You’re spoiled for choice! Try Papagayo Steakhouse & Seafood (tel. 506/2670-0298, noon–10 P.M. daily), a two-in-one restaurant with an open-air seafood restaurant downstairs and an air-conditioned one serving meats upstairs. The seafood menu includes sashimi, blackened Cajun-style catch of the day ($8–15), and a sauté Papagayo seafood au gratin in tarragon cream sauce. Next door, the same folks have opened the open-air Papagayo Sushi, where you can dine at a boat-turned-table.

A Taste of Texas (tel. 506/2670-2258, 10 A.M.–8 P.M. daily), on the road into Playas del Coco, competes for the surf-and-turf crowd and is known for its barbecue burgers.

The modestly elegant Restaurante Coco Sushi (tel. 506/2670-0367, 11 A.M.–11 P.M. daily), on the west side of the soccer field, has a creative menu featuring sautéed black-tip shark, curry shrimp stir fry, and sushi and Japanese fare.

For Italian, head to Restaurante Sol y Luna (5–10 P.M. Wed.–Mon.) at Hotel Puerta del Sol; it serves homemade pastas ($5), cannelloni ($8), lasagna ($8), stuffed crepes, tiramisu, and daily specials, enjoyed amid exquisite Romanesque decor. It also serves cappuccinos and espressos, and has a large wine list and 15 types of beer.

For a truly classy ambience by the beach, check out Café de Playa Beach & Dining Club (tel. 506/2670-1621, www.cafedeplaya.com, 7 A.M.–midnight daily, $5–20). It serves great breakfasts and has a sushi bar, and the classy breeze-swept restaurant serves everything from salads and penne pastas to nouvelle seafood such as rum-sauce jumbo shrimp.

Nearby, and an excuse to dress up, the Restaurant Pacífico Beach Club (tel. 506/2670-2212, 11 A.M.–3 P.M. daily, and 6–10 P.M. Fri.–Sun.) has a stately contemporary motif that includes an onyx-topped bar with flat-screen TVs. It serves tapas and Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

Opened in 2010, the chic Citrón (tel. 506/2670-0942, www.citroncoco.com, 1:30–11 P.M. Mon.–Sat.), in Pacífico Plaza, has set a new tone for contemporary elegance. Chef David Posner conjures masterful Latin American fusion dishes amid surrounds that would fit well in New York or London. Anyone for rum-sautéed shrimp salad ($8), stir-fried poached sea bass ($14), or caramelized pork tenderloin ($12)?

If the heat gets to you, the Heladería Italiana (tel. 506/8897-4463) awaits with gelato at the ready.