Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
With a bar shaped like the bow of a ship, onsite restaurant
Le Bistro
is a romantic spot
for lunch or dinner, with panoramic views from the dining room and outdoor patio. It has a
substantial menu of well-prepared European fare. There's quite a show at sunset.
Toad Hall
RESTAURANT
No need to write a review of this place, as all the info is proudly displayed on a million
signs littering the lake road. Toad Hall does have excellent guacamole, tasty fish tacos and
cold beer, true enough. There are beautiful views and lake trails, as you will know. Does it
live up to the self-hype? We're not so sure.
There are three lovely on-site villas and a fun gift shop filled with hokey souvenirs. The
signs are apparently part of a project with local schoolchildren. (To us this doesn't justify
the visual pollution and self-promotion, but at least they're good for a laugh.)
Gingerbread Hotel & Restaurant
RESTAURANT
8351-7815, 2694-0039;
www.gingerbreadarenal.com
;
mains US$18-32;
5-9pm
Tue-Sat, lunch by reservation only)
Don't miss the chance to eat at one of the best restaurants in northwestern Costa Rica. Chef
Eyal is the larger-than-life, New York-trained, Israeli chef who turns out transcendent
meals from the freshest local fare. Favorites include mushrooms smothered in gravy,
blackened tuna salad, and enormous, juicy, grass-fed beef burgers. It's big food that goes
down smooth. Cash only.
If you want to sleep where you eat, book one of the sweet boutique rooms upstairs. Each
room showcases fabulous murals and other artwork by local creatives.
Nuevo Arenal
Although steeped in aging
extranjero cultura
(expat culture), this two-horse town still
feels very Tico. A rest stop for travelers heading to Tilarán and points beyond, it's cer-
tainly a pleasant (and cheap) place to spend the night. The tiny downtown also has a gas
station, a Banco de Costa Rica and a Banco Nacional (both with ATMs), a SuperCompro
and a bus stop near the park. It even has a rickety old
plaza del toros
(bullring).
