El Patio

El Patio Review

It would be easy to miss this small place squeezed between a couple of shops south of the bridge into town, but don't. The nouveau Latin American cuisine includes some delectable innovations on traditional Central American and Caribbean flavors. Start with some chicken tamales, ceviche, or a mango and chayote (green squash) salad, then sink your teeth into a slice of pork loin in a creole mojo (spicy tomato sauce), shrimp in a rum coconut sauce, or mahimahi cooked in a banana leaf with a smoked tomato mojo and a squash puree. The lunch menu has a good selection of salads, sandwiches, and wraps. The nicest tables are in back, around a lush garden and fountain. The owners opened a second location at Café Milagro in Manuel Antonio, at the intersection near Hotel Parador.