WOW, love this place!! Between all the different food options, the community gathering, the conscious shopping, and the overall vibes, this spot is really special in Avellanas!!

What a cool and friendly place that should fulfill all global hipsters' aesthetic and culinary preferences. This could as well be located in NYC, Berlin or Medellin. Gentrification of the province done in a charming way. I assume this will push the development of the area further.

Chill vibe hangout spot with dining and drinking options. Local crafts, small shops, etc. Great place just to grab a bite and hang out for a bit

Friday night fun. Great live music, a few choices for food, a bar serving cocktails and wine, a number of stalls offering merchandise. Kids dancing, dogs trotting by, people eating, drinking and swaying to the music. ✨

Great little retreat for shopping and grabbing a cold drink a few minutes from the heat of the beach. Wonderful little market just loaded with fresh food, a clothing couple shops, a jewelry/rock shop, outdoor bar, and kids jungle equipment. Plus we saw a monkey and large lizard in the tree. This place has it all.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! We came here three times during our stay here and it was just the most genuine, fun, cute experience ever. There was a “food court” with different little cute restaurants for you to choose from, a bar, several stores and LIVE MUSIC. It also had the most amazing tree we’ve ever seen in our lives! Kids crawled up and down together with adults. Of course don’t forget about the swings (one of which is an airplane) and the over friendly dogs that made kids all screaming in excitement! Such a nice feeling of community. Will for sure come back next time we are around the area.

This is a great new place to visit and relax in Avellanas. The vibe is a mix of rustic and fancy. Incredible design of the place with some of the natural trees integrated into the landscape. This offers a small market of different restaurants to choose from for food, drink, and gelato. Some options are a bit expensive, but it is worth the visit.

Great atmosphere, wide election of food and solid cocktail bar. This is a must visit in the Playa Negra/Avellanas area! Go Friday nights for the market and live music. Perfect place to take children.

Lot's of different types of food. Excellent attention. Good drinks. Good vibes.

Came here for lunch after a wonderful time on the beach and sea. You get the menu online which was a bit of a hassle, since nobody told us. After20 minutes of waiting we finally sussed it out and ordered some beers and 2 starters - ceviche and chicken satay. The r quality and quantity was good and the location wonderful - on the beach. The overall cost was high for a starter and 2 drinks each it came to $22 each, which is expensive. The location and ambience keep it at 4 stars.

We enjoyed our meal at Lola's. The view of crashing waves and white sandy beach is gorgeous. We drove on an unpaved road from Tamarindo for 30 mins. I think it's worth it. I had the virgin mojito. It's so tasty! Food is delicious too. We enjoyed the veggie burger and vegan pesto pasta. The papaya salad is not the Thai style I had while traveling in Southeast Asia, but it's refreshing to try a Costa Rican style papaya salad. Total price is 64 dollars. Not a cheap meal because this is higher than what we would pay in San Francisco, but it's worth trying! Their listing price includes the s20%+ sales tax and 10% service charge. I like how clear what the menu price includes. I read the owner's response to some reviews. I'm impressed that they make such efforts to provide the best dining experience in such a remote area. They have high operating costs!

We came here for lunch and had the fish and chips and the ahi tuna. Both plates were tasteful. The drinks were also good but very little alcohol in it. Service was slow, hard to get the waiters attention, although the place was not full.

Great ceviche, cold beer, beautiful ocean! Can’t ask for much more. Definitely get a reservation because it fills up quick! Oh, and guard those amazing award winning fries carefully. The birds are very brave and also love them! 🤣 🦅

My favorite beach in Costa Rica so far! I love remote working at Lola’s. They have the best smoothies, food, and people! Definitely get surf lessons too 🙌

Totally awesome beach with great food and service! Pro tip- reserve your beach lounge chair online on their website. If you wait until you get there, they might be all gone!

Such a cute place!! It’s a bummer that the food isn’t good. But my drink was tasty. And the hammocks are very cute. Though, you need a reservation for pretty much every place to sit that’s on the beach.

Lola’s has a great view of Playa Avellanas and the story of Lola the pig is cute, however one of the waiters was very loud and somewhat vulgar, definitely killed the vibe. When I ordered my food at the stand where they charge, somehow they forgot to pass the order to the kitchen so we waited forever for the food. The worst part tho was the food, the quality was detrimental, I paid $21 for the worst burger and fries I had in Guanacaste, hands down. Total rip-off of a place. The owner replied to my review slandering me but my review was honest and real you can tell by reading it, just like all of my other reviews.

Chairs were not really comfortable. Very relax vibe and nice food and cocktails. We had the pizza « con todo » and it was very good (very thin crust). The mai tai cocktail was very strong. Service was great.

Spent the day at Lola’s. We had 2 chairs & an umbrella right on the beach. The food was good & the cocktails refreshing Stay for the sunset, you will NOT be disappointed Getting an Uber back to tamarindo was a bit challenging going but be patient and you’ll eventually score one

One of several restaurants we have visited since moving here 6 mos ago. 3:30 reservations (website) which were not needed as it was pretty quiet at that time. They’re on the beach, good westerly view for sunset. Parking is local. 500c if on the east side of the square, 2000 if you drive straight and park closer. The service was excellent, fast, attentive, friendly. The chicken ciabatta was good, just big enough and tasty. Fries are a solid 7. You get 3 fish strips on the fish and chips. Expect $25 each without alcohol for meal and soda. All in all, a good recommendation for a beach day. Support the local economy.

Such an incredible find. We were fortunate enough to find this place after adding a lot of unpaved roads. It was a bumpy ride but well worth it.

The location is great, the quality is good, the quantity is not that good. We ordered a ceviche but half of the bowl was cabbage salad beneath the fish. The fish and cheaps where a little oily.

Amazing sunset, fantastic fish and chips with cold drinks. Great place to go with friends or family in a casual atmosphere.

We found La Purruja by accident and what a happy accident it turned out to be. The food is fresh and delicious, their chef is incredible. Service is fantastic - Fabio is the best! He took great care of us each time we went (which was a lot in three days). And Nora is wonderful, so friendly and hospitable. This is the best place on the beach! Tasty and delicious food and drinks! Fresh fish everyday. Must tries are the Grilled Octopus, Fish Tacos and Tuna Tartare. We will come back again and again the next time we are in town. This hidden gem cannot be missed! Incredible views on the sunset so get there in time!

We had a wonderful experience at La Purruja! Great vibe and food. We actually ended up preferring it over Lola’s because of the service and prices. We had margaritas, ceviche and pizza - all delicious. Our server, Jana took great care of us and our 1 year old. We loved it so much we came back the next day!

Wonderful find tucked away in a quiet beach. The sunsets are amazing. The food was all very good. The burgers are huge. Highly recommend if you are looking for something different and not in a busy setting.

Really relaxing place. Definitely recommended 😉kind staff, cool mood and the food … super tasty, must to go here! Look for the “chirinquito” with shell chairs first I came to the place next to but this one is much more cozy. Greetings to Francesco and thanks for the perfect snack time and service. 🌮♥️

Came to La Purruja for dinner twice. Amazing friendly service, best spot for sunset and the food is really fresh and the delicious. We shared the surf and turf - local piece of beef cooked medium rare to perfection and sea bass and garlic shrimps. We also recommend the seafood pasta. Come hungry. For cocktails I had the spicy margarita which was very well executed. Love the place the food and the vibe.

Excellent food and even better service. After watching the sunset, be sure to stop in for dinner and drinks at La Purruja. The owner was extremely welcoming, especially to our elderly grandmother. I will definitely be returning.

This little gem is such a cool spot to hang with friends by the beach: lots of shade, and if not ask them to create some! This locally-owned spot also has plenty of little critters running around. I got to see a white-throated Jay and iguana that was friendly and large in size. I recommend the patacones (pictured) and the La Tortuga drink (also pictured). It's so fresh and yummy! Made with orange juice, mint and pineapple it was so good. Please try it!

Service is excellent and so is the grilled lobster! The octopus is also excellent! Large portions and good variety on the menu. On the beach, but hard to see it through the bushes. Parking is troublesome. Prices are reasonable.

Every single employee is so wonderful, welcoming and warm. They have such great service, affordable drinks, delicious food and happy hour specials. You may even get one of their special shots:)

I visited La Purruja a couple of times this trip to Costa Rica & I was not disappointed! First time was just for drinks, the margaritas we fantastic & the chilliguaros were delicious! Francisco was our waitperson/bartender & he was fabulous! He is super friendly & attentive! The second visit was just me…. For pizza & drinks after a day on the beach… again everything g was fantastic!! Francisco was my waitperson again & he asked why it took me so long to come back!! He was again very friendly & attentive! I think the menu has a lot of options and there should be something for everyone…. The beach is right there & you can even rent chairs for the day!! 😳 I’ll keep that in mind for visit #3!!

Incredible find!! Forget Lola's... THIS place has such great food, wonderful hospitality (thanks, Francesco, for taking special care of us!) great cocktails, comfy seating, perfect ambiance and views for days. Both the owner, Nora, and the Head chef, Carlos, stopped by our table to welcome us and ask if we were satisfied. We're already planning when to go back and who to bring with us! DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE! 💕 Karen & Alan from NYC

My new FAVORITE spot! I have been to Costa Rica 3 times and in that time I have never had a such a great dining experience! First I met Jenny who made our Christmas Eve dinner a delight! Her recommendations and sheer enthusiasm made this a night I’ll never forget! The food was outstanding! Fresh Pasta and wood fire burning pizza 🍕 plus I had a the jumbo shrimp salad and it was unbelievable! We will be sure to come back probably in the next day! It was that good! Go here asap and ask for Jenny!

Honestly one of the best restaurants in Costa Rica and definitely one of the the best Italian restaurants you can find !! The staff are so friendly, welcoming and professionals, really beautiful place with a garden and lights and good music. The food is so authentic that we had to come back again the day after to try more of the menu. Will definitely come back again.

Food is fresh and delicious! Is reasonable priced and staff really friendly and accommodating. The place is rustic and it is like you are eating in the middle of the woods! I guess that’s the reason for the name! Good place for sure to stop by. We have lasagna, pizza taglioni with wild mushroom beef carpaccio and bruschetta which was different and delicious.

Excellent experience and the best Italian dinner in this area. The server was charming and personable. The restaurant and setting itself was...Rustic, interesting and charming. It is pretty much in the coastal jungle near Hacienda Pinilla, and part of the road to get there isn't paved, but well worth the drive. Very hot pizza oven results in crispy crust and a great meal. Plenty of pasta options, very good wine list (which is hard to come by around here), vegetarian and vegan options. We shared the Ravioli Zucca pumpkin filling with walnuts and tasty sauce, loved it. It's my new favorite Italian restaurant!

Stopped here on my first night in Costa Rica and had the most unexpected authentic Italian cuisine in this rustic part of the world. It is a Italian family owned restaurant that delivers good quality, local fresh produce while also staying true to genuine Italian flavours. The Pizza was crisp and delicious. I would recommend this place to eat in a heartbeat.

The food was fine, we had the shrimp salad and two pizzas. The pizzas were cooked and ready to go several minutes prior to the salad. Disappointing timing to have pizza already cooled waiting on the salad. It was not as good as I was expecting given the reputation and the price.

We wanted to check out some local restaurants, and found Il Rustico. Boy did they deliver on a delicious dinner experience! We had the Bruschetta Rancho, Gnocchi 4 Cheese, Margherita Pizza, Parmigiana Pizza, and a Chily Passion Margarita + reposado. All were great, enjoyed the pizza, and the spicy marg was legit one of the best I've had!

Amazing authentic Italian restaurant nestled inside the Avellanas. Jenny was a very kind and accommodating hostess. The owners take pride in making their homemade pastas and are able to customize the order to include preferences. Overall it’s a great place, fantastic vibes and ambience and delicious food!

Make sure you get some reservations for this place! The food was amazing, especially the lasagne, the pizzas, and the dessert! Super charming restaurant with really awesome owners from Italy, that's when you know the food is authentic! Also there's a sleeping cat up on the counter at the front, so cute!

Mostly great meal and service! The main reason I did not give this five stars in every category is they kept forgetting our requests - salt/pepper, drink refills. We shared the Don Pedro pizza and the ravioli al fungi porcini. The ravioli was too al dente for my husband’s taste, but the flavor was so excellent that I could overlook it.

We love this place!! IL Rustico has been consistently amazing for many years. The food is locally sourced and made fresh daily. Everything is delicious … my favorites are the lasagne and the mushroom ravioli. The restaurant has a cool rustic vibe and is off the beaten path. The staff is always warm and welcoming. Reservations are a must. Highly recommended!

Best restaurant in this area. The 5-hour baked lasagna is excellent! Wood fired pizza also excellent. Service during weeknights is very good, but not so great when they are busy on weekends. Make reservations or risk a long delay. Prices are reasonable for what you get. We plan to return.

Excellent location, great for a satisfying meal after a day at the falls. Super reasonable prices. Definitely recommend!

Prices are fair. The fries were perfect. The selection was good and service was good. The beef fajitas were really chewy so I would get something with chicken. There are pretty birds around and a nice breeze.

We stumbled across this restaurant on way to Llanos de Cortes waterfalls. Really lovely meal and very affordable.

Great place to stop. Food was good.

Easy to reach, nice view. Up high, so nice winds. Servers are nice, food is good. Relaxed atmosphere. They have a pool table and TV's to watch sports matches