Fine dining, beach bars, local sodas, and cafes worth your time. Every listing checked against live sources.
La Fortuna's 9 verified restaurants are led by 3 traditional Costa Rican sodas and 2 fine-dining rooms, including Don Rufino and Maria Bonita Steak House, a compact but complete lineup for a volcano town this size.
La Fortuna
Restaurant inside the Noah's Forest by Tifakara hotel, about 1.3 kilometers north of La Fortuna's central park, serving a lunch and snack menu by day and a separate dinner menu from 3 pm. Advance reservations are recommended for dinner.
Live music
La Fortuna
Gastro pub in downtown La Fortuna, 50 meters east of Banco Nacional next to Kappa Sushi, pouring draft beer and signature cocktails. It serves bar food and larger plates, and hosts live music.
La Fortuna
Bosque Restaurant is the fine dining venue at Tifakara Boutique Hotel, 300 meters from La Fortuna Waterfall. The kitchen serves an international menu of ceviches, pastas, seafood, and premium steak cuts, paired with a full wine and cocktail list at the adjoining Bosque Bar.
La Fortuna
Chifa La Familia Feliz serves Peruvian-Chinese fusion food and was the first chifa restaurant to open in Costa Rica. The menu includes the aeropuerto (a mix of fried rice and stir-fried noodles), a range of ceviches, and lomo saltado, served in a dining room decorated with Peruvian street art.
La Fortuna
Chocolate shop and small cafe across from La Fortuna's central park, selling handmade chocolate and ice cream and running a tour covering exotic fruit, chocolate, coffee, and spices. It is open daily.
La Fortuna
Specialty coffee cafe in La Fortuna, across from the cemetery next to Canoa Aventura, serving breakfast and lunch including French toast. It is open daily from morning through early evening.
La Fortuna
Upscale restaurant in downtown La Fortuna mixing Costa Rican flavors with world cuisine. The menu runs to filet mignon, grilled octopus, and pork belly, with an extensive wine list and an in-house sommelier. Open daily from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm.
El Castillo
Restaurant on a hilltop on the road between La Fortuna and El Castillo, with a dining terrace facing both the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. It serves a fusion menu alongside craft cocktails and is open daily.
La Fortuna
Restaurant set on a quiet road north of downtown La Fortuna, past The Springs Resort and Spa, serving Costa Rican and international dishes for lunch and dinner. It draws visitors and off-duty local staff alike for dishes like ceviche, nachos, and chifrijo. The location sits apart from the main tourist strip.
La Fortuna
Plant-based smoothie and acai bowl bar in La Fortuna, making cold-pressed juices and smoothie bowls with tropical fruit. Reported hours and its exact location have varied between sources, so confirming by phone before visiting is worthwhile.
La Fortuna
Sushi bar 25 meters north of Banco Nacional in downtown La Fortuna, blending Japanese technique with Costa Rican ingredients. It offers a vegan sushi menu alongside the standard rolls, plus sake, wine, and cocktails.
La Fortuna
Kova Protein is a smoothie and juice bar near La Fortuna's Catholic church, focused on high-protein shakes, nutrition bowls, protein waffles, and functional drinks. It ranks among the highest-reviewed casual food spots in town on Tripadvisor.
La Fortuna
La Forchetta is an Italian pizzeria and wine cellar in Plaza Arenal, a few blocks from La Fortuna's Catholic church, serving handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza. It opens for dinner service only, with occasional live music evenings.
La Fortuna
La Fortuna Taproom is the local outpost of Monteverde Brewing Company, pouring around a dozen of the brewery's own beers, from pale lagers to imperial IPAs, in Plaza Adifort across from La Fortuna's central park. Pub food is served alongside the beer list.
El Castillo
Small takeout window in El Castillo serving burritos, wraps, and natural fruit juices. It is a longtime local favorite for a quick, affordable meal between hikes and tours around Arenal.
Live music
La Fortuna
Steakhouse 25 meters south of the Catholic church serving premium cuts cooked over natural charcoal, plus ceviches, Pacific and Caribbean seafood, and Lebanese-inspired starters. It has an on-site cocktail and wine bar called Selva Negra and a tableside flambe dessert program. Open daily 11:30 am to 10:30 pm.
La Fortuna
Mercadito Arenal is an open-air food hall in central La Fortuna housing several vendor stalls under one roof, serving burgers, tacos, wood-fired pizza, and sushi alongside a mixology bar. The market works as both a dinner stop and a nightlife spot, with live entertainment on some evenings.
La Fortuna
Organic market, restaurant, and coffee bar one block from the central park, next to Avis. It serves plant-based and vegetarian dishes along with a bakery case and a coffee bar.
La Fortuna
Ice cream and paleta shop on the north side of La Fortuna's central park, selling Costa Rican style popsicles and ice cream flavors made in house.
La Fortuna
Bakery next to the Catholic church in downtown La Fortuna, selling fresh-baked bread and pastries from early morning through the evening. It also operates an attached cafe and restaurant, Tayakiry Cafe, under the same roof.
La Fortuna
Que Rico Arenal has served wood-fired pizza and Italian and Costa Rican dishes next to the Arenal Volcano Inn since 2008. The restaurant faces Arenal Volcano and offers free evening transportation from a list of nearby hotels.
La Fortuna
Coffee roaster and cafe near La Fortuna's central park, roasting its own beans on site and selling bags of coffee alongside prepared drinks and light food. It also runs as a restaurant for breakfast and lunch.
La Fortuna
Italian restaurant just across the bridge from the town center serving wood-fired pizzas and homemade pastas. It has a full bar with a wine list and an indoor children play area, and gluten-free options are available.
La Fortuna
Restaurante Fortuneño is a Costa Rican restaurant 200 meters east of La Fortuna's central park, known for grilled rotisserie chicken, casados, and other local comfort food. It is one of the town's most-reviewed restaurants on Tripadvisor, popular with both residents and visitors.
La Fortuna
Family-owned restaurant in downtown La Fortuna serving Costa Rican breakfasts and American-style options alongside burgers and hand-cut fries. Locally owned by a La Fortuna family and a long-standing spot in town, with a wine list.
La Fortuna
Cocktail and wine bar in downtown La Fortuna, 25 meters south of the central park, pouring mixed drinks around a jungle theme alongside a wine list. It is open daily from noon to midnight.
La Fortuna
Family-run soda in the Sinai neighborhood of La Fortuna, 300 meters north of the central park, serving Costa Rican home cooking, casados, and fresh fruit juices. The restaurant holds a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best distinction for 2025 and stays open into the evening most days. It is closed on Sundays.
La Fortuna
Open-air soda next to the Mega Super and the bus terminal, popular with locals for low prices and generous portions. It serves traditional Costa Rican casados, gallos, soups, and natural fruit drinks.
La Fortuna
Large soda facing the central park, named for the bus stop it sits beside. It serves casados, ceviche, pizzas, burgers, and seafood, and will accommodate vegetarian and vegan requests. Open long hours and a gathering point for locals waiting for the bus.
La Fortuna
Costa Rican soda about 150 meters south of the Catholic church serving casados, batidos, and other tipico plates. A downtown favorite for an affordable local lunch.
La Fortuna
The Open Kitchen's La Fortuna location serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, from acai bowls and shakshuka to falafel plates and Turkish burek, from 7am to 10pm daily. It is one of two locations the restaurant runs in Costa Rica, alongside its original spot in Monteverde.
Don Rufino and Maria Bonita Steak House are the two verified fine-dining options in town.
Three verified sodas, small local restaurants serving home-style Costa Rican food, serve the town.
Yes, Kappa Sushi is a verified option in town.
Search every listing by name, cuisine, activity, or keyword.