The food preparation here is one notch better than most of the other restaurants in town. The prices are very similar. This place is very clean with modern décor. A very nice place to enjoy lunch or dinner.

A good place to have a nice dinner for reasonable prices (not exactly cheap but for good value). Of course, the location is not on the beach but I think that portions were slightly bigger there. And the atmosphere is somewhat less "touristy" (even though I assume that almost only tourists dine there). Staff was friendly and food came out... More

good Costa Rican food and the octopus appetizer was outstanding. I would go back but it is just a restaurant and not a good hang out spot.

Our first meal here and it was delicious. It's a casual, laid-back place with good service. Frequented by tourists seeking Costa Rican food.

We enjoyed dinner at Casa Esmeralda on our trip to Costa Rica. Situated in a somewhat bland building, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality and freshness of the food. I had the Prawn Esmeralda - which was served in a delicious sauce with rice. My co-diners enjoyed other fish and seafood dishes including the mixed fried seafood and fresh... More

We really enjoyed our meal here. We asked to sit upstairs so we could enjoy a breeze but the downstairs would have been fine also. We ordered some sauvignon blanc which was quite nice. We normally enjoy red wine but we found that the heat tends to steer you away from the reds. We had the octopus appetizer which was... More

This restaurant was recommended to us by the owners and staff at the Hideaway Hotel, and what a gem - we absolutely loved it! We sat with a view into the kitchen and could see the cooks preparing pasta fresh with every single order. I loved the whole fried fish (snapper, I think), and the fries are to die for,... More

We really enjoyed our meal at Casa Esmeralda. We all ordered the comida tipica, ranging from fish to steak, to chicken to pork. Everyone loved their respective dishes. The kids ordered the seafood pasta, which was equally delicious and came with ample serviings of calamari. One of our better meals in Costa Rica.

We've eaten 3 times at Casa Esmeralda after being so disappointed at other 'well rated' restaurants in Playa Samara. Casa Esmeralda is located on a quiet side street without any special view. For us, it was about good food & good service that mattered far more than any special view or decor. The 3 times we were there we tried... More