Tamarindo Food Markets: El Mercadito, the Food Truck Park and the Saturday Feria
Three casual places to eat in Tamarindo, sorted by the hour each one is worth your time
Marta Daví
In short: Tamarindo has three casual places where everyone at the table can order something different. El Mercadito de Tamarindo is a food hall with a bar built from a boat, and listings show it open every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., which makes it the late option. Jardin Tamarindo is an open-air food truck park that works best for lunch or an early dinner. The farmers market, or feria, happens in the morning: Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. beside the skate park, with a smaller Wednesday edition. Choose by the time of day first and the menu second.
Hours in a beach town move with the season, so every time below comes with its source and the date we checked it (14 November 2026). If a meal depends on one of these places being open, check on the day.
Which one fits your day
| El Mercadito de Tamarindo | Jardin Tamarindo food truck park | Tamarindo farmers market (feria) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Late dinner, drinks, groups that can't agree | Lunch or an early, casual dinner outdoors | Saturday breakfast, fruit, stocking a rental kitchen |
| When | Daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (listings) | Roughly midday to 9 p.m.; listings disagree on weekends | Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wednesday market listed 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Where | Next to Patagonia restaurant, downtown | 100 meters southwest of Supermercado Pura Vida | Parque Oneida, the skate park, downtown |
| Feel | Food hall around a central bar, dog friendly, live music and activities every week | Trucks and picnic tables in the open air | Produce stalls, baked goods, crafts, morning snacks |
El Mercadito de Tamarindo: the food hall that stays open late
El Mercadito calls itself Tamarindo's food and cocktail market. It is a ring of independent food stalls around shared tables, and the bar in the middle is built out of an actual boat. That makes it the easy answer when one person wants sushi, another wants a burger and the kids want pizza. Recent visitor guides mention poke bowls, sushi, arepas, seafood, burgers and Costa Rican plates. The stalls are run by separate vendors, so the lineup can change from season to season.
Hours: listings on Waze and Corner show 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week (checked 14 November 2026). HappyCow lists a 7 a.m. opening, so before you plan breakfast here, confirm it. The market's own website wasn't loading when we checked.
Where: downtown, next to Patagonia Argentinian Grill. Look for the steakhouse sign and the noise of the crowd.
Patagonia Argentinian GrillTamarindo, Costa RicaKnown for its excellent Argentine steaks and grilled meats, Patagonia offers a cozy atmosphere with outdoor seating.
We've been to El Mercadito ourselves, and it's a nice spot. It's dog friendly, there's live music and activities every week, and it works for the whole family. Add the late closing time and it suits the evening after a sunset on the beach, when nobody wants a sit-down restaurant and you'd rather not split up to feed everyone.
Jardin Tamarindo: food trucks under the open sky
Jardin Tamarindo (Camiones de Comida Jardin Tamarindo on some maps) is an outdoor food truck park. In its own words, it serves world flavors and drinks in a beachy, open-air setting a few steps from the beach. The menu depends on which trucks are parked that week, which matters if one dish is the reason you're going. It's a good place to sit outside without dressing for dinner, and it's handy for lunch between a morning on the water and an afternoon on the sand.
Hours: the listings disagree. Several show the park open 11 a.m. or noon until 9 p.m. on weekdays, and one shows Sunday running to 10 p.m. (checked 14 November 2026). Plan on lunch through an early dinner, and if you're arriving after 8:30 p.m., confirm first on the park's Facebook page or with a quick message.
Where: downtown Tamarindo, 100 meters southwest of Supermercado Pura Vida. Like most Tamarindo addresses, it's described by landmark, so drop a pin before you walk.
The Tamarindo farmers market: a morning thing
The feria is the one you have to plan for, because it's over by early afternoon. It is held on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. beside the skate park downtown, according to a local rental company's market guide published in October 2025. The skate park is Parque Oneida, and the Tamarindo development association places it about 50 meters from the market. A community events listing also shows a Wednesday Tama Market at Parque Oneida, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., organized by the skate park, with a date of 18 November 2026. Expect fewer stalls midweek than on Saturday.
Some older guides give 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a spot behind Nogui's. If you see those, they describe how the market used to run. The 2025 and 2026 sources point to the skate park.
Nogui'sTamarindo, Costa RicaA beachfront restaurant known for its seafood, Nogui's is a popular spot for fresh ceviche and seafood dishes. It offers a laid-back atmosphere with ocean views.
What you'll find: tropical fruit (look for mamon chino, the red spiky rambutan, and cas, a sour guava locals turn into juice), local cheese, honey, bread, coffee and crafts, plus breakfast snacks like empanadas and fresh coconuts. Come early for the best choice and cooler air, and bring cash and a reusable bag. If your rental has a kitchen, a Saturday run here covers breakfast for the next few days.
One more evening option: the Moonlight Market
If your nights in town fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, the Tamarindo Moonlight Market runs from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. on both days at Plaza Palmas, according to the market's own website (checked 14 November 2026). It's an artisan and street food market with live entertainment. The market says it has more than 100 member exhibitors, so it makes a good gift run as well as dinner.
How to fit them into a Tamarindo week
A simple pattern works for most families and groups. Go to the feria on Saturday morning before the heat builds. Have lunch at the food truck park on a beach day. Save El Mercadito for the night you get back late, because it's the one most likely to still be serving.
The meals also fit around what else you're doing. Our things to do in Tamarindo guide sorts the week by where each tour starts. Some evenings take care of dinner themselves, like the sunset catamaran sail with snorkeling and dinner (from from $95 per person), which leaves the markets for the other nights. If you're still working out arrival, getting to Tamarindo compares the Liberia and San Jose routes.
TamarindoCosta Rica
Not sure which nights go to which market, or how they fit around tours and the drive in? Ask us. Tell us the days you'll be in Tamarindo and who's eating, and we'll help you sort it out.
Part of the Tamarindo guide
Things to do: the main guide
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