Best Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants in Santa Teresa
Recent trending studies on centenarians point to their diets consisting of somewhere between 80 to 100 percent plant based. Vegetarian and vegan diets have gone from something of a rarity in the western world only three decades ago, to being the diet of a major portion of the population of North America, Europe, and Asia. Plant based eating is especially popular amongst the healthy living and longevity crowd making it a perfect fit in a town as active and healthy as Santa Teresa. Costa Rica Beach Rentals knows the myth of vegetarian food tasting bland to be the most untrue and to state our case, we’re bringing to you Santa Teresa’s best vegetarian and vegan options. These four established favorites of town are a demonstration of culinary prowess with flavor profiles that will have you craving daily visits and scheduled weekly dinners with friends.
Whether you’re in town for a couple days or staying for a while, everyone needs a good cafe to orient themselves and plan out their day. A personal strategy of mine on holiday is to start each day in a cafe and ask an interesting local something worthwhile doing that day. It’s a great way to find things to do off the beaten path. Cafe Social is the perfect place to do that with locals of all walks of life passing through for pastries, morning coffee, and a full brunch menu. Chef Rafa creates beautiful dishes of coconut chia pudding avocado sourdough toast with fresh greens, healthy juices and salads bowls to power your morning surf. Always good for a smile and a slowdown, stop into Cafe Social in North Santa Teresa regardless of what side of town you’re staying.
Another great spot where one can not only get a great meal but a great yoga session in as well is Horizon Tea House. Catch a morning yoga lesson and sit out on the deck enjoying breathtaking ocean views over breakfast regularly discussed as the best in town. “Gluten free”, “vegan”, “organic”, and “vegetarian” can be found spotting this menu up and down with only a few dishes not qualifying in all four categories. From amazing customizable muesli and acai bowls to pancakes, shakshuka, and grilled bagels every item is sure to delight. For later in the day, enjoy a smoothie, Greek salad or the “Cookie of the Day”! Horizon Tea House has been a consistent town favorite for close to a decade and should be at the top of any visitors meal lists.
For afternoon lunch or snacks stop into Rocamar and soak in the ocean and picturesque view. A favorite beachfront gathering spot for years, Rocamar has undergone renovation, transforming and updating their menu thanks to Chef James Kelly. Offering multiple vegan options such as Mushroom Lentil Tacos and a variatus Greens Bowl, Costa Rica Beach Rentals would like to particularly highlight the stand out Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich on their vegan onion roll and selection of amazing plant-based aiolis that all seem capable of highlighting and changing the experience of other menu items. Looking for a meal to put you in a perfect romantic mood with a photographic view and a sunset worth proposing in front of? Think Rocamar.
Lastly on our list is a place that defies being placed into a category. Part artisanal cocktail bar and takeaway, part art gallery, part dinner spot, part bakery, Drift is the brainchild of talented artist and mixologist Sharon Ramsay and really just stems from people wanting to be around her and everything she does. Come for a juice and pastry, stay for amazing conversation, double back after sunset for cocktails and intellectual dialogue surrounded by beautiful upper echelon local art. If you came to Santa Teresa and didn’t stop through at Drift, you missed out. Enough about the venue though, we are here to highlight the vegetarian cuisine, and it holds up to the drinks and art as a possible venue flagship. We could really do an entire write-up on this menu but just to wet your pallet, think in-house made waffles and vegan bacon or Indian dinner plates such as Dal Makhani and Matar Paneer. Imagine vegan delights followed by vegan vanilla custard filled chocolate donut balls. Is your mouth watering yet?
No sure about any readers out there, but after writing this, we here at Costa Rica Beach Rentals are ready for a little guilt free indulgence, Healthy, fulfilling and yet light, it would be hard to eat one’s self sick on from any of these amazing restaurants’ menus but you may want to try. After a year where exploring new meal options has been limited, let Santa Teresa and Costa Rica Beach Rentals help you live a little. Indulge for the holidays. Indulge for this upcoming year. You deserve it. We’re likely on our way to one of these very places right now.