Lacto
International
Western
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. This restaurant has a cute theme where it's taken the body of a 1954 Fairchild cargo plane which was originally purchased by the US government in the 80s for the Nicaraguan contras, but it never made out of its hangar in San José because of the ensuing Iran-Contra scandal. In 2000 the owners purchased it for cheap and proceeded to cart it piece by piece to Manuel Antonio. It now sits on the side of the main road, where it looks as if it had crash-landed into the side of the hill. It's a spot for drinks, dinner, and a Pacific sunset. The oriental salad and oriental fried rice are both vegan suitable. Open Mon-Sun 9:00am-9:00pm. Call for hours - tell us.


Venue map for El Avion
© OpenStreetMap contributors

23 Reviews

First Review by Soul2Soul Educare

MaylaNebeská

Points +1708

Vegan
07 Feb 2024

Sunset, drinks and vegan food

Went to Avion mostly for sunset (and it was lovely!) but we received a lot more. Yummy piña colada and tasty vegan food. The nachos plus cauliflower wings were too much for one person and so good! We met few mokeys as well, could not be a lot better😄
(The wings in their sister restaurant El wagon are not so good as here in El Avion do not dissapoint yourself like I did)

Updated from previous review on 2024-02-07

Coseverde

Points +916

Vegan
04 Feb 2024

Worth the visit

Having a whole airplane with an interesting history is a draw, but the food and the view make it clear that this is a good choice.
There are several vegan options clearly indicated on the menu, and the prices aren't as ridiculous as some restaurants in the touristy areas.
Definitely worth a visit. I expect the sunsets would be awesome from here too.

JessMikeWinnemuller

Points +364

Vegan
21 Jan 2024

Come for the sunset, stay for the food!

Come for an early dinner and take in the breathtaking views and stunning sunset. There is a plant-based menu and the food portions are huge and each bite is mouthwatering. The staff are friendly and are extremely attentive. We ordered drinks and the plant-based nachos to start with which was way better than expected. We then each ordered the vegan burger with fries and cauliflower wings, which was way too much food, but so worth it. I had half packed up to go and will have it for lunch the next day. I highly recommend checking this place out for a fun, romantic night out. 

Pros: Delicious, mouthwatering food, Good selection, large portions , Stunning views, excellent service

soph161

Points +378

Vegan
14 Jan 2024

Attentive staff in beautiful venue

A whole page of plant based options, stunning view over the sea and super attentive staff!

heyjemma

Points +36

Vegan
05 Jan 2024

Good food and views

Dedicated vegan section of the menu consisting of about 5 options. I had the burger which was a handmade mushroom and bean patty and served with chips and cauliflower wings - all tasty but the wings were sooo good! Setting is also very cool, and stunning views from the top floor

Pros: Variety of vegan options , Cool setting, Beautiful views

Karin1975

Points +175

Vegan
28 Dec 2023

Love this place

A plantbased menu on the best spot of Manuel Antonio, friendly service. We love this place #Veganuary

Pros: Plant based part on the menu, Price is okay, Amazing location and amazing setting in a plane

Cons: Nothing

nataliac@me.com

Points +111

Vegan
27 Dec 2023

Quick service

There is a separate section for vegan dishes . I had the tacos and they were really good. The service was very good. #Veganuary

Pros: Food, Service, Options

Cons: A bit noisy with the waiters using Wally talkies

Seatown_vegan

27 Dec 2023

beetsrock

Points +719

Vegan
16 Aug 2023

Sunsets and monkeys

Went here for the sunset views and enjoyed a delicious meal with excellent friendly service. We ordered pasta with tomatoes, the vegan nachos and the vegan garbanzo poke bowl. Everyone was happy and the poke bowl was absolutely delicious. Great deck with ocean view for sunset watching and the airplanes make a fun theme. Monkeys were entertaining us from the ceiling.

Pros: Gorgeous views, Friendly staff, Many vegan options

🌱Leon🌱

Points +1234

Vegan
10 Jul 2023

Great overall experience

Many vegan options. Cauliflower wings and nachos were good. Even better than the food, however, was the restaurant itself. A huge plane inside of the restaurant serves as a cocktail bar. The restaurant itself has two levels and the view is spectacular, especially around sunset. I went several times and always saw amazing animals in the trees nearby: monkeys, Tulane, macaws and even a sloth. This, it is definitely worth it to come here even if it’s only for a cocktail!

Pros: Plant-based options, Impressive view, Wildlife close by

calliebyrd

Points +88

Vegan
30 May 2023

More vegan options

They added several more veg options including a burger, cauliflower wings, and a mushroom fettuccine. The service was amazing. It was one of the cheaper upscale restaurants we ate at. The portions were huge!

Pros: Good food, Reasonably priced, Amazing view + atmosphere

24kgould

Points +155

Vegan
21 Mar 2023

Perfect for sunset!

Vegan options were clearly marked with 5 different options that all sounded great. I ordered the poke bowl which was delicious and very filling. A little pricey compared to other places we have eaten, but the view was 100% worth it. There were toucans flying around and monkeys climbing in the trees right in front of us. I highly recommend this spot!

Pros: Several vegan options, clearly marked, Beautiful atmosphere , Friendly staff

GregKamprath

Points +32

Vegan
02 Mar 2023

Good for for vegan options like

Great views and decent food. It has a vegan section on the menu which is great

Kiriemare

Points +31

Vegetarian
30 Jul 2022

Typical casado, amazing view

As a vegan or vegetarian, you're gonna get a casado here, and it'll be fresh and tasty. What makes it special is the decor and the view. Great service, accomodated a large group.

Pros: Decent vegan/veg options , Excellent service , Amazing views/ambiance

DcVeganFoodie

Points +151

Vegan
27 Jun 2022

We were served cheese

We ordered cocktails and the vegan nachos with beans. When they came we were surprised they had added cheese and sour cream- thinking it was vegan, we tried some and then asked if it was vegan or regular cheese, which of course it was not vegan. Do not advertise vegan menu items and then add cheese without asking! Cocktails were good and the view is great.

Pros: Delicious cocktails and nice views

Cons: Served cheese & sour cream with vegan nachos

ollie33

Points +723

Vegan
16 Apr 2022

Cool History, Light on Vegan Options

Family- friendly spot with a cool theme (real Iran-Contra-funded airplane with a bar) great for the kids to explore. Food nothing special at all and vegans have minimal options. The plant- based nachos were adequate. Good place for a drink and appetizers with a group of non- vegans but not the spot for a full meal.

Pros: Vegan nachos , Cool theme beautiful view

Cons: Not many vegan options, Slow service

Abuckhouse

Points +187

Vegan
01 Mar 2022

Flavorless

They have vegan nachos, they will ask if you want sour cream and cheese. They are not good. They also have veggie fried rice which was completely flavorless and very oily. We give them one star for the awesome view and nice bathrooms. Otherwise, skip it.

Pros: Great view, Decently priced for the area

Cons: Flavorless food

MaryStruddel

Points +38

Vegan
21 Feb 2022

Just salad for vegans.

They don't really have vegan options, the menú says for ex vegan nachos with cheese and sour cream?? The beans inside are fried and the waiter didn't know if the beans doesn't have lard or something. So i ended up just drinking a juice.

Pros: Nice place and view.

Cons: Not vegan friendly really.

LesleyTarleton

11 Jan 2023

i dont understand this review as online it has a vegan menu with 5 choices? cauliflour wings and burger , garlic spaghetti etc ?Maybe this is a new menu introduced recently.

MaryStruddel

11 Jan 2023

Hi. Yes i went 1 year ago, hopefully they have improved, we need to be careful and request for real vegan dishes, with no chheese, condiments etc.

Derina

Points +486

Vegan
01 Jan 2022

Few options but great location

There are limited options for vegans at El Avion but the portions are large and the view is good.

Pros: Location

Cons: Expensive, Limited options

itsmichaeldiego

Points +1806

Vegan
17 Jun 2021

Ok options, nice view and theme

Loved the view and the plane was nice. Food was ok but nothing crazy. Not many options. No plant based milk alternatives either.

LisaSpykers

Points +6852

Vegan
06 Jun 2021

Large serves but limited options for vegans

There was only 3 plant-based options and although not the most interesting of choices, the serves were large and actually tasted quite good. The vegetables in the stir-fry were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The nachos were also tasty but a weird combination of ingredients: they were served with guacamole, mango, broccoli (!), and a little salsa. It would be great if they could add more vegan options in the future -- a vegan burger or something containing more protein.

On the restaurant itself: it has a great view, the food comes out quickly, and the service is very good.

Cons: Not enough vegan options

MischaJaniec

Points +26

Vegan
07 Jan 2019

Only one vegan meal available as of Jan 2019

Server did’t know about vegan at all. They probably changed the menu, couldn’t find one thing besides fried rice on the menu. Very fishy sent in the restaurant. Great view tough.

sirena23

Points +77

Vegan
03 May 2018

descent vegan nachos

Only tried the nachos which were good for bar food and a very cool atmosphere.

Soul2Soul Educare

Points +1090

Vegetarian
27 Aug 2014

“Good options for veg - fun airplane theme

This restaurant has a real cute theme where they've taken the body of a 1954 Fairchild Cargo Plane which was originally purchased by the US government in the ’80s for the Nicaraguan Contras, but it never made it out of its hangar in San José because of the ensuing Iran-Contra scandal. In 2000 the owners of El Avión purchased it for only US$3000 and proceeded to cart it piece by piece to Manuel Antonio. It now sits on the side of the main road, where it looks as if it had crash-landed into the side of the hill. It’s a great spot for a drinks, dinner and a Pacific sunset. The food was good and really large portions (even their appetizers). We ate the veggie nachos (vegetarian), oriental salad (vegan) and oriental fried rice with came with a large salad (vegan). We had to doggy bag our food. A great place to take pictures and enjoy the view of the ocean - lots of seats where you sit and admire the view. The service was great! It was pretty inexpensive for a themed restaurant with beautiful ocean views!

Pros: Interesting, Ocean view tables

Cons: Noisy




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