Potrero's bar scene is small and informal, which fits the village perfectly. A few open-air spots sit close enough to the water to catch the evening breeze off the bay, and they draw a mixed crowd of long-term expats, weekend visitors from Liberia and San José, and whoever has come in off a fishing charter or a surf trip that day. The drink of choice is usually a cold Imperial, Costa Rica's light lager, or a rum drink made with Cacique, the local cane spirit. Cocktails exist and are improving; margaritas and Cuba libres are standard.
Sunset is the pivot of the evening. The western exposure across the bay delivers reliably good ones, and the bars fill up in the hour before dark. After that, things stay relaxed — there is no club scene in Potrero, and the evenings tend to wind down earlier than in Tamarindo. For a livelier night out, Flamingo or Tamarindo are the options. In Potrero, the bar is often the restaurant is often the beach, which is mostly how people seem to like it.