As you’re supposed to when you’re on vacation, Robert and I did a fair amount of dining out while we were in Costa Rica. Although Zancudo, the town we stayed in, has a lot of restaurants for its size, the heat and humidity basically limited our dining options to whatever was within 5 minutes walking distance from our cabina. Fortunately for us, this included what is widely regarded as the best bar and restaurant in Zancudo: Sol y Mar. We pretty much ate there every day.

Sol y Mar is owned and operated by Rick and Lori from California, and they have done a wonderful job with the place. There is always something fun happening at Sol y Mar. On Saturdays, they host a volleyball tournament, and Sundays, it’s horseshoes. They have a lively BBQ night twice a week and, the week we were leaving, they were planning to throw a big Mardi Gras party. One night, Robert and I sat at the bar with a bunch of people and watched the Costa Rican soccer team beat El Salvador in a tournament to qualify for the Gold Cup (I have since learned that Costa Rica went on to win the Central American crown in this tournament. Hey, didn’t Greece win the 2005 Euro Basketball championship after we had visited there? I’m starting to notice a trend here. If any other countries out there would like to sponsor a trip for us in the hopes of capitalizing on our luck, please let me know.)

Sol y Mar has a great location about 50 meters from the beach. The restaurant is open to the outdoors, covered only by a palm frond roof. This offers a nice, nearly 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape from any table. More importantly, it allows the all to critical breeze to come through. As with everything else in Zancudo, the ambiance at Sol y Mar is incredibly laid-back. Most of the people that hang out there are what Robert and I coined as the “Steely Dan” types: extremely mellow, aging, longish-haired dudes, usually sandaled and shirtless (or in various tropical print shirts.) But, don’t let that scare you off. Plenty of native Costa Ricans and tourists frequent the place as well creating a very friendly, community atmosphere. Everyone gets to know each other so, after a while, it becomes hard to tell the tourists from the residents.

Despite the fact that Zancudo is in a pretty remote location, Sol y Mar boasts an incredible variety of menu options. Lori is a self-proclaimed foodie, and it certainly shows. The menu at Sol y Mar is huge, and there is an equally large number of specials available each night. The fish specials are particularly great. On BBQ night, I had a really delicious grilled fillet of mahi mahi. It was tender and juicy and smoky from the grill. Another night, I bravely ordered the whole fish special (for more on my whole fish saga, click here.) It was deep fried and wonderful (especially topped with Willie’s homemade picante sauce, which is brought to the table at each meal in a bucket along with several other hot sauces.) I devoured every last bit. Breakfasts at Sol y Mar are also great. The breakfast menu features standard American fare as well as huevos rancheros, gallo pinto, and an enormous breakfast burrito. Fresh tropical juices are available as is a fantastic orange, banana and yogurt smoothie. Even if you aren’t hungry, Sol y Mar is a great place to go if you are in need of a cold drink or just want to catch up on the latest local gossip.