We Came for the View. We Didn't Expect the Food.
When people first see Ojochal, they notice the jungle.
Then the mountains.
Then the Pacific Ocean appearing between the hills.
What they probably don't expect is the food.
We certainly didn't.
For such a small village on Costa Rica's South Pacific coast, Ojochal has an extraordinary collection of restaurants. French-inspired cuisine, fresh Pacific seafood, sushi, Costa Rican cooking, bakeries, cocktails and casual neighborhood spots are scattered through the village and surrounding hills.
It's one of the things we've come to love most about Ojochal.
You can spend the morning exploring a waterfall, the afternoon at Playa Ventanas, come home to Casa Cascada for a swim — and still be only minutes from a memorable dinner.
That's Ojochal.
And these are some of the places we'd tell our friends and guests to discover while they're here.
A tiny jungle village with a seriously good food scene.
Ojochal doesn't have a traditional downtown packed with restaurants. That's part of its charm. Some places are tucked into tropical gardens. Others sit high in the hills. Some are simple local favorites. Others wouldn't feel out of place in a much larger destination.
Exploring them is part of the experience.
A Special Night Out
Exótica
Exótica is one of the names that comes up again and again when people talk about dining in Ojochal.
Set among tropical surroundings, it represents something visitors often don't expect to find in a small Costa Rican village: an intimate, destination-style dining experience with French and international influences.
This is the kind of place we'd consider for a special evening — the dinner you plan rather than simply stumble into.
Why go: Atmosphere, creative cuisine and a memorable night out.
See Exótica on our Eat guide →
Refined, Without Feeling Formal
Citrus
Citrus is another restaurant closely associated with Ojochal's reputation as a dining destination.
The cooking draws from international influences while taking advantage of ingredients available on Costa Rica's South Pacific coast.
What fits Ojochal so well is that even the more refined dining experiences still feel connected to the relaxed pace of the Southern Zone.
Why go: An elevated dinner without leaving Ojochal.
See Citrus on our Eat guide →
Dinner in the Jungle
Heliconia
Heliconia captures something we love about this part of Costa Rica: you can have a beautifully prepared meal while still feeling completely surrounded by the tropics.
Seafood and international flavors are a big part of the experience, but the setting matters just as much.
It's the kind of restaurant that reminds you you're not eating in a resort complex. You're in the Costa Rican jungle.
Why go: Tropical setting, seafood and relaxed atmosphere.
See Heliconia on our Eat guide →
Come for Sunset
The Bamboo Room
Some dinners are about the food. Others are about where you are when the sun starts dropping toward the Pacific.
The Bamboo Room, located at Alma de Ojochal, combines the two.
Its elevated location makes it particularly appealing around sunset, when the hills begin to change color and the Pacific horizon becomes part of dinner.
Why go: Sunset, drinks, dinner and the view.
See The Bamboo Room on our Eat guide →
One of Ojochal's Hidden Hillside Spots
La Pala
La Pala feels like the kind of place you discover rather than simply find.
Set up in the hills, it combines open-air dining with views across the surrounding landscape.
Restaurants like this are one of the reasons having a vehicle in Ojochal is worthwhile. You turn off the main road, climb into the hills and suddenly find another completely different corner of the village.
We brought our own family here for pizza one evening, and it's stuck with us since — kids at the table, the hills turning gold as the sun dropped, pizza straight off the board.
Why go: Views, open-air atmosphere and the adventure of getting there.
See La Pala on our Eat guide →
A Relaxed Ojochal Lunch
Potz Bistro
Not every great food experience in Ojochal needs to be dinner.
Potz Bistro gives visitors another option for breakfast, coffee, pastries, lunch or a more casual stop during the day.
It's particularly useful on mornings when you want to head out exploring but still want something more than a quick snack before hitting the road.
Why go: Breakfast, coffee, baked goods and casual dining.
See Potz Bistro on our Eat guide →
Wine + Sushi
Momento
Ojochal's variety becomes obvious when you realize that among the jungle restaurants, Costa Rican sodas and international kitchens you'll also find places focused on sushi and wine.
Momento adds another dimension to the village's food scene and works particularly well for an evening when you're looking for something different.
Why go: Sushi, wine and cocktails.
See Momento on our Eat guide →
Eat Like You’re in Costa Rica
Soda Ojoche
Visitors shouldn't spend an entire Costa Rican vacation eating only at upscale restaurants.
A local soda is part of the experience.
Soda Ojoche offers the kind of casual Costa Rican food that belongs in a trip to the Southern Zone. No elaborate production is necessary. Sometimes you just want a traditional Costa Rican meal, a cold drink and a place that feels local.
Why go: Traditional Costa Rican food and a casual local experience.
See Soda Ojoche on our Eat guide →And That's Only the Beginning
Ojochal's restaurant scene continues well beyond these eight. Here are a few more worth knowing about — and there are more still on our complete Ojochal food guide.
Los Gatos Locos
Mexican-style food, drinks and weekend live music in a two-level open-air treehouse.
Pan y Amor
Fresh-baked pastries and special-occasion cakes on Calle del Jardín.
Stan's Café
A Belgian beer bar and gathering place where visitors meet the people who actually live here.
There's enough variety in Ojochal to keep discovering new places throughout a week-long stay. Explore our complete Ojochal restaurant guide →
The Best Part? Dinner Is Minutes Away.
One of our favorite things about Casa Cascada's location is how easy evenings can be.
Spend the day exploring Costa Ballena. Come home. Jump in the pool. Sit on the terrace as the afternoon cools down.
Then decide where you feel like eating.
French-inspired cuisine? Sushi? Fresh seafood? Costa Rican food? Sunset drinks?
You don't need to plan your entire vacation around long drives to dinner. Much of Ojochal's food scene is right here.
And after dinner, you climb back into the hills, return to Casa Cascada and let the jungle take over again.
Our Take
Come to Ojochal hungry.
The beaches, waterfalls, wildlife and Pacific views may be what bring you to Costa Ballena.
But don't underestimate the evenings.
One of the unexpected pleasures of staying in Ojochal is realizing that after a day of exploring one of Costa Rica's wildest regions, you can come home, clean up and have an excellent dinner just a few minutes away.
For us, that's another reason Ojochal works so well as a home base.
If you're still deciding where to base your Costa Ballena vacation, read our guide to Ojochal vs. Uvita: Where Should You Stay? Curious about hotels versus villas? See Where to Stay in Ojochal: Hotel or Private Villa? Or explore things to do around Ojochal and Costa Ballena. And when you're ready, come stay at Casa Cascada.
