Agua Azul — Restaurant in Quepos

Given the reviews, my experience here was an absolute disappointment. Extremely poor food with disinterested wait service.

The menu is overpriced for the quality in food. Food was bland, lacked detail and nothing in each dish complimented one another. It was as if they threw anything they had together and was a mess. The menu does little to help in describing the dish either. Better food can be found in a market or side street with much better taste. For reference I had their calamari and snapper fish off their recommendations. The mash potato and salad was bland while the sauce pairing on the fish did nothing to add favors to the taste.

Perhaps it was because I was eating alone today but the wait staff was unattentive and seem to prefer to service larger parties. I had asked for a table by the side view and they gave it to someone who arrived before me which was understandable. However when another table became available, they gave it to someone that arrived much later, obviously preferential and discriminatory (seated table size was the same) . After my appetizer, I had wanted to cancel my main order and leave based on the taste of food and service so far. Given they had already started preparing it, I sat it out... Unfortunately, the food and experience did not get any better.. Wait service was poor, they did not bother to check in throughout my meal or offer additional drinks even when it was clear I did. The restaurant is small and was steady tonight however the service was indeed not for lack of staff as there were plenty around.

*Definitely not recommended and best to avoid. I've been travelling around Costa Rica for weeks now and this is the worst restaurant in terms of food quality, price and service...

This place comes with rave reviews and recommendations for a reason - it’s awesome. The great service is matched by great food. We had this place on our list over a few visits to the area and finally were able to enjoy it - don’t wait until a second trip, get dinner here the first time! Our server was prompt and no nonsense, but very friendly and had our orders, drinks, and food quickly. We spent some time talking to the owner, Orlando, and he was not only friendly but genuine and an awesome host. We tried a variety of drinks, all were great, and had the tuna margarita and plantain tower for appetizers, both were awesome. We tried a special entree with shrimp and the catch of the day with mango salsa, that was very good. We also had to give the fried fish basket a try and it didn’t disappoint. Awesome spot, great owner and staff, cool intimate space. Get there early or prepare for a wait, but know there’s a reason for the buzz!

Update: Made another visit to Agua Azul during lunch on another visit to Manuel Antonio and tried the chicken tacos this time - they were delicious and now come with a...

The best feature of this small eatery is not the view (as most would say) but is the yummy dishes it serves. Yes, I planned our dinner during sunset as this is the only one with a great view of the Pacific Ocean in Manuel Antonio. But I was not totally impressed as the sunset was on the right side of the restaurant and a hill with houses covered the whole thing. Nothing much to see after that. The sunset view is way better on the public beach located down from Manuel Antonio (outside the park). However, having said that, this eatery gets packed at this hour of sunset as it does have the best view among other restaurants. The tables filled out fast. When we got their, the best seats were taken and we only got a table in the right side (2nd best seats). Going to the best part, you can't be wrong in having dinner in Agua Azul. Don't miss the tuna tartar appetizer. Delish. We went for the fish and seafood. All cooked perfectly with great veggies on the sides and good sized portions. Don't forget to try their local homemade spicy green pepper hot...