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The 9 Best Restaurants in Dominical, Costa Rica for All Budgets
Dominical, Costa Rica is a small beach village located north of Uvita. Despite its size, this area is home to a surprising number of excellent restaurants.
We created this guide to fill you in on all our favorite places to eat in this area at a variety of price points and for all meals.
Make sure to read until the end for some other helpful tips on eating in this area.
Restaurants at a Glance
- Best Breakfast Place: Cafe Mono Congo
- Best Lunch Spot: La Junta Dominical
- Best Date Spot: Scala
- Best Craft Beer Bar: Fuego Brew Co.
Map of Restaurants in Dominical
A lot of the restaurants in Dominical are located in the small downtown area and are easy to walk to from the beach.
You can view this in Google Maps here
1. La Junta Dominical
This is my favorite place to go in Dominical if I am in the mood for handheld foods such as burgers, sandwiches, and tacos. I love that they use a variety of fresh vegetables here. Everything is always delicious. They also have an extensive cocktail and craft beer menu.
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? Yes, almost all of their meat menu items can be substituted for a mushroom/ chickpea patty.
- Takes Reservations? Yes you can make reservations at +506 2787 0046 . In my experience, you can typically just walk in and get a table though.
- Opening Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM daily
- Rating: 5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
2. Scala
Scala is a beautiful restaurant in the hills above Dominical with a garden and ocean views. They serve a variety of appetizers, main courses such as fresh fish and beef, and pizzas.
This is a great place to come for dinner to enjoy the sunset views.
I recommend opting for their beef tenderloin, catch of the day, or goat cheese and honey pizza. Yum!
- Price Point: $$$
- Vegetarian Options? Yes, there are a few vegetarian options.
- Takes Reservations? Yes, you can call them at +506 8805 8172
- Opening Hours: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM daily
- Rating: 5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
3. Fuego Brew Co.
Fuego Brew Co. is the place to go if you are looking for a variety of craft beers, a beautiful open air setting, and elevated bar food.
This is a must-stop place for us whenever we go to Dominical. It is perfect for a relaxed lunch after hiking at Nauyaca Waterfall.
They serve a variety of dishes here. We usually opt to just get a few different appetizers to share with our beers.
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? Yes. There are a few great appetizers, tacos, and pizza for vegetarians.
- Takes Reservations? You can call them at +506 7059 9753
- Opening Hours: 7:00 AM – 10:30 PM daily
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
4. Phat Noodle
This is an excellent Thai restaurant located in the downtown area of Dominical. This is an open-air restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere.
I love (and recommend) their Pad Thai, Thai Curry, and Ban Mi.
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? Yes! Almost all of their dishes can be prepared with tofu or chickpeas instead of meat.
- Takes Reservations? That isn’t necessary here, but you can always call them at +506 8512 7359
- Opening Hours: 12:30 PM – 8:30 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM Monday – Thursday
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
5. MOROMO Forneria
The place to go for all things bread! This is a new restaurant in the downtown area that makes amazing pizzas, pastries, breads, and more.
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? Yes
- Takes Reservations? No. But, you can call them if you need at +506 4794 9638
- Opening Hours: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM. Closed on Tuesdays
- Rating: 5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
6. Del Mar Taco Shop
The place to go in town for tacos and burritos. Everything is always very fresh here and they have generous portion sizes.
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? Yes, they have a vegetarian taco, a vegetarian burrito, and a vegan burrito.
- Takes Reservations? You don’t need to make reservations, but you can always call them at +506 8428 9050
- Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM daily, except, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Sunday’s and Mondays
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
7. Dominical Sushi
I know it sounds a bit weird to opt for a sushi restaurant while in Costa Rica, but keep in mind that there is TONS of fresh fish here that is great to eat raw. This sushi restaurant is always fresh and delicious.
I find that the service can sometimes be a bit slow and unattentive though, so just keep that in mind.
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? They have some vegetarian sushi options.
- Takes Reservations? You can call them at +506 8826 7946
- Opening Hours: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM daily
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
8. Cafe Mono Congo
A great cafe for breakfast and lunch. They serve a variety of breakfast sandwiches, omelets, wraps, burgers, salads, and more!
I also love the setting here. The interior has a rustic wooden atmosphere or you can opt to sit outside right next to the water.
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? Yes! There are plenty of vegetarian options.
- Takes Reservations? Reservations aren’t necessary but, you can always call them at +506 2787 0090
- Opening Hours: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM daily
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
9. Bar Jolly Roger Dominical
Sometimes you just need a good burger or wings, when that happens, head to Bar Jolly Roger. This restaurant is located in the hills above Dominical and has a fun bar-like atmosphere.
The burgers here are excellent, but the wings are definitely the main star. They have 24 different kinds of sauce for the wings at various spice levels (including their hottest sauce made with ghost peppers for all you crazy spice fans).
- Price Point: $$
- Vegetarian Options? They have a few vegetarian pizzas, but overall this isn’t the best place for vegetarians.
- Takes Reservations? You can call them at +506 8869 0707
- Opening Hours: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM daily
- Rating: 5/5 stars on TripAdvisor
Other Things to Know About Eating in Dominical
- Most restaurants in Dominical do not have websites. Some may have Facebook pages, but some don’t have their menu listed. You will usually have to stop at the restaurant if you want to check out the menu.
- If you have any food allergies, definitely let your waiter know. I suggest carrying a card with your allergies translated into Spanish to prevent any language-related miscommunication. As someone with a potentially deadly seafood allergy, I get it! The struggle is real.
- Tipping is not required in Costa Rica, but it is becoming more and more common. You can find out more in our guide to tipping.
- You can usually drink the tap water in Dominical. However, I would still suggest buying bottled water just to be on the safe side. We like to buy large jugs and just refill our water bottles as needed.
- Dominical is pretty safe, but petty theft does sometimes occur. A lot of the restaurants here are somewhat open air. It is best to never leave your wallet or cell phone on the table. also, do not leave your purse or backpack on the back of your chair. Instead, put it on the floor between your legs with one strap looped through your leg.
- Once the sun goes down the mosquitos can be intense. If you plan on an outdoor dinner, bring bug spray.
- For more restaurant options head south to the nearby town of Uvita.
- Some of the roads outside of downtown Dominical are unpaved. Keep this in mind when considering restaurants that are in the hills above town.
Check out our complete Dominical Guide for more info on visiting this town
Conclusion: Restaurants in Dominical
In conclusion, despite being a small beachfront town there are a surprising number of excellent restaurants in the Dominical area. We also love the eclectic variety of types of cuisines here.
If you have any questions about planning your trip to Dominical, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section below. We are always happy to help you plan!
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