Had a fabulous meal in this wonderful, out of the way, restaurant. The setting is beautiful and the decor very natural. It was clean and the service was wonderful. Jorge, the owner, made our evening very special and made us feel very welcome. Would definitely recommend this place for good food and service

We were staying in Matapalo and decided to head out for dinner. I checked tripadvisor and, based on reviews, we decided to try Cafe El Manglar. We were so glad we did! When we arrived, all the tables looked full. We found one table, but it had no chairs. There was a table full of what looked to be local teens and young men nearby who promptly got up and brought us their chairs and then went and got more chairs that were stacked in the corner. That was the treatment we received everywhere-people are incredibly friendly and generous. We started with drinks, which were loaded with fresh fruit and simply delicious. In our party we had a shrimp dish, a fish dish, and an order of nachos. All were good. I had the fish, which had been caught that morning and was absolutely fabulous! Service was great! Our server and the other staff were all very friendly and prompt. We will definitely return in our next trip to Costa Rica. Drive past the big flashy restaurants in town and find this gem. I highly recommend!

Mediocre food, very friendly service and great atmosphere (by the beach with palm trees but not overrun by tourists)

This restaurant has the best, friendliest and welcoming envirnoment for all their guests. The cook (Victor) and helper (Carlitos) and owner (Jorge) have great food, coffee and natural fruit drinks at very reasonable prices. The restaurant is not far from Don Brasilito's restaurant and is just across from the beach, where you can enjoy the sea air and watch the sunset. While I was there the owners treated me like part of their family and I enjoyed my time at the Cafe Manglar. This was the only place where you could use their Internet services at no charge, if you did not bring any computers or ipads. You should all make the time to visit the Cafe Manglar if you do visit Brasilito, you will not regret it.