Food

Most of Monterrico [1]’s hotels, particularly those that are on the beach, serve food. The following are the best of the hotel restaurants, along with a few nonhotel eateries serving decent food.

Café del Sol (tel. 5810-0821, www.cafe-del-sol.com [2], all meals daily) serves excellent seafood dishes ($4–8) under an airy palapa or on a pleasant beachside patio.

For Italian fare at affordable prices, you can’t beat the atmosphere at Pez de Oro (tel. 7920-9785, www.pezdeoro.com [3], $5–7).

On the pricier side, the restaurant at Dos Mundos Pacific Resort (tel. 7823-0820, www.dosmundospacific.com [4], $10–35), overlooking both the sea and an infinity-edge swimming pool, is simply wonderful. There is a good wine list to accompany your meal.

Hotels aside, there are also a few decent stand-alone eateries in town. On Calle Principal is El Divino Maestro, which does inexpensive seafood.

Behind Johnny’s Place, on the sandy street parallel to the shore, is Taberna El Pelícano (noon–2 p.m. and 6:30–9:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 6:30–10 p.m. Sat., noon–3 p.m. and 7–9:30 p.m. Sun.), where there are good pasta dishes and seafood ($4–8) and a fully stocked bar.

The hippest of all the town’s eateries is Dutch-owned Mañanitas Beach Lounge (tel. 5771-7768, 11 A.m–1 a.m., $4–8), fronting the beach along the pedestrian thoroughfare. Enjoy good smoothies, sandwiches, and cocktails from an airy, second-story patio while taking in gorgeous views of the sea.