Restaurante Coco’s, Herradura, Costa Rica

Th whole gang, Nancy and I, Liza and Michael, and Ella (8) and Lily (5), landed at San Jose Airport in Costa Rica for Spring Break. We promptly drove down to Los Suenos resort on the Herradura Bay, right by the Pacific Ocean.  We arrived in time for a swim and a dinner on property at Bar Ocho with some delicious Chifrijo and outstanding fish tacos. The next day it was back to the pool and lunch at the poolside bar, Zoe’s. We’d enjoyed our meals at the resort, but it was time to go off property and try a local place.

Nancy, as is her wont, volunteered to take care of Ella and Lily while Liza, Michael, and I went out to dinner. My various sources of nearby restaurants pointed to Restaurant Coco’s.

Coco’s is a fun place. It sits on the beach with the tables and chairs set right on the sand. It’s close to the resort, but it has a local feel and local cuisine. Sitting at a table on sand watching the afterglow of the sunset and the lights of Los Suenos — you know you’re on vacation.

Coco’s has ample space for a crowd. We were seated near the center, and here’s a view of the happy customers at one end.

We were shown to a table, and were happy to find that it was made of wood.  Some of Michael’s New Orleans relatives had been to Coco’s and enjoyed it, but had warned against the plastic tables. The tables and the chairs did seem a little wobbly, but then in fairness so were some of the guests. The noise level in the open air stays low, with some music and surf in the background. Coco’s is a restaurant for relaxing, not for a quick dinner.

Liza had a spicy margarita, which had chile-spiced salt around the rim and a bit of jalapeño in the drink itself. I had a sip and it was delicious, not as spicy as I feared. For my part, I continued my sampling of IPAs around the world with a Tropical IPA.

It was a good beach IPA, light and refreshing. Note the importance of insulation in tropical climates.

Our food started with a selection of dips accompanied patacones, crisp and delicious smashed green plantains.

The dips included guacamole and salsa, and they all were lightly seasoned and accessible. Meanwhile, I ordered Coco’s Ceviche for the table. I admittedly ordered it without consulting the table, but I did offer it around. One of my dining identities is “the table.” Another is “a family of four.” Here’s the ceviche.

That dish falls in the “family of four” category. That’s an astounding amount of fresh seafood, mainly shrimp and octopus, in a deep bowl, graced with avocado and mango, all bathing in plenty of lime juice. Some nice plantain chips offered a vehicle and texture. I enjoyed this immensely. Again, it wasn’t spicy, mainly very fresh and refreshing. I’d definitely order this again.

After the starters had arrived we ordered entrees. Liza chose blackened mahi mahi Caribbean style for her entree with Gallo pinto, plantains, and a small salad with pico de gallo.

She reported that the food was excellent with good seasoning on the fish. The sauce you see had unfamiliar spicing that she couldn’t identify. She could only enjoy it. 

Michael picked the fried whole redfish. This is the medium size, not the large.

Michael was glad he didn’t order the large. That’s a lot of fish. As with the other local seafood, it was as fresh as can be, and nicely fried, with a lot of limes and salsas available to perk up the odd dry-ish bits that come with frying such a large fish.

After seeing the size of the ceviche I ratcheted back my order and opted for Costa Rica’s variation on seafood soup.

I’m always interested in trying new dishes, especially seafood soups, and this was a good one. It came with rice on the side that I added to the soup in stages. The Costa Rican seafood soups are distinctive for the use of coconut milk and, once again, more seafood than the law allows. This was chock full of shrimp, fish, octopus, and that crab. Lime cut the potential heaviness of the coconut milk, as did peppers, onions, and cilantro. The soup was a big hit.

That was a fun dinner. You can hardly help enjoying a beautiful beach setting, and well-prepared fresh seafood is a sure winner. There are, of course, non-seafood options, but it’s hard not to choose the seafood extravaganza. If you’re near Los Suenos or in the Herradura-Jaco area, definitely give Coco’s a try.

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