Sofia Mediterraneo Tamarindo — Restaurant in Tamarindo

This was our first trip to Costa Rica and we were staying at the Coast beachfront hotel. There was a Mediterranean restaurant across the street that had great reviews. Now normally the wife is pretty conservative on food. But tonight she wanted to crash early after a long day of tours. So I amuck over for dinner and a couple glasses of wine. Super happy I did.

There was a nice breeze and the bugs don't bother me, so I chose an outdoor s seat. They have both indoor and outdoor for your preference.

The menu is not really expansive but had items for everyone and from a number of Mediterranean countries. I had my eye on the grigliata mistra (a mix of grilled seafood) but then the owner brought the daily special board over. The had grilled Mahi Mahi and grilled lobster which certainly was appealing. But I asked which I should get. He was honest that the grigliata while less expensive was something I wouldn't get a lot of places. I respect the perspective. I also added a glass of a wit wine that was very good for a by the glass. Dinner arrived and honestly it's once of the best grilled seafood meals I had. It included Mahi Mahi, squid, mussels and prawns. As well as grilled vegetables. Everything was prepared perfectly and tasted amazing. You can't clean your plate with mussels and prawns but I got as close as I could.

I added the chocolate cake for dessert. It was a little dry and I would give it a 4. But overall the meal, service and vibe were great. I would 💯return. Bonus because the owner was working the room all night making sure everything was perfect. He clearly cares...

We had an absolutely fantastic dining experience at Sofia Mediterraneo Tamarindo! From start to finish, everything felt thoughtful and elevated - definitely worth the walk from the main drag, and there is parking if you are driving over. And we’re from NYC, so we don’t say that lightly!

The service was impeccable. Our server Noah was attentive and friendly, and the hostess was warm and welcoming. The executive chef stopped by our table to personally explain the daily specials and check on us, sharing his passion and talent in a very personal way.

We started with a complimentary amuse-bouche of fresh tomato bruschetta, which packed a lot of flavor into a small bite. For appetizers, we had the prawns with garlic and the Greek salad, both of which were fresh and well seasoned.

The highlight of our meal was a special: the wild mushroom tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms. The white wine in the sauce added a beautiful depth to the dish, elevating the flavor of the mushrooms perfectly. I loved that it wasn’t cream-based, making it lighter but still so rich in taste.

The ambiance rounded out the experience - a comfortable and beautiful indoor/outdoor setting that made for a perfect evening.

Highly recommend Sofia Mediterraneo for anyone in Tamarindo looking for a memorable...

Our waiter was not just rude, but disrespectful. It’s unfortunate because we were here on vacation and chose this place to come for our first meal. We tried explaining to the waiter I had a gluten allergy, when HE asked us about allergy concerns. He promptly informed us with a laugh, that it “Wasn’t a real allergy,” when everyone else at the table assured him I have Celiac Disease. I do not wish to be gluten free out of a fad interest. I was ignored by the server, noticed by the rest of my party, for the remainder of the evening. My water wasn’t refilled when everyone else was, we felt continually rushed and ignored and I was served breaded potatoes, that I ate, even after informing our waiter and the owner of my allergy, they did come to take it away but it was already too late as I had eaten a few bites. Overall felt disheartened at our experience. The owner was clearly proud of his food and it was delicious, but why I felt ostracized over an allergy is not only strange but idiotic. I have no idea why you would alienate someone over something they can’t control, it left me feeling embarrassed and angry and I felt I should let others with allergies know before dining here. I didn’t get his name unfortunately as each time I tried to ask, he left, ignoring me. Odd,...