Manuel Antonio & Quepos: dining, entertainment & day trips

Costa Rica's most-visited beach town has 114 restaurants and 56,000+ TripAdvisor reviews between them — plus the country's best-known sportfishing marina and a canopy tour with the longest twin zipline in Central America. For where to sleep, see the sortable hotel directory → or our full Central Pacific breakdown →.

114restaurants (TripAdvisor)
56,108restaurant reviews
106+fishing charter operators
Dec–Aprpeak sailfish season
11zipline cables, national park canopy tour
How this list works. Restaurants are ranked by TripAdvisor rating and review volume (Sept 2026) — Manuel Antonio's scene is deep enough that even 300-review restaurants are relative newcomers. Tour and fishing operators are named and reviewed the same way; any specific safety or service complaint found in reviews is flagged rather than smoothed over.

Fine Dining & Special Occasions

Manuel Antonio's ocean-view fine-dining scene is dense enough to support six-plus destination restaurants within a few kilometres of each other.

Shana Restaurante
At Shana By the Beach, Biesanz road · Italian, Bar
Manuel Antonio's most-reviewed high-end restaurant — 5-star, live music, ocean and jungle views; see our Shana By the Beach deep-dive.
4.92,242 reviews
Cava
Manuel Antonio · Latin, Mediterranean
A perfect score — waitress Natalie and the orange cake specifically praised; small enough to still feel discovered.
5.090 reviews
Le Papillon Restaurant
Manuel Antonio · Seafood, Contemporary
Surf and turf and a popular anniversary-dinner pick — book ahead for special occasions.
4.7602 reviews
Arbol. Food & Wine
Manuel Antonio · Seafood, Contemporary
Sunset dinners with named servers (Amanda) — tuna poke bowl and lobster specifically called out.
4.7505 reviews
La Luna Restaurant
At Gaia Hotel & Reserve · Caribbean, Seafood
Part of the award-winning Gaia Hotel; cooking classes and one of the most dramatic dining views in town.
4.72,279 reviews
Mirador Oceanview Restaurant
Manuel Antonio · Seafood
Ocean-view fine dining, quieter than the bigger-name spots nearby.
4.7342 reviews

Casual & Local Favorites

This is where Manuel Antonio's restaurant scene really shows its depth — a beach town with 6,000+ reviews on a falafel bar and two Indian restaurants holding perfect 5.0 scores.

Restaurante Ronny's Place
Manuel Antonio · Seafood, International
The most-reviewed restaurant in Manuel Antonio — sunset views, pineapple piña coladas, tuna steak.
4.53,599 reviews
Emilio's Cafe
Manuel Antonio · Cafe, Mediterranean
Brioche French toast and fresh fruit — a breakfast institution.
4.62,946 reviews
Rico Tico Jungle Grill
Manuel Antonio · Latin, Bar
Gluten-free pasta and red snapper; genuinely accommodating for celiac guests.
4.81,710 reviews
Manuel Antonio Falafel Bar
Manuel Antonio · Mediterranean, Healthy
6,400+ reviews and still 4.8 — schnitzel and fresh-cut fries alongside falafel; a local institution.
4.86,407 reviews
Agua Azul Café
Manuel Antonio · American, Latin
Panoramic coastline views, tropical cocktails, excellent tuna.
4.63,141 reviews
El Patio de Café Milagro
Manuel Antonio · Latin, Cafe
Long-running local favorite — pork tenderloin and strong coffee.
4.63,369 reviews
El Wagon
Manuel Antonio · Italian, American
Thin-crust pizza at reasonable prices — a reliable value pick.
4.42,254 reviews
El Arado Restaurant
Manuel Antonio · Latin, Seafood
Mahi mahi and coconut flan; smoothies specifically praised.
4.81,202 reviews
Claro Que Si Seafood Restaurant
Manuel Antonio · Latin, Seafood
Red snapper 'melt-in-your-mouth,' grilled octopus and lobster.
4.61,415 reviews
Victoria's Gourmet Italian Restaurant
Manuel Antonio · Italian, Bar
Lobster special and homemade pasta; reservations recommended.
4.51,725 reviews
El Lagarto
Manuel Antonio · Steakhouse, Latin
BBQ and steakhouse — beef tenderloin and surf-and-turf specifically praised by families.
4.5768 reviews
Namaste Indian Restaurant
Manuel Antonio · Indian, Asian
Shahi paneer and garlic naan; a genuine standout in a beach town not known for Indian food.
5.02,101 reviews
Hola India Restaurant
Manuel Antonio · Chinese, Indian
Dal makhani and palak paneer — vegetarians specifically call it outstanding.
5.01,394 reviews
Perezoso Sushi Bar
Manuel Antonio · Japanese, Seafood
Full bar, nigiri and tuna dinners — a quieter sushi option.
4.9321 reviews
Mangata Restaurante
Manuel Antonio · Peruvian, Latin
Tuna and passion fruit tiradito — a newer Peruvian specialist building a fast following.
4.9107 reviews
El Ranchito
Manuel Antonio · Bar, Healthy
Called out for the best fish ceviche in Costa Rica by more than one reviewer.
4.9300 reviews
Ape Eclectic Social Bar
Manuel Antonio · Bar, Gastropub
Passion fruit ale and a genuinely eclectic gastropub menu.
5.0606 reviews
El Avión
Manuel Antonio · Costa Rican
The Fairchild C-123 turned bar-restaurant at Hotel Costa Verde — food is merely good, but the setting is unmissable; go for sunset, not the meal alone.
4.05,820 reviews

Zipline, Catamaran & Rafting Operators

Quepos and Manuel Antonio between them run some of the country's most established adventure-tour operations — most bundle multiple activities (catamaran + zipline + rafting) into one full day.

Manuel Antonio Experts
Quepos/Manuel Antonio · Catamaran, zipline, rafting, mangrove tours
A full-service local operator; guides praised for teaching rafting commands and explaining Costa Rican background en route.
Note: One review reports a teen overheating on a zipline tour due to a single inadequate water station — bring your own water; expect bags may be confiscated at the platform.
4.5reviews vary
Dolphin Planet
Marina Pez Vela, Quepos · Catamaran, dolphin/whale watching
Family-friendly full-day catamaran with grilled fish brochettes and pasta salad lunch; dolphins spotted on most trips.
4.7reviews vary
Ocean King Catamaran
Marina Pez Vela, Quepos · Catamaran with water slides
Two water slides, jacuzzis, trampolines and a tanning deck — the biggest, most amenity-heavy catamaran option; good for families with teens.
4.6reviews vary
Manuel Antonio Canopy Tour
Quepos hills · Zipline — longest twin cable in Central America
Lunch and round-trip hotel transport included; guides specifically praised for taking nervous kids along on the first line to build confidence.
4.8reviews vary

Sport Fishing — Marina Pez Vela

Quepos is one of Costa Rica's two premier sportfishing hubs (the other is Los Sueños/Herradura). Peak sailfish and marlin season runs mid-December through April, with 30+ sailfish releases a day not unusual in season; roosterfish and yellowfin tuna run year-round.

Reel In Luxury Sport Fishing
Marina Pez Vela · Offshore sailfish, marlin, dorado
Captain Carlos's 36 ft Cabo — a reported 7 sailfish bites, 2 marlin and 2 dorado in a single day is typical of reviews here.
4.9reviews vary
Quepos Fishing
Marina Pez Vela · Offshore sailfish & marlin, catch-and-release
Captain Chepe and the Moonwalker crew are named repeatedly; 15+ years operating out of Quepos.
4.8reviews vary
Quepos Fish Adventure
Marina Pez Vela · Offshore, Penn International tackle
Owner Connie personally meets every charter on the pier; first mate Sada is Costa Rica's first female sportfishing mate.
4.9reviews vary
Top Notch Fishing Charter
Marina Pez Vela · Offshore, family charters
Captain Christian's crew specifically praised for family trips with a wide age range.
4.9reviews vary

Day Trips & Adventure

Manuel Antonio National Park
Book tickets online in advance — no gate sales

Sloths, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, and some of the most photographed beaches in the country; arrive early (7am) to beat both crowds and heat.

White-water rafting, Naranjo River
Chorro section, Dec 15–May 15 season

Class III–IV rapids close enough to Manuel Antonio for a half-day trip; the Savegre River offers a gentler Class II–III alternative.

Damas Island mangrove tour
Boat tour, wildlife-focused

Guides call wild white-faced capuchin monkeys to the boat — reviewers describe it working within 20 minutes; crocodiles and birdlife throughout the estuary.

Villa Vanilla spice & chocolate tour
Working plantation

Vanilla, cacao and pepper grown and processed on site — a rain-day option that still feels like a real excursion.

Catamaran sunset cruise
Marina Pez Vela departures

Snorkeling off Playa Biesanz, whale and dolphin sightings depending on season, included lunch and drinks on most operators.

Playa Biesanz
Calm cove below Shana By the Beach

The safest swimming beach in the area when the main park beaches get rough — see our Shana deep-dive for access notes.

Booking notes: Manuel Antonio National Park tickets must be purchased online in advance — nothing is sold at the gate. For catamaran and zipline combo tours, confirm water/hydration policy before booking (see the Manuel Antonio Experts note above); heat exhaustion on midday zipline tours is a repeated theme in reviews across operators. For fishing charters, book direct with a named captain rather than through a hotel concierge markup where possible.