Sámara is small, so you can eat your way through most of it in a week. It runs from a ₡3,000 casado at a family soda to a proper sit-down dinner, and the dress code never changes: this is about the most casual beach town there is, so tank tops and shorts work day and night. Here's how the food breaks down, so you can match the place to the night.
Sodas: the everyday local lunch
A soda is a small family-run restaurant serving Costa Rica's everyday food, and it's where you'll eat best for the least. The thing to order is the casado: rice, beans, a protein (chicken, fish, or beef), fried plantain, and a little salad, all on one plate. A casado runs around ₡3,000 (roughly $6 to $7, depending on the exchange) with a fresco on the side, and you've eaten like a local for about the price of a coffee back home. Our pick in town is La Perla. If you want a soda with a view, La Roca is about a 20-minute drive out, set on a lookout that's worth the trip on its own. Sodas are also the move for gallo pinto at breakfast, and most don't take reservations because that isn't really the model. For what to drink with the meal, see our frescos guide.
Beach bars: feet in the sand
This is the Sámara daytime default. Gusto Beach sits right on the main bay: walk in, grab a table or a beach chair, and stay as long as you want. There's no cover and no day pass, so it doubles as your beach-day basecamp. Order lunch by noon with kids, let them play on the sand out front, and roll the afternoon into a sunset drink. It's the first place we send most guests.
Dinner: an easy sit-down
When you want a slower dinner, you've got good options and none of them need more than the shorts you wore to the beach. Mr. Pelicano is the Italian move, and Ahora Sí is another solid sit-down (both a short walk, or a quick drive with smaller kids). If you'd rather stay close to home, Cos-Ita Pizzería Romana, one street over from the villa, does excellent Romano-style pizza.
Cook in instead
You won't always want to go out, and you won't have to. Each villa has a full kitchen with an island and a blender, plus a barbecue on the covered terrace. Stock up at the Saturday feria (15-minute walk) or the supermarket (10 minutes), or have Blue Mountain Farms deliver produce, eggs, dairy, and bread straight to the door on Tuesdays and Fridays. For a treat, a private chef will plan the menu, shop, cook on your terrace, and clean up. Just ask us.
A few practical notes
Most places include 10% service on the bill, so extra tipping is optional and appreciated, not expected. Cards work at most sit-down spots; carry some colones for sodas and the smaller places. And the rhythm here is slow on purpose. Order, settle in, watch the light change. Nobody's rushing your table.
Base yourself a 10-minute walk from the beach and 8 minutes from town, with most of this within reach on foot. Check availability at Villas Dualis and book direct, or write us at stay@villasdualis.com and we'll send our current favorites with your check-in details.