Tamarindo Nightlife: 6 Bar-Restaurants You Won't Want to Miss

There's something about Tamarindo life that lends itself perfectly to the bar-restaurant vibe: Order up a frosty drink, dig your toes into the sand, and watch the sun go down as you sample some of the freshest seafood, juiciest pub-grub, and other tasty delicacies Costa Rica has to offer. So, what are the best Tamarindo bar-restaurants? The good news is that many of our favorite Tamarindo restaurants offer a decent drinks menu: bottled beers, fresh fruit cocktails, and at least a few red and white wines. But, if you're looking for a more robust bar menu, then these six Tamarindo bar-restaurants will pull double-duty to quench your thirst and sate your stomach. In alphabetical order:

Dragonfly Bar & Grill

Phone: 2653-1506 or 8554-2723 | Website Sourcing fresh, local ingredients to craft seasonal adaptations of their menu, Dragonfly is one of our favorite Tamarindo bar-restaurants. The mouthwatering menu extends to mixed green salads and tempura shrimp, seared yellow-fin tuna and fiery Thai beef. Even better, their bar menu is one of the best in town, offering tropical everythings from cocktails – cucumber gin & tonic, top-shelf margaritas, and a blackberry mojito, among them – to craft beers, reds and whites by the glass, and almost every iteration of martini. Bonus: There's live music every Saturday!

Eat at Joe's

Phone: 2653-1262 | Website If you think a surf camp can't offer great food & drink, think again! Eat at Joe's, located at Witch's Rock Surf Camp, is a casual-but-fantastic eatery, offering all-day breakfast and one of Costa Rica's most comprehensive beer selections – aka beer and bacon, the best combination! A blend of offerings from Eat at Joe's and the onsite El Vaquero Brewpub keeps you fueled with tacos, fresh fish, burgers and sushi, plus frosty drinks and a full menu of pale ales, brown ales, IPAs, and other local microbrews. The Sunset Happy Hour is held from  5 to 7 p.m. daily.

Langosta Beach Club

Phone: 2653-1127 | Website We love Langosta Beach Club for its upscale yet unfussy atmosphere: the lovely restaurant is set apart from public (read: louder) areas and surrounded by tropical flowers and vegetation, creating a secluded and tranquil atmosphere for a wonderful meal. The food is excellent (and on the fancier side) – think: crispy jumbo shrimp, goat cheese Caprese salad, grilled lobster, and beef tenderloin – and the drinks are cold, fresh and top shelf. On the menu: international brews, plenty of fresh fruit-blended favorites, and a cocktail list to rival any bar back home. A daily Happy Hour spans 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – the perfect sunset-viewing threshold.

The Monkey-LaLa

Phone: 2653-0096 | Website Housed within the Hotel Pasatiempo, the Monkey-LaLa is a casual bar-restaurant with a huge, domed palapa roof and freshly prepared food and drink. After you order, take your drink – the menu sweeps from chilled beer to all manner of tropical cocktails – and sit with your feet in the pool, at least until your meal is ready! If you're in town on Monday or Saturday, live music – often sax, guitar and other acoustic performances – will accompany your evening meal and cocktail.

Pangas Beach Club

Phone: 2653-0024 | Website Pangas is one of those perfect places that epitomizes Tamarindo life: a beautiful beachfront location, rustic driftwood accents, epic sunsets, and the choice to dine with the sand between your toes. All that and, of course, a superb dinner and cocktail menu: from the Malibu Bay Breeze Cocktail to the signature Pangarinha, from a selection of red and white wines to just-off-the-boat seafood and chilled beers to beat the heat – Pangas is that just-right blend of bar and restaurant where you can sip a cool one AND bring the kids.

Sharky's

Phone: 2653-4705 | Website A Tamarindo standard, Sharky's is part pub-grub, part awesome drinks. Bear in mind, it's definitely a sports bar so, while you won't see any perfectly plated gourmet cuisine here, you should expect some of the tastiest onion rings, wings and burgers in Tama. What's more, Sharky's has one of the best and most beloved menus of house cocktails, spiked smoothie pitchers, shooters, shots, and bombs, plus a full Bloody Mary menu and a super selection of draft and bottled craft beers, malts, and ciders, available in icy bottles, by the glass or pitcher, and even in fresh kegs. Drink up!