Costa Rica Dispatch: A Hard-to-Find Table by the Sea at La Luna, Nosara

If you're looking for dinner with one of the best sunset views in Nosara, book a table at La Luna.

One thing that surprises many first-time visitors is that Nosara isn't lined with restaurants overlooking the ocean. That's by design. Much of the coastline has been protected from large-scale development, so instead of rows of beach bars and hotels, you'll find jungle, nesting beaches for sea turtles, and long stretches of largely untouched coastline. It gives Nosara a very different feel from many other beach towns in Costa Rica.

That makes places like La Luna even more special.

Set above a small rocky cove, the restaurant has front-row seats to the Pacific. If you're booking, ask for one of the tables on the southern side of the restaurant. The banquette seating there has the best view of the sunset. Not every table has an unobstructed ocean view (darn those pesky palm trees), so it's worth requesting one in advance.

We almost always start with one of the carpaccios, either the beef or the fish. Both arrive with a generous pile of paper-thin, wood-fired flatbread, for scooping and sharing, and they're reason enough to come. The wood-fired pizzas are also excellent, with portions large enough to share.

La Luna somehow manages to feel both relaxed and celebratory. Families gather around the long communal tables, couples linger over cocktails as the sun drops into the Pacific, and on more than one evening we watched beautifully dressed wedding guests celebrating by the sea.

It's one of the few restaurants in Nosara, which is about as casual as it gets, where people genuinely make an effort. Flowing dresses, linen shirts, cocktails in hand, everyone seems to know they're somewhere worth dressing up for.

The atmosphere is warm without feeling pretentious. It's equally suited to a family dinner, a group celebration, or a romantic evening.

Reservations are essential, particularly around sunset. During the day securing a table is easy.

Worth Knowing

Best table: Request a table on the southern side of the restaurant for the best sunset views.

Order: The beef or fish carpaccio with the crisp wood-fired pizza crust is a must, followed by a pizza to share. The skewers are decent.

Good for: Sunset dinners, couples, families, birthdays, and groups.

Getting there: Tuk-tuks are usually waiting outside after dinner if you don't feel like driving.

La Luna is part of the Coyol collection, which also includes Coyol Restaurant, Esh Hotel, and Coyol Café.

Each has its own personality. La Luna is where I'd go for sunset and dinner by the sea. Coyol is worth the winding drive into the steep volcanic hills for its panoramic views and open-fire cooking. Esh has a beautiful open-air restaurant that's perfect on a rainy afternoon, with games, a pool, and plenty of places to linger. And if you need to escape the heat or get some work done, Coyol Café is one of the few spots in Nosara with air conditioning, making it an easy place to settle in with a coffee for a couple of hours.