Last Updated: November 27, 2025
If you’re traveling from La Fortuna to the Monteverde Cloud Forest or from Liberia Airport to La Fortuna, you’ll no doubt be making the long drive around Lake Arenal. About halfway around the lake, you’ll come to the small town of Nuevo Arenal, which is a great stop if you need a bite to eat. But there are some other hidden gems spread out along this curvy road that we’ll tell you about as well. Here are seven great places to eat around Lake Arenal.
Map of Restaurants Near Lake Arenal
Our interactive map showing the location of each restaurant in this guide.
Lake Arenal Restaurants
Café y Macadamia
Café y Macadamia is the perfect stop for a lake-side lunch or brunch. This casual restaurant about 15 minutes past Nuevo Arenal makes just about everything from scratch, from breads and soups to decadent pastries and desserts. Their sandwiches, like the Caprese, made with locally sourced ingredients, are a great pick and you don’t want to miss the extravagant iced volcano Frappuccino. Café y Macadamia isn’t cheap, but the view and good food are worth it. Has a kids’ menu.
Restaurante Brisas del Lago
Located in the village of Puerto San Luis on the Tilaran side of the lake, Brisas del Lago is a Tico-run gem with food that rivals some of our favorite restaurants back in Boston. You’ll forget you’re in rural Costa Rica with the myriad of international cuisine from chicken cordon blue to curry fish to tropical rice.
Brisas del Lago is more of a dinner place and most entrees are served with classic sides like potato or rice and salad or veggies. With such great food and elegant plating, you might think Brisas del Lago would be expensive, but it isn’t. Entrees are a steal at around $10-14. Closed Sundays.
Moya’s Place
This expat-owned restaurant right in downtown Nuevo Arenal serves up wraps, burgers, bowls, pizzas, and calzones. The chill vibe and Costa Rican art will draw you in and the delicious food will keep you coming back.
We have been a couple of times and have enjoyed the pizza, falafel, and Crazy Chicken wrap, which is a play on a traditional Cuban sandwich. Vegetarian and vegan friendly. Check out their Instagram page for info on live music and events.
Lake Arenal Brewery & Pub
This pub and brewery at the Lake Arenal Hotel is an oasis for craft beer lovers in a land of light, watery brews. Don’t get us wrong, we like the local Imperial and Pilsen, but sometimes you just want something darker.
We first visited Lake Arenal Hotel and Brewery when they were just starting out, but now they have several delicious brews on tap. We’ve enjoyed their nicely hopped pale ale, black ash stout, and refreshing pineapple blond ale.
Even if you’re not into beer, the food is worth a stop. They have a wide-ranging menu, with roasted chicken and pork, burgers, tacos, and sandwiches as well as more refined choices like mushroom risotto and beef tenderloin.
Hotel Guadalupe
Although many of the places we’ve listed above are run by locals, we haven’t included a restaurant that focuses on traditional food.
For some of the best comida tipica in the area, head to Hotel Guadalupe in downtown Tilaran. They do the classics well and the service is great. Try the local favorite, arroz con pollo, which is rice stir-fried with chicken and vegetables, or ceviche, fresh fish cured in lemon juice. For a well-rounded meal, grab olla de carne, Costa Rican beef stew, or a classic casado, a plate of meat or fish served with rice and beans, side salads, and a plantain.
Restaurante Equus BBQ
If you love barbecue, this is the spot for you. Equus is a casual restaurant that serves up delicious smoked chicken, pork, and beef on their authentic wood-fired oven. We recommend the mixed plate to share so that you can try a little of everything. The locals running this place are friendly and helpful if you have questions about the menu.
Casa Italia
Finally, we would be remiss if we forgot to mention our favorite Italian restaurant in Costa Rica, Casa Italia. Located just outside the main area of Nuevo Arenal, this local hotspot serves authentic homemade pasta like classic carbonara, Pasta alla Norma, and Ragu. The Sicilian owner is friendly and passionate about food.
Conclusion
Lake Arenal may be one of the more rural areas of Costa Rica, but it has a surprising selection of great restaurants. Good food definitely makes the long drive from La Fortuna to Monteverde that much better!
Have you visited the Lake Arenal/Nuevo Arenal area? What’s your favorite place to eat?
Trapiche Vasquez: A Fun Stop Between La Fortuna and Monteverde – This restaurant can do a quick sugar cane demonstration for you while you’re waiting for your lunch.
Viento Fresco Waterfalls: A Refreshing Stop Between La Fortuna and Monteverde – This set of waterfalls is another great option for a stop if you’re looking for something more active.
Nuevo Arenal: A Lakeside Town – For more restaurant ideas in Nuevo Arenal, read our destination guide.
Restaurant Guides: View all our restaurant guides to popular destinations like Manuel Antonio, Jaco, Samara, and Uvita.
Practical Travel: Get basic travel info on Costa Rica’s weather, what to pack, currency, using credit cards, and lots more.
We never go to Arenal without stopping at Lucky Bug just outside of Nuevo Arenal for a coffee and pecan pie. It’s also a gall ery / giftshop / B&B and hummingbird viewing extravaganza.
When you’re in the mood for great italian food or pizza, I recommend Los Platillos Voladores in “downtown” Nuevo Arenal. They have the best spaghetti carbonara that I have had in my life. The restaurant is owned by an Italian family and they are all very nice. Eme became a friend from my first visit, and every time I come to the area, I make it a point to go there…..great garlic bread too 🙂
Hi James, Thanks so much for the tip! We will have to check it out next time we’re near the Lake. Cheers!
I’ll be there for Xmas 2017 and was wondering where a fabulous place to eat for Xmas Dinner would be, looking for a beautiful setting and good food. Its me, my girlfriend and her two children 16 and 12.
Any good suggestions? I love your blog.
Hi Deb, People love Gingerbread in Nuevo Arenal so we would say to check that out if they’re open on Christmas.
I’m wondering – If we spend a morning hiking in Arenal national park are there places to eat very near there or do we have to drive to La Fortuna? How far is that drive? I tried googling it and I believe it told me 27 minutes but I don’t know if that is correct? Thanks so much!!
Hi Pam, It is a bit of a drive from downtown La Fortuna to the national park. What Google says sounds about right. There are a few places to eat on the road between the park and town. Arenal Observatory, which is a hotel with a restaurant and trails on site, is another option. The restaurant has an amazing view of the volcano and the trail system is quite extensive. You can visit just for the day for less than $10 pp. Might be easier than trying to find a restaurant after hiking the national park.
We’re visiting at the end of February. Thanks for the information!!
Just had wonderful seafood tagliate(sp) like linguini at Don Rufino’s in La Fortuna. So nicely presented and delicious.
Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing, Lynne!
My experience at Cafe y Macadamia was sub-par at best. It’s so touristy (hence the location, although the view is beautiful) and overpriced. You’re missing the number one best restaurant on the lake. The Gingerbread is amazing. Chef Eyal makes the best poke tuna that I’ve ever eaten (fresh on Tuesdays). Make a reservation though!
Sorry to hear you didn’t care for Café y Macadamia, Brittany. Sure it’s touristy but the food is good and atmosphere really nice. We’ll have to check out Gingerbread for dinner next time we’re in the area. We’ve heard such great things.
My niece has been been living in Playa Grande on the NE coast. Has been traveling in Nuevo Arenal area looking for a cooler place to live. She raves about Gingerbreads food. Gingerbreads also has rooms for rent. Check it out
Lake Arenal is definitely a lot cooler than Playa Grande. We lived in Grande a few months back and it was absolutely sweltering! Thanks for the tip on Gingerbreads. We’ll have to try it out.
We ate at Gingerbread twice while staying in Nuevo Arenal at La Mansion Inn. Fantastic food. Chef is a real character.
How great that there are so many different options from fish tacos to wraps to pizza to ceviche and craft beers. Oh my. I’m hungry…and thirsty!
Yeah, Kelly, you could literally go back and forth across the lake eating something different every time. There aren’t a ton of restaurants but the variety is fantastic.
Your latest post has me drooling. I love the variety that is available. I am sure there are some die-hard pizza fans that are now visiting or living in CR…..the lucky ducks. They would be happy to know that pizza is available even though it might not be “just like home.”
Yeah Jane, we were psyched to come across Moya’s. Pizza in CR is very hit or miss so finding something like the real stuff from home can be tough.
I’ll take a caprese sandwich and wash it down with a beer please!
Come on down, Becca! We’ll be waiting 😉
Not having a car, I didn’t get to do too much exploring in the Lake Arenal area (and the monster hike from La Fortuna to the catarata there and then a more expensive cab ride back squashed any ideas of further exploring 🙂 ).
I did have some of the best meals I had ever had during my time there right in La Fortuna at the many sodas.
Is that a batido you’re drinking at Cafe y Macademia? It all looks amazing though.
La Fortuna does have some great sodas, we’ve had really good luck there too. The drink in the picture is their crazy Volcano Frappucchino. It’s made with ice-cream, coffee, and has chocolate syrup in it- it’s rich and totally amazing. We love traditional batidos too, but when you can get something like that, you just have to go for it!
Ohhhh what a great post! One of everything please 🙂 … but maybe a few beers, and more tacos!
hehe, that’s how we feel too, Penny. Just went back for more fish tacos the other day. Thanks for reading!
I am so happy to find your blog!! My family will be taking our first trip to Costa Rica next March and are so excited to see all the beautiful, natural sites! Your posts are very helpful in planning. Thanks for all the work and time you put into this!
You’re welcome, Deanne. Hope your family has an amazing trip!