. The property sits lower on the landform than its Four Seasons neighbour, with direct access to Nacascolo beach and a markedly more informal atmosphere. Concrete, wood, and local stone combine in a contemporary tropical aesthetic, and the curated art collection through the public spaces gives it a gallery-like character.
Añejo
Where Caracol aims for refinement, Añejo delivers a more relaxed but equally accomplished experience centred on Mexican and coastal Latin American cooking. The setting is casual-elegant: open fire, hanging copper pans, and a mezcal bar that ranks among Central America's best.
Árbol
Set within a boutique property on the forested hillside above Manuel Antonio, Árbol ("tree") earns its name literally: the restaurant is built around and within the canopy, with monkeys occasionally crossing the branches overhead as you eat. It would be easy for a place with this setting to coast on the view, but the kitchen takes the food seriously.
Botanika Osa Peninsula
A newer arrival to the Osa's lodge scene, Botanika brings a contemporary design sensibility to the rainforest-lodge format. Open-plan suites with freestanding bathtubs, rainfall showers, and expansive decks face directly into primary forest, and the infinity pool overlooks the Golfo Dulce.
Four Seasons Papagayo
The Four Seasons commands a dramatic hilltop on the western flank of Peninsula Papagayo, looking down on two beaches, Virador and Blanca, with the Gulf of Papagayo beyond. The architecture is bold: soaring palm-thatched rooflines drawn from traditional rancho structures, with the resort cascading down the hillside toward the water. Rooms and suites are spacious and impeccably finished, many with private plunge pools and uninterrupted ocean views.
Hotel Si Como No
This pioneering eco-resort has long set the standard for sustainable luxury in Manuel Antonio. Terraced into the hillside with views through the canopy to the ocean, Si Como No was the first hotel in Costa Rica to earn five leaves under the national sustainability certification, and its green credentials are genuine rather than decorative.
Lapa Rios
The pioneer of luxury eco-tourism on the Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios occupies a 1,000-acre private reserve on a ridge above the point where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific. Sixteen thatched bungalows, each with an open-air design that invites the jungle inside, step down the hillside connected by elevated walkways. The property's bird list exceeds 370 species.
Nantipa
On the beach at Santa Teresa, the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, Nantipa offers a more traditional luxury beach hotel within a region better known for wellness. Thatched-roof bungalows and tented suites sit directly on the sand, and the mood is bohemian-luxe, barefoot, unhurried, and quietly polished.
Nayara Tented Camp
Nayara's tented camp is the most luxurious accommodation in the Arenal area by a considerable margin. Fifteen safari-style tents, each with a private plunge pool fed by natural hot springs, sit on elevated platforms within manicured forest gardens. The interiors are richly appointed: king beds with premium linens, copper freestanding tubs, and outdoor rain showers facing the volcano.
Pacifico Azul
Perched on a hillside above Playa Guiones with views through the tree canopy to the Pacific, Pacifico Azul captures the best of Nosara's new wave: ingredient-driven cooking that is simple in conception but meticulous in execution. The chef works directly with local fishermen and a network of small farms within a thirty-kilometre radius.
Sikwa
Another Barrio Escalante gem, Sikwa takes a singular approach: the menu is built exclusively around pre-Columbian ingredients and indigenous Costa Rican cooking traditions, interpreted through a contemporary lens. There is no wheat, no dairy, and no European-introduced produce. Instead, the menu draws on corn, beans, squash, chilli, cacao, and foraged jungle plants, prepared with techniques that predate colonisation.
Silvestre
If one restaurant captures Costa Rica's culinary ambition, it is Silvestre. In the Barrio Escalante neighbourhood that has become San José's gastronomic heart, it operates as a research kitchen as much as a restaurant. The chef forages widely, works with indigenous communities on heritage ingredients, and applies modern technique to a tasting menu unlike anything else in Central America.
Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa
Built around a natural hot river that cascades through the grounds in a series of thermal pools and waterfalls, Tabacón offers a more accessible entry into Arenal's luxury market. The thermal experience is the headline draw: you can spend hours moving between pools of varying temperatures, surrounded by tropical gardens with the volcano looming above.
Tulemar Resort
A gated collection of individually owned bungalows and villas set within a private nature reserve, Tulemar consistently ranks among the highest-rated properties in the country. Each unit is different: some are architect-designed modern pavilions with infinity pools, others cosy treehouse-style cabins tucked into the canopy. The private beach, reached by a winding jungle path, is beautiful.