I am getting 3 square meals a day in my home stay, but sometimes a girl needs a change from Nica cuisine. There’s only so much rice and beans and chicken one can take, and I like that food! So I have been exploring the local restaurants and have some recommendations for eating and drinking in San Juan del Sur.
Fortunately, San Juan del Sur has tons of options for eating and drinking. For a small Nicaraguan beach town, SJDS holds a huge variety of bars, cafes and restaurants. Most cuisines are represented: Italian, vegetarian, sushi, Chinese, Indian etc.
Below are my favorite dining spots I have visited since coming to this Nicaraguan surfing town.
San Juan del Sur Cerveceria
One of the only craft breweries in the country, this is a nice spot to grab a beer and sit in the open air restaurant. So far, I’ve only tried one of their original beers, so I have to get back for some more! I went during happy hour and paid about $2.5o for a pint of good beer.
El Barrio Café
I’ve visited this café in the afternoon for a coffee and wifi, to get a change of pace and give a break to the school’s wifi. The latte is very good, it’s right in the heart of downtown so ample opportunities for people watching, and the wifi is pretty strong for San Juan del Sur. Apparently they have a good food menu; I just haven’t had the opportunity.
Simon Says
I stumbled upon this cute little garden spot with my school buddy Susan and we both adored the space and the cocktails. They have ample seating, a brick oven and apparently great smoothies during the day. I’ve already been twice and will probably return. Because of its casual vibe, Simon Says is great for a solo visitor with self-seating and atmosphere like a café.
El Gato Negro
A very popular and spacious breakfast and lunch spot, I enjoyed spending time at El Gato Negro for some coffee and food. The food is good and the atmosphere even better – what a nice garden – but the service leaves a little to be desired. They are very S L O W. If you go, bring a book and your patience.
Restaurant El Timón
We went to El Timón, which is located right on the beach in San Juan del Sur, for an activity with the school. Every Thursday night they put on a special show with local traditional music and dance.
The show is supposed to be “authentic” but was actually very touristy. In fact, the night I was there, mostly Canadians were in attendance. Still, it was worth going to once.
Our school arranged a reasonable deal with an $18 prix fixe menu at El Timón. The amount of food they gave us was ridiculous, and tasted pretty good even though none of us could eat half of it. The entertainment was fun too. I think most of the performers were dance students.
Super Frutto Gelateria
This is a high quality gelato shop just a couple blocks from the beach. You can get two flavours in a small for just $2. And it tastes great! Don’t you love gelato?
I haven’t even scraped the surface! Read my second post on eating and drinking in San Juan del Sur.
Share this:
