Emilio's Cafe — Restaurant in Quepos

Nothing in Quepos or Manuel Antonio compares to Emilio’s Café. This place has it all, starting with an incredible, expansive ocean view. The owners recently finished a remodel (Dec 2021) and created perfection. It’s open-air, naturally cooled by ocean breezes and quiet fans, with modern, artsy décor.

The Coffee!

Emilio’s is the first and only place we’ve found in Quepos offering gourmet coffee with Chemex and V60 methods. I like it black, but they offer coconut, soy, or almond milk if you want. There’s also decaf available once you’ve reached your caffeine limit. Cold-brew and other chilled drinks are also provided. In addition, they have all the standards too: Americano, espresso, cortado, cappuccino, latte, mochaccino, hot chocolate, etc. We don’t drink early in the day but there are plenty of creative cocktails on the menu as well as a gluten-free beer!

The Eats!

Delicious, fresh and creative dishes and desserts are offered. For us, finding gluten-free meals and pastries in Quepos made our day. Vegans and vegetarians are also well served here with lots of options. We came for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on our recent visit to Manuel Antonio. Everything was wonderful. For lunch, there are five gourmet salad choices, eight Italian/Mediterranean style sandwiches, four pita sandwiches, five exotic appetizers, and eleven main course choices, including sea bass, fish, chicken, and vegan curries. Dinner is even more elaborate, and the first night we came, they were complete with reservations, so be sure to call in advance. Breakfast is amazing!

The WiFi and Workspace!

The WiFi speed was slightly disappointing, six down and two up, but certainly workable on our visit. The seating was done right. The table and chairs are a perfect height. The owners got it right. So many places miss the boat on this. Perfect ergonomics! To my digital nomad’s crews, always show respect for businesses that provide a great environment and quality products. Emilio’s is 5 star. Be sure to spend a reasonable amount and don’t go more than an hour without adding something to your order. Running a café with a killer location, view, and high-quality food and drinks isn’t cheap. If you’re looking for something more economical, work from your hotel or hostel room or visit one of the many locally-owned cafes. The nomads that don’t show common sense force owners to limit their Wifi speeds or implement minimums. Don’t be that person. The background music was fine. Thankfully, no elevator covers and nothing too loud. It had a Latin flavor which was great.

When we arrived in Quepos, Emilio’s underwent a remodel and wasn’t open. So we tried almost all of the other coffee shops. None of them came close to Emilio’s quality, view, and ambiance, except one: Emilio’s 2nd location in Quepos, Marina Pez Vela.

A place like this makes visiting Manuel Antonio that much more enjoyable. The National Park is a treasure. Go in the early morning to avoid the crowd and then after you finish hiking the varied trails and work up an appetite, come over to the best...

Emilio's Cafe is a must-visit for anyone traveling to Manuel Antonio. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted by an inviting and cozy atmosphere, complete with friendly staff and the aroma of freshly roasted coffee. Here are a few reasons why I highly recommend Emilio's Cafe:

Food quality: Emilio's Cafe offers a wide variety of food options, from traditional Costa Rican dishes to more international fare. During our 3 visits on back to back days (yes we liked it!), I tried the Mexican Bowl and was blown away by the quality of the dish. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful, and the snapper in another order was perfectly cooked. My travel companion tried the Indian chicken curry, which was equally impressive. The portions were generous and the presentation was beautiful. We left feeling satisfied and eager to return for another meal.

Excellent drinks: In addition to the delicious food, Emilio's Cafe offers an extensive drink menu that includes everything from fresh juices to cocktails. I tried the iced latte with milk and it was fantastic. It was one of the best lattes I've ever had, with the perfect balance of espresso and creamy milk. Another time we ordered a margarita, which was equally impressive. Even the mixed fruit juice is incredible.

Extremely nice serving staff: The staff at Emilio's Cafe were some of the nicest and most attentive I've encountered. They were happy to answer any questions we had about the menu and offered great suggestions for both food and drinks. They seated us close to a nice view of the bay even though it was an inconvenience for them. They made us feel welcome and valued as customers, which only added to the already enjoyable experience.

Great coffee with roaster working nonstop on site: Emilio's Cafe takes their coffee seriously, with a roaster working nonstop on site to ensure that every cup is as fresh as possible. The coffee was expertly brewed and tasted amazing. The roasters work was on full display. Only regret was I didnt grab any beans before leaving. But I am hoping to be back to fix it...

I was highly disappointed with this place!! If you are just looking for a place with a great view, this is it. Do not come if your expecting great service or food. I would recommend El patio de milagros which is 1 minutes away walking!! Everyone kept mentioned to go to Emilios Cafe for the views so we decided to go around 4:45pm on Wed. As soon as we walked in, we were treated poorly. I think the staff probably thought we couldnt pay a bill or what. The 1st thing we were told was " O you must be here for the desserts". We told the hostess we were here for dinner. We were seated near the middle of the room, which we would have preferred a seat by the glass to have a a great view but were told No. Mind you, at that point, this place was empty, and about 3 out of the 6 empty tables by glass were still empty by the time we left. Luckily my friend and I were able to go by the glass and take a few pictures. The waiter Andres, must have been out of touch. He didnt even provide his name when greeting us and just went to what do you want to order! I had to stop him mid sentence and ask him his name. For an "up scale and overpriced " restaurant, i would have expected better service! We ordered the mezcal tini and tamarin margarita, which were both not great! We both ordered 2 shrimp dishes which were so bland and tasteless. By time we finished we were ready to go and our waiter was never seen. He never came to our table to ask how our food was, only to ask if we wanted more alcohol! We had to wait for another waiter to bring the bill and pay. We decided to go to EL patio de Milagros which is down the hill and...