Paradise Adventures Costa Rica Votes Gingerbread Restaurant Best In Costa Rica

Paradise Adventures Costa Rica Gingerbread voted best food & entertainment by:
International Living, Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor and PACR

Gingerbread Restaurant is one of the have to’s when visiting Costa Rica.

Do yourself and your taste buds a favor and make your reservation at Costa Rica's number one dining experiences.

Gingerbread is located on the shores of Lake Arenal, neighboring Neuvo Arenal and 40 minutes from La Fortuna.

The setting is one of comfort; enjoy the lake view and tropical gardens from the patio, here one can take in the Pura Vida while enjoying the Pura Comida.

Inside you will find one of the most beautiful fully stocked bars in the country and behind it the best staff a restaurant and bar owner could ask for.

Bar is lined with comfortable bar stools and dining room is equipped with sofas and TV for folks wanting to catch the latest sports broadcast and news via satellite.

Fridges are full of ice cold national and international beers, great selections of wines to complement the food and spirits of your choice.

The local art hanging on the walls combined with comfortable booths and positive energy creates an ambiance one can describe as bliss.

Gingerbread Restaurant provides a comfortable sit down environment, where guest feel like family and not visitors.

The man responsible for this one of kind dining experiences is Eyal Ben-Menachem, his culinary expertise started at the age of 21, His love for food and the sport of Rugby landed him on the road where he acquired even more culinary skills.

He later refined his skills in Chicago at Kendall College where he obtained culinary degree.

Years later Eyal found himself wanting to use his skills somewhere he could work at his own pace, somewhere that allowed him to enjoy the creation of his masterpiece; International Fusion.

The international Fusion consists of a variety of showcases that are changed daily.

The changes are made based on the availability of the
freshest ingredients, Local beef, pork, Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Red Snapper, Sea Bass, Jumbo Shrimp calamari and even Octopus.

Costa Rica ingredients, influenced by Mediterranean, French and Californian recipes make for a diverse menu, full of flavors and textures. Customers leave with a full belly and a smile on their face every time.

Thank you Eyal for making your dream a reality, it is a dream that gives so much to others, your food and energy is a great addition to the experience of Costa Rica.

To take part in this one of a kind experience Call 506-2694-0039 for reservation Restaurant
hours: 5pm till 9pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays

Gingerbread Fine Restaurant and Boutique Hotel

Moran Real Estate Over 50 Years Of Tropical Real Estate Excellence

A diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure."

Gingerbread Boutique Hotel And Restaurant Kudos

Gingerbread Restaurant, possibly the best place to dine in Costa Rica
October 3, 9:53 PMDallas Living Abroad ExaminerLynn Farris

Gingerbread Restaurant lit at night. Photo courtesy of Gingerbread Restaurant.
Most people come to the Arenal area to see the spectacular active volcano, to soak in the thermal waters, to windsurf Lake Arenal and enjoy the wide variety of entertainment nature has to offer. They must also now add dining to that list of things to do. The 2009 Lonely Planet guide book to Costa Rica has called Gingerbread Restaurant "arguably the best restaurant in northwestern Costa Rica (if not the entire country)." To those of us who live here, we know it is the finest place to dine in Costa Rica.


The Gingerbread Restaurant is located on the Lake Road, in Nuevo Arenal, northwest of the tourist area of La Fortuna. The head chef and owner, Eyal Ben-Manachem has an incredible passion for life and for food that makes dining here a memorable occasion. He believes food is to be shared and enjoyed. Eyal is originally from Israel and worked in a catering company there. He followed his enjoyment of food and rugby to the U.S. where he ended up in Chicago and enrolled in Kendall College, earning a culinary degree. He returned to Israel and then in 2003, he fell in love with Costa Rica, making it his home.



Here he creates what he calls an International fusion of French, Mediterranean and California cuisine, using only the freshest local ingredients. The menu changes nightly depending on what is good at the market. His specialties often include hand selected fresh local beef and pork. With the Costa Rica location, he also often showcases, fresh tuna, mahi mahi, red snapper, sea bass, jumbo shrimp, calamari and occasionally octopus.



I had the opportunity to dine there recently with friends. They had brought with them a special bottle of wine for us to share at dinner and Eyal was quite gracious in opening the wine and serving it to us without a cork fee. However, Gingerbread offers a wide selection of fine wine, spirits and both national and imported beers.



We all shared his amazing mushroom appetizer, and a caprese salad which was incredible. I’ll confess, I have shared his mushrooms and caprese salad every time I have dined here. These are two of his specialties and I strongly recommend them.



Our friends raved about his blackened tuna salad. The dressing allowed the salad to shine, but added a fascinating blend of sweet and spicy flavors. Her husband had the Mexican Pork, although he had planned to have prime rib, which wasn’t available that night. Despite his disappointment at having to make a substitution, he was blown away by the tenderness of the pork and the flavors. On our way home that evening, he was still wondering how anyone could make pork that tender.


Vegetarian Fettuccine. Photo by Donald Farris.
My husband and I are vegetarians, which often test the skills of fine chefs. Eyal made us a vegetarian fettuccini with feta cheese, green beans, carrots, sun dried tomatoes, peppers and fresh herbs in a very light sauce. As a vegetarian, I have certainly had my share of vegetarian pasta dishes; this was by far the best I have ever eaten. While Gingerbread may not advertise it, this is the place to come if you are a vegetarian.


Eyal is also known for his desserts featuring rich dark chocolate and fresh fruits. Unfortunately we were all too full to even entertain dessert.



Gingerbread also has a boutique hotel attached to it. With his spirit of creativity, it is not surprising that each room features the work of local artists. One room features a jungle motif with fantastic murals, another is a butterfly room and a third, the honeymoon room, offers a cupid motif. Eyal has supported local artists and not only is their art displayed here, you can purchase some of it as well.



While this certainly is not the least expensive place to dine, most people consider it quite reasonable for a dinner of this quality. Because portions are large and sharing is encouraged, if you come with friends, you can partake in a number of courses fairly economically. Make reservations before coming and bring cash. Credit cards are not accepted here.

Gingerbread Hotel And Fine Restaurant