Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best Local Hangout in Manuel Antonio
SALSIPUEDES TAPAS BAR AND RESTAURANT
MICHAEL BAKER AND MARCELLA IBANEZ
Life is about having a good time.
Miley Cyrus
“This used to be my house,” says Michael Baker of Salispuedes, looking out over the jungle,
sea and sunset from his restaurant. He smiles like sunshine as he talks about how the family
home he grew up in became the best local hangout in Manuel Antonio. “I never figured I
would own a restaurant to be honest with you,” he says. “It's a great opportunity and it was
a great surprise too!”
The fact that he converted his parents' house into a bar and restaurant shouldn't come
as a surprise to anyone who has visited Salsipuedes. Being 'at home' is what the place is all
about.
“Salsipuedes means 'leave if you can' — it's a dare, 'try to leave,'” Michael explains.
“It was an idea of Marcella's really — she had just come back from her home in Buenos
Aires, and she had gone to visit her brother in a province where there's a little town called
Salsipuedes for that same reason — people go there and it's tough for them to leave. So that
was our idea: to make it a place where people really feel like they're at home.”
Looking around the popular restaurant it's clear they have achieved their goal. From the
rich wooden deck that faces the ocean to the intimate spaces of the home that became a res-
taurant, Salsipuedes makesyoufeelinstantly welcome. Thefriendlyatmosphere andrelaxed
feel is deliberate and part of what Michael and Marcella were trying to achieve when they
opened in 2003.
Born in Quepos, drummer Jonathan Rodriguez Morales adds, “You feel like you're at
home here with your family. It's a beautiful mixture of locals and foreigners. It's worth com-
ing to just to watch the sun set right in front of your eyes. It's one of the most beautiful
sunsets, not just in Costa Rica, but in the world.”
