Le Papillon Restaurante
Costa Rica
Beoordelingen
I stumbled upon this restaurant with the help of AI (thank you, Claude) and was absolutely speechless when we arrived. The hotel itself was beautiful and I would love to come back for a stay sometime in the future. The staff were pleasant from the start, everyone was attentive and happy to serve the three of us. We were most excited to hear that they started with house-made fresh focaccia, which we ended up asking for seconds of. The drinks were enjoyable, and the food was unlike anything I had all week in CR. I ordered the beef tenderloin (pictured here), which came with a mushroom sauce and jasmine rice with a side of seasonal vegetables. The steak was cooked perfectly and was one of the best I've had in quite some time. I ordered a brownie for dessert, which was the perfect serving size after a steak and appetizer of bread. We could not have been more satisfied with the restaurant in its entirety, and were overjoyed to eat with such a beautiful view, even when it rained our entire stay. We were not anticipating the price, however we did see that it was on the pricier side. With drinks, it was roughly ~$80 USD pp, which was genuinely less than expected for how wonderful of an experience we had.
From the moment we arrived, every staff member made us feel genuinely welcome. The setting was made even more special by the beautiful view, which created the perfect atmosphere for our anniversary dining experience. The service was outstanding from beginning to end, and Fabian went above and beyond throughout our reservation. He was incredibly attentive, consistently checking in to ensure we had everything we needed while never being intrusive. He was also very informative, providing excellent food recommendations and answering any questions we had with great knowledge and enthusiasm. The food was absolutely delicious, and the combination of exceptional service, amazing cuisine, and stunning scenery made for a truly memorable experience. Highly recommend!
First, you really need to have a reservation. This allows the restaurant to plan for you and they will treat you like royalty. I would recommend you choose a time to see the sunset and sit where there is a view. All the more reasons for the reservation. Also, you need to agree to buy a bottle of wine.. but of course. The service and food was on par for such a grand place. Lot’s to see, taste, and experience. We of course watched the sunset as we enjoyed sitting outside talking about our trip, the wine, the food, and the highly attentive service. We had spent the last few days hiking parks and seeing sloths up in trees, sometimes 200 feet away. Our pictures were of what looked like a hairball up in the crook of a tree and we were “proud” of them so we could say we went to Costa Rica and saw sloths. Well, as an unexpected delight, as we were towards the end of our dinner our waiter suggested we could see “Lucy” the 1yr old sloth that visits the restaurant occasionally. She had spent the day sleeping up in the rafters of the building but was up and about heading out on an adventure. We watched her for about 10 minutes (took lots of pics). Unexpected and such a treat.
This restaurant was absolutely incredible from start to finish. The views alone are worth visiting for, the sunset looked almost unreal, like something out of a movie. On top of that, the food was AMAZING. I had the surf and turf and they definitely do not skimp on portion sizes. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and perfectly cooked. Our server Fabian was awesome, super attentive, friendly, and made the experience even better. And as if the night couldn’t get any cooler, there was actually a local sloth literally hanging out in the restaurant ceiling! Seeing one that close in person was such a surreal. Such a special spot all around and easily one of our favorite places in Manuel Antonio.
Travel Hack: Buy a Day Pass at Le Papillon — You Won’t Regret It If you’re visiting Manuel Antonio in April, be prepared for serious heat and humidity — it caught us off guard more than we expected. The beaches are absolutely gorgeous, but they tend to get crowded, and with water temperatures hovering around 85–90°F, a refreshing dip isn’t always in the cards. Parking near the beaches can also be a hassle and feel a bit uncertain at times. Here’s the hack: if you’re staying at an Airbnb or rental in Manuel Antonio or Quepos without a pool, you can purchase a day pass at Le Papillon, the restaurant and pool at La Mariposa Resort. Once we discovered this, we made it our afternoon ritual — unwinding poolside after morning activities two days in a row, and it was absolutely the right call. A special shout-out to bartender Yerald, who was exceptionally warm, attentive, and talented. His cocktails were excellent, and the food was outstanding. Here’s how the day pass works: ∙ $50 per person ∙ $10 goes toward pool access ∙ The remaining $40 is a food and beverage credit ∙ If you exceed the credit, staff will notify you and you settle the difference at the end. *Note: I think pool access ends at 6pm but I can’t recall because we left at 5:30 both days. Highly recommend building this into your itinerary — it’s a wonderful way to recharge in the middle of a hot day.
