Santa Teresa · Dining Guide
Where to eat.A local guide, opinionated.
A town of three thousand has no business eating this well. Sushi like a city, casados like a village, and one beachfront table that knows what it's doing at sunset. Here's where we send our guests — and why.
Our five
Local favorites.
If you only have one trip and five dinners, these are them.
Five dinners, ten minutes away
Read on for the rest.But these are the ones you book first.
Casa Calyx sits ten minutes above all five of these. We hold tables for guests at Katana and Convivio when we know the dates — mention it in your inquiry.
A perfect eating day
Sunup to sundown.
The day we'd build for a guest if they asked us to plan their food schedule. Six stops, one hill, two coffees.
↑ Back to Local Favorites07:30
Espresso & a pastry
Roastery Coffee. A/C inside, single-origin espresso, beans they take seriously. Or the soda for $1 coffee with the gallo pinto.
10:00
Slow brunch
Brekki for the oat date latte. The Bakery if you want focaccia and tahini. Avocado toast, açaí bowls, the works.
13:00
Beach lunch
Rocamar for sand under the table; Soda Tiquicia for the casado that beats most $40 restaurants. Either way, eat with your hands a little.
17:30
Sunset cocktail
Banana Beach for the day-into-night crowd. Brukas (locals call it La Bruca) for the hilltop sunset dinner with the cleanest west view in town. The sun does its job from either.
20:30
Dinner you remember
Katana, Nami, or Convivio. Reserve a week out in dry season. Sit at the bar if you couldn't book a table — same kitchen, half the wait.
22:30
After dinner
Goma speakeasy for the negroni. La Pasión on a Tuesday. Tikiliano on Saturday for the open-air DJ set.
A day like this
Needs a kitchento come home to.
Coffee from the Roastery, beach lunch at Rocamar, sunset at Brukas, dinner at Katana, drinks at Goma — and the same key for all of it. Casa Calyx is the kitchen you come home to between.
Questions
Dining FAQ
Do I need reservations in Santa Teresa?
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For the headline spots — Katana, Koji's, Convivio, Nami — yes, especially in dry season (Dec–April). Most other places accept walk-ins. WhatsApp is the way most restaurants confirm bookings here.
How expensive is dinner?
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Casados at a soda run $8–12. Casual dinners at mid-range spots run $20–35 per person. The headline fine-dining places run $60–120 per person with drinks.
Are there good vegan options?
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Yes — Corazon is plant-forward; Namore, Earth Cafe, and most breakfast spots have solid vegan menus. Sushi places will substitute fish with veggie rolls on request.
What's a 'soda'?
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A small family-run Costa Rican kitchen. Soda Tiquicia is the best in town. Casado is the classic plate: rice, beans, plantain, salad, and your protein for under $12.
Can I cook at the villa?
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Yes — Casa Calyx has a chef-designed kitchen with full equipment. Super Ronny in town is the biggest supermarket. Local fish vendors come through the neighborhoods early.
Tipping?
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A 10% service charge is added at most restaurants. Adding another 5–10% on top for great service is appreciated.
Or stay in
The kitchen is yours.
Casa Calyx has a chef-designed kitchen with sliding windows that open to the ocean. Pots, blender, rice maker, wine glasses — everything. Super Ronny is the closest market. Fish vendors come through the neighborhood early.
And if you want someone else to cook in the kitchen, we coordinate a private chef who'll shop the market and serve on the deck. $80 per person.