Puerto Viejo's food scene punches above its weight. Afro-Caribbean cooking dominates — rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, patacones, rondón fish stew, jerk chicken, and the famous pati (a spicy beef pastry sold from street stalls). You'll also find Italian, Israeli, Lebanese, Argentine and fusion restaurants up and down the main road — the town has drawn a multinational expat community for decades.
Most places are open-air, service is unhurried, and the best seats are the ones closest to the beach. Tamara for traditional Caribbean dishes, Stashu's con Fusion for fusion plates, Como en mi Casa for Argentine-flavoured comfort food, and Lazy Mon for casual bar food and live music. Local cacao is worth seeking out — try a hot chocolate at Caribeans Coffee & Chocolate, which works directly with Bribri growers.