Just south of Tamarindo, in the Playa Negra area, there is a restaurant that feels like a teleport to another reality. It is called Mycelium.
Playa Negra
Mycelium is in the Playa Negra area (Los Pargos), Guanacaste province, just south of Tamarindo.
The Atmosphere
The moment you arrive, the atmosphere hits you. A literal teleport to another reality. Walking in from the garden, you feel like you are still outside. The small restaurant in a jungle-modern style flows seamlessly into the garden — the boundary between inside and outside barely exists.
I felt immediately at ease. Relaxed, no stiff service. Pura vida in Costa Rica gets to everyone. Looking through the bar into the kitchen, it seemed like there was more staff than guests — and most of the guests were speaking Czech, which is not something you expect on the other side of the world.
The Food
I skipped the starter — mistake. Fine dining portions are small and I did not think about it. I had a mai tai instead.
Main course: tuna. What else do you order near the ocean. I am not the type to describe flavour profiles — I will just say it was excellent.
Tuna and two mai tais came to roughly 2000 CZK (100 USD). The tuna alone was ~15,000 CRC.
Tip: Open Wednesday–Sunday from 18:00. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservation recommended.
Verdict
Not a cheap restaurant — but absolutely worth going at least once for the experience.
