Papaya Restaurant

Restaurant in Brasilito, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Papaya at Conchal Hotel

Papaya Restaurant is at Conchal Hotel in Playa Brasilito, Guanacaste, and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fish and seafood are sourced daily and carefully selected from fishermen in the local area. Seasonal fresh produce is used, so the vegetables and fruits accompanying a dish may differ throughout the year.

A listed dish is occasionally unavailable because only fresh produce is served. There is a daily specials board, and the kitchen is happy to offer variations or substitutions. Dinner reservations are highly recommended. Printed figures do not include the added 10 percent service charge and 13 percent sales tax.

Vegetarian dishes are marked with a v. A vegan menu is called pure. Wheat and gluten-free options are available. Dishes are described as nutritionally balanced, with many foods high in antioxidants and rich in essential vitamins and minerals, aimed at vitality, health, happiness, and passion.

Morning plates

The tropical buffet includes freshly baked breads and cake, homemade preserves, cereals, fresh fruits, juices, tea, and coffee. It is complimentary for hotel guests and marked vegetarian. For other diners the printed figure is 6900.

The American breakfast is two eggs, scrambled or fried, with bacon or ham and toast, at 4500. Huevos rancheros, marked vegetarian, are eggs, tortilla, beans, jalapeño and tomato salsa, cheese, and avocado, at 4500. The Costa Rican breakfast, marked vegetarian, is two eggs, scrambled or fried, with gallo pinto, tomato, and tortilla, at 4500.

The breakfast burrito, marked vegetarian, is scrambled eggs, tomato, avocado, cheese, and gallo pinto at 4500. Pancakes with fresh fruit and maple are 4500 and marked vegetarian. An omelette of any combination of cheese, tomato, onion, and red pepper is 4500 and marked vegetarian.

The BLT is bacon, lettuce, pickles, and tomato at 4500. The veggie BLT is vegetarian soy bacon with lettuce and tomato at 5500 and marked vegetarian. The tropical fruit plate, a selection of fresh tropical seasonal fruits, is 3900 and marked vegetarian. Gallo pinto appears on the Costa Rican breakfast and in the burrito.

Starters, casados, and salads

Garlic bread with garlic and fresh basil pesto is 4500 and marked vegetarian. Garlic basil chicken is fried with Asian spices and served with sweet chilli salsa at 5900. Coconut shrimp are jumbo shrimp with a coconut crust and tangy pineapple and ginger salsa at 8500. Tuna poke is fresh raw diced tuna with sesame seeds, cilantro, pineapple, and nori flakes at 8500. House fish ceviche is 4500.

Guacamole is chunky avocado, tomato, onion, and cilantro with fresh-fried tortilla chips at 4900, marked vegetarian, or 6900 for a large serving to share. Plantain nachos to share come with refried beans, pico de gallo, and natilla at 6900, or 8400 with chicken. Coconut rice, patacones, or potato wedges are 2000.

A casado is the Costa Rican national dish with rice, black beans, plantain, and salad. Fried eggs are 4600. Grilled chicken or fresh fish is 6900. Shrimp is 8900.

Green papaya salad is shredded papaya, carrot, cucumber, tomato, scallion, sesame seeds, ginger, and peanuts with tangy citrus dressing at 6400, marked vegetarian. Shrimp or chicken can be added at 9800. Jumbo shrimp salad has peppers, onion, carrot, cucumber, tomato, and sprouts with pineapple ginger marmalade at 12900.

Fresh tuna salad is grilled tuna with peppers, onion, carrot, cucumber, tomato, avocado, sprouts, mixed leaves, macadamia nuts, and wasabi soy dressing at 12900. Grilled chicken salad uses peppers, onion, carrot, cucumber, tomato, avocado, sprouts, and mixed leaves with papaya jam at 12900.

Seafood, steak, and other mains

Coconut mahi-mahi is a dorado fillet with a crispy coconut crust, grilled vegetables in a yellow curry, and passion fruit salsa at 12900. Sesame-crust tuna is seared with avocado wasabi salsa and grilled vegetables at 12900. The menu uses both mahi-mahi and dorado for that coconut-crust fillet.

Lobster 5-spice is a rock lobster tail with garlic, Szechwan peppercorns, star anise, fennel seeds, clove, and cinnamon, served with rice and grilled vegetables at 17900. Lobster mango salad, among the appetizers, is a grilled rock lobster tail with mixed tropical salad at 8500.

Surf and surf is grilled tuna, lobster, and shrimp with grilled vegetables, green papaya salad, and avocado wasabi, soy ginger, and Thai sweet chilli salsas. One portion is 25000. The portion for two people to share is 45000.

Seafood rondon is a green curry with rice and a crispy sweetcorn cake at 12900. A tofu and vegetable option is 11900. Grilled jumbo shrimp come on a skewer with pineapple, onion, and bell pepper, with rice and a spicy dipping salsa, at 17900. Filet mignon or ribeye comes with grilled vegetables, potato wedges, and a choice of chimichurri, mushroom, or jalapeño salsa at 12900.

Jerk chicken is marinated in chilli, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, grilled, and served with rice at 12900. The house burger, beef or veggie patty, has lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, and avocado, with potato wedges and truffle mayo, at 10900.

Sweets, juices, and wine

Tropical fruit crepe is 4200. El mono gordo is an organic cacao brownie with ice cream and fresh fruit at 4000. Coconut flan is 3600. Artisan gelato or sorbet is 3600.

Fresh fruit smoothies are 2500. Named fruits are banana, pineapple, papaya, strawberry, mango, passion fruit, and cas, and a favorite mix is welcome. Fresh lemonade with mint is 2500. Juices of carrot, ginger, beetroot, and cucumber are 3200. Tea or coffee is 900. Sodas are 1500.

Cocktail recommendations are mango fury, daiquiri, cas margarita, guanaba colada, and passion fruit mojito, each 4500. Local beers Imperial and Pilsen are 1500. Imported beers and local craft beers are 3500. House wine is Chilean cabernet or sauvignon blanc at 3900 by the glass, or 15000 for a bottle, with a longer wine list for more options.

Contact, closure, and the added charges

The address is Conchal Hotel, 200 meters south of the school, written as 200m sur escuela, Playa Brasilito, Guanacaste 5159. The phone is (506) 2654 9125. Email is info@conchalcr.com. The restaurant is generally closed on Wednesdays.

Hotel guests who arrive late can pre-order, and the kitchen will prepare something for the room. That room arrangement is stated for late-arriving hotel guests. A dinner reservation remains the practical step for an evening table, using the same phone number.

The 10 percent service charge and 13 percent sales tax are added to printed figures. Those additions apply to a 12900 specialty, to lobster and grilled jumbo shrimp at 17900, and to surf and surf at 25000 or 45000 for two. Comparing those base figures before the two charges keeps a casado, a salad, and a house specialty on the same footing.

Location

Phone: (506) 2654 9125