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El Ancla

175 meters east of the main beach entrance, Playa Samara, Costa Rica
506 656-0254
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Ranked #18 of 40 restaurants in Playa Samara
Cuisines: Costa Rican
Dining options: Reservations
16 visitor photos
Restaurant details
Dining options: Reservations
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55 reviews from our community

75% Recommend
    21
    21
    9
    2
    2
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Heredia, Costa Rica
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
7 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 May 2013 NEW

I have eaten at El Ancla several times over the years. It is a real Costa Rican restaurant in the midst of the tourist hoopla of a resort beach community. The food is good and the prices are honest (ripoffs are becoming more common in Sámara). It is not fancy, but you get the exact same view as the gringo-fancy... More

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See 2 more reviews by Quincho Q for Playa Samara
Canada
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
7 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 April 2013

Went here for lunch last month, service was extremely slow. Food just ok and not worth the price. View was great and some horses ran by on the beach while we were waiting for our food.

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See 2 more reviews by crgirl08 for Playa Samara
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
6 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 April 2013

We went here 3 times during our week in Samara. Once to eat and the other 2 times for Mojitos. We timed it so we could enjoy our last sunset in Samara at a table on the beach sipping on Mojitos. I have been to Cuba a couple of times and this recipe rivals anything we have had there. The... More

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See 3 more reviews by IamCain for Playa Samara
East Preston, United Kingdom
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
10 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 April 2013

We chose this restaurant as we heard it had a good reputation for fresh fish. Neither of our meals was that special, and my wife said hers tasted like a "boil in the bag" meal. Service was painfully slow, taking almost an hour to get our food after ordering it. Little in the way of smiles from the waitresses who... More

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See 2 more reviews by Elnombre_lulu for Playa Samara
California
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
19 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 March 2013

El Ancla had been well recommended, though we were hesitant because beach locations are invariably tourist traps -- not this time! We ate here several times for lunch and found it to be consistently good. Over the course of several days, I had the ceviche, seafood soup, grilled dorado fish in garlic all of which were well prepared. Nothing was... More

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See 8 more reviews by 2Bruce for Playa Samara
Denver, Colorado
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
22 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 March 2013

We ate here in between kayaking in the morning and surfing in the afternoon. The food and service were great, the tables are right on the sandy beach!

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See 2 more reviews by trufflestravels for Playa Samara
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 March 2013 via mobile

Ate there March 6th,2013 and enjoyed the meal very much. I had the steak stroganoff w/rice. The steak strips were tender and juicy with ample sauce and a nice small portion rice. It was very tasty.. Along with my strawberry daiquiri I couldn't of hopes for a nicer dinner. $ was on par with places at home in Montreal, Canada.... More

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Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 March 2013

Relaxed service and good food. The view of the beach was mezmerizing. Went mid-afternoon and service was very relaxed - the ceviche was a little on the bland side but very fresh. Saw wild horses on the beach run by for added interest.

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See 3 more reviews by NatalieaP for Playa Samara
Aloha, Oregon, United States
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 February 2013

A bit on the spendy side, but absolutely delish! Drinks were well made and the fish is some of the freshest on the beach!

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See 3 more reviews by Robin_O_12_12 for Playa Samara
Ottawa, ont
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 January 2013

Great food on the beach, listening to the ocean, in a tranquil setting under the trees. And nice cold beer. If you go to el Ancla, be sure to try their Caribbean Chicken, Filet Mignon with red wine sauce and mushrooms, breaded squid, chicken cordon bleu or for a lighter meal, their fish sandwich. All excellent and served with a... More

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See 6 more reviews by Hania G for Playa Samara

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