The Pelican Pub and Cafe

Excellent, locally-owned, restaurant and bar just south of Puerto Viejo.

Indoor and outdoor seating is available and there is plenty of overhead coverage to keep you from too much sun or rain.

The lunch menu offers a good variety between beef, chicken or meatless plate options. The chicken wings are particularly tasty and have several types of sauces to choose from.

Be sure to check out the daily specials, and also be sure to take advantage of the early afternoon "Happy Hour."

Guys you have to come here! The food is FANTASTIC! So much flavor! So fresh, so good, YUM! We had a tofu burger with delicious fries and hummus with pickles, small salad and some great kimchi on the side. Shame we didn’t have any space for dessert. Our waiter Tato so friendly :) The bartender too! Great place! We will be definitely back! Yum!!!
EDIT we did order dessert and OMG!!! Brownie with passion fruit sorbet, AMAZING!!! Seriously insane!!! so yummy in my tummy!!!! 🤤🤤🤤

Pelican pub is a relaxing place to have a drink and some great food. It’s got an extensive vegetarian menu to go alongside pub and dinner favorites. Their menu seems to change regularly based on what is sourced. A lot of their sides and condiments are made in house which makes sense as you taste dishes that are well rounded and complimentary to the ingredients.

Scotch Egg was really good. The side of Kimchi I thought was odd until I tried it together. They really work together.
The hummus was delicious and the pickled beets surprisingly provided a slight tang which was nice.
The curry fries was great. The fries are crispy and the curry is tomato based and really cuts thru the heaviness. You know it’s a good curry sauce when you dunk the chips and swirl it around to get as much of the sauce as possible.

The waitstaff is super nice and attentive without hurrying us along. Made some recommendations and genuinely eager to provide guidance thru the menu. Their drink menu is quite good with lots of options. It’s always appreciated when they let you know and make suggestions such as - “if you liked that then you should or might like this” or “this is my favorite dish”.

Don’t skip out on this place on a road of restaurants that are hits but mostly misses.

This place is amazing! The owner and the staff are super friendly and you feel at home. The place is very clean and the food is delicious! You HAVE to try their kim-chi fries! Their Cesar salad is delicious ( I know you think Cesar salads taste almost the same every where but here taste so much better) . You have tons of choice of sauces! Their fried Cauliflower is bomb! Steak and burgers are must try! Their kitchen and environment is clean! Highly recommend

Guys this place is great. So many amazing options, And they even have vegan fish and chips which was so good. My wife was so happy! The real fish was also outstanding that I had. Staff are super nice. And the local wine specialist they have recomened such a nice wine. Dont miss this place. It's a gem.

We had dinner here during our stay in Puerto Viejo and it was excellent. There was a diverse menu, including many well thought out vegan options. We had the vegan nachos, white bean hummus, tofu burger and mole chicken - all of which were delicious. The staff was friendly and service great.

What can I say… the service was just right, the food absolutely delicious, the food presentation was artful and appealing, the quantity of food was just right. We attended a plant based food tasting multi-course meal. The menu was curated by chef Tim and included a before dinner drink of coconut water and rum as well as a choice of beer or wine. Two of us ordered a second glass of wine and the added cost was extremely reasonable. Tim was hands on with attentiveness and the entire experience was perfect. AND there was even music. The musicians played all our favourite tunes. The atmosphere was festive and relaxed and 100% enjoyable. I highly recommend this restaurant.

What an amazing find. The servers and the owner made us feel at home instantly. I had the curry special - tofu and spinach. It was honestly one of the best curries I've ever had and I've travelled India, West Indies and loved near Brick Lane in London, UK. I don't say that to boast but to put my review into perspective.

The owner came to meet us and shared his passion for food. He brought out some of his homemade kimchi and jerk sauce for us to taste. I will definitely be going back before I leave to have the confit octopus in jerk sauce.

Please don't miss out on eating at this restaurant. Ambience, food and people are amazing!!!

Wowza! That was a delicious meal!! We were both delighted with the presentation, service and quality of the thanksgiving turkey dinner. Best holiday meal we have had ever....and how funny ...it was in the carribean! Knocked our socks off! We will be back over and over! Kudos! Great drinks, music and ambience! 5 stars all the way!

This was the first restaurant we ate at when we got here, and it was so good! We had the chicken wings at the recommendation of another customer which were fantastic - super crispy, not greasy, and huge. We also had the pork belly and it was unbelievable. The only downside is that they were out of several beers we wanted to try.

One of the biggest things for me is when a business makes me feel like family. Like I matter. That happened here. The owner went out of his way to invite me to come in, and even offer me specials that are offered at competing bars because he cares that we come. Atmosphere was awesome, my dogs were welcomed, drinks were delicious and food was top notch. Highly recommend!

I've lived around Puerto Viejo for nearly four years, and this is by far the best restaurant I've been to here. Over several visits, I've always discovered something new to enjoy, with special mentions for the miso-cured tofu burger, the kim chi fries, and the falafel, which is outstanding - as good as anything I've had on my travels in the Middle East. I love the local touches too, especially the jerk sauce which is delicious. The Pelican does a great job catering for vegans with a fresh and creative menu, but the meat-eaters in our party all really enjoyed their dishes too. Unlike some gastro places, the portions were hearty, and we all left with bellies full and happy. The service is excellent, very warm and attentive, and the design, atmosphere, and music were also all great. Finally, it was a pleasant surprise that, despite the place being called the Pelican, we were not left with a big bill at the end (considering the quantity and the quality of the food, I found the prices very reasonable). Heartily recommended, my family and I are already looking forward to our next visit.

Finally there's somewhere worth eating out in Puerto Viejo. The Pelican is amazing,. Kitted out beautifully with various seating arrangements to suit, individuals, couples, families and groups. excellent service from motivated staff. The beer on tap is creative, crisp and cold. The food - there are many vegan options and each dish I have tried is delicious. Starters like the cauliflower wings are to die for, the Kimchi fries are moorish and the melt in yer mouth cheezy garlic bread with pesto - yummm! Ensuring you go home stuffed are some serious mains like the miso/nori tofu burger which has been put together perfectly, falafel wrap crafted with the correct amount of crunch and my 8 year Olds favorite the plant based take on fish & chips pass this English boy's taste test. Go try yourself, you'll see the the Pelican really is raising the bar.

Good selection of craft beer on tap. Very friendly bar tender. He gave us free samples of beer and chili water. Didn't eat there but they have some vegan options.

TL;DR: Wonderful vegan food, craft beer. Come here now.

Absolutely wonderful place for vegan food while in the area. This place just opened but it's clear they spent a long time crafting the menu. We had vegan cauliflower, vegan ceaser salad, and both vegan entrees--the "fish" and chips and tofu burger. Holy $#@5 it's good! The tofu burger was a huge winner. Beware portions are huge, so we ended up getting even fatter. They also have lots of tap craft beer from across the country. Seems silly to travel to Costa Rica to want an IPA but I wanted one and ended up having three.

After dinner we couldn't leave before also ordering the vegan poutine which was better than any other vegan version I've had. This place rivals vegan food in any major American city.

They also had live music for amazing ambiance!

I just added this restaurant to my rotation. The mole chicken was really tasty! The fries are fresh cut and so good. The ambience was quite festive and the decor was very nice. Everything you love about a good pub.

8 craft beers on tap, what's not to like? Great beers, good food and excellent service. Our favorite bar in Puerto Viejo.

I was so excited to try this new spot in Playa Chiquita and it did not disappoint. It is wonderfully decorated, the staff is amazing, and the food was some of the best I’ve had here after 9 years of trying all the different options. Super veggie or vegan friendly (poutine!!), and finally, the best fish and chips I’ve had since moving here. Chef Tim has elevated the food game here in Puerto Viejo - a new quality standard to beat!

Have been there multiple times.
Food & service consistently on point.
Great vegan options with a creative kitchen.
Bar service is excellent.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, fantastic food. And finally, proper chilled beer on tap in Puerto, with mostly craft brews! I love the burgers, and the jerk wings are to die for. A great place for vegans and vegetarians too, so many choices.