Rural
When I travel, I love finding places where locals eat. Whenever I ask a local or a hotel concierge where they’d recommend, I pointedly tell them, “Somewhere you would eat.” And when I find a place that’s filled with locals and tourists, that speaks volumes to me.
Rural is that place. Rural is just outside the town of Tamarindo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. There’s just one main road in and out of town, so you can’t miss it. The restaurant sits in a single-story building, almost like an open-air pavilion. There are no walls and no doors; instead, wooden beams hold up the roof, ceiling fans provide a slight breeze, and woven pendant lights and string lights brighten the tropical space at night. Simple wood tables and chairs sit within the restaurant building as well as out on the dirt patio, shaded by a large tree out front.
Rural is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the menu shifts between breakfast and lunch/dinner. The food is traditional Costa Rican cooking – simple and flavorful.
For breakfast, you can make your own breakfast plate by choosing from eggs, different proteins, carbs, and sides. There are also breakfast specialties. My favorite is the Tortilla Rural – a traditional Costa Rican tortilla (which is more dense than a Mexican tortilla) with cheese, refried black beans, shredded beef in salsa, and an egg over easy. And if you’d rather opt for a light breakfast, they have sweet breads and empanadas as well.
And for lunch and dinner, a popular choice would be to make your own casado – a traditional Costa Rican meal of gallo pinto (rice and beans), a salad or vegetable, and a protein. The standout for me, though, is their olla de carne, a traditional beef soup with yucca, potatoes, and vegetables, served with a bowl of rice. It is absolute perfection – beefy, savory, and comforting. I don’t care that it’s 90 degrees and 80% humidity. This soup is worth sweating through it.
I visit the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica at least twice a year, and every single time, a visit to Rural is a must for me. As someone who loves to eat as much as I do, it is always a highlight of my trip.
Rural Tamarindo
Hotel Llano del Mar 200 metros este de Ferreteria Colono, Frente a, Av. de las Palmas, Provincia de Guanacaste, Tamarindo, 50309, Costa Rica
