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.


37 Reviews

First Review by Soul2Soul Educare

luckyrach

Points +40

Vegetarian
19 Jun 2026

Separate Vegan Section on Menu

Food was just ok, atmosphere is great. Service was good. I got the vegan nachos and added real cheese and sour cream because I’m vegetarian. It wasn’t amazing, but was filling enough. Margarita was good.

Updated from previous review on 2026-06-19

Pros: Separate vegan section clearly labeled

Cons: Food was mediocre

oliver_duke

Points +139

Vegan
25 May 2026

Love the theme, would like options in the bakery

Beautiful view, nice open air situation. But the coffee was meh, and no options in the bakery 👎

Updated from previous review on 2026-05-25

Essikat

Points +86

Vegan
14 May 2026

Good food and great view

Few vegan options, marked clearly. I had the Chickpea Poke Bowl. It was very good. They also make mocktails even if they’re not in the menu. I had virgin Piña Colada.

Updated from previous review on 2026-05-14

Pros: The view , The chickpea poke bowl, The restaurant is built around an aircraft

Soniaaprisco

Points +3326

Vegan
11 Apr 2026

Original! Comida ok

Algumas opções vegan.Espaço original. Serviço simpático.. comida ok

Updated from previous review on 2026-04-11

HarshanFrancis

Points +192

Vegan
20 Nov 2025

Nachos a must

Nachos were incredible! They come without cheese for vegans but the guacamole, salsa and beans were super tasty. We had the poke bowl and fried rice as well - both really tasty and large portions. The view here is absolutely stunning, a must visit just for this. They do have a separate vegan section in the menu but it doesn't include every vegan option in there (the fried rice and linguine are in the main sections).

Punabob

Points +145

Vegan
23 Oct 2025

Confirm things! Worth it for the view

Got the veggie fajitas under a section labeled plant-based and vegan and the sour cream wasn’t and on another dish just regular mayonnaise. So they’re a bit unclear in the concept. They subbed a 2nd guac instead of sour cream. The space is very cool and the views are spectacular. Just during dinner we finally saw toucans, saw a mother and baby way, capuchins, and howler monkeys. There’s also an old plain. We ordered, went to check that out for a few minutes and they were brining our food already. So overall definitely recommend it for the view and animals alone.

JuliaSantos7

Points +1855

Vegan
19 Jun 2025

Clearly labeled, Great view

Amazing view! Clearly labeled options, good portion size.

Kyfred

Points +1061

Vegan
01 Mar 2025

Good food, *great* view

While the vegan food here was yummy and refreshing, but the star of the experience definitely comes from the atmosphere and view, too! There were 5 options on the menu when we were here (Feb. 2025), including vegan nachos, vegan poke bowl, and easily made vegan fajitas, falafel burger, and pasta! 3 stars only due to limited fully vegan options without modifications, and in the area there are some tastier options! That said, this is the place to go for the dinner view and the food is still very good!

Updated from previous review on 2025-02-26

Pros: The view!!, Fresh and tasty food

Cons: More fully vegan options would be nice!

Kwilson

Points +154

Vegan
29 Jan 2025

Lots of options!

This place has an amazing view and has so many vegan options. The food was really good.

Pros: The view, Many options

alex.dollberg

Points +515

Vegetarian
29 Dec 2024

Einzgartig eingerichtetes Restaurant mit großartigem Ausblick.

Es gab einige veggie und vegane Optionen. Das Personal ist sehr freundlich. Das Restaurant ist um ein Flugzeug herum gebaut.

DreaV

Points +1045

Vegan
29 Dec 2024

Mega Location

Wie sind nach einer Wanderung hier eingekehrt um uns zu stärken. Wir waren total begeistert. Ein Lokal, um ein Flugzeug gebaut, total schräg. Es gibt einige vegane Gerichte, was wir nicht vermutet hatten. Wir haben die veganen Nachos gegessen. Wirklich lecker, mit Mangos, Zucchini und was man so kennt. Der Ausblick war der Wahnsinn, wir haben noch einige Tiere gesehen. Ein Besuch lohnt sich auf jeden Fall. Sehr nettes Personal.

Pros: Vegane Optionen , Tolle Location , Wahnsinns Ausblick

samaste

Points +423

Vegan
24 Dec 2024

Interesting Restaurant, OK food

El Avion is a quirky restaurant with an old aeroplane as a big feature, the waiter was also super friendly. Although there were several options on the menu, in a dedicated plant based section, they were just OK.

We had the Plant Based Stir-Fried Rice, which was decent, but can't really go wrong with that type of dish. We also had the Plant Based Burger & Fries, which was supposed to come with Cauli-Wings but were unavailable which was really disappointing. So I had these replaced with stir-fried vegetables. The veg & fries were decent enough, however, the burger was quite dry and not very flavoursome, and the bun was quite a stodgy burger bun.

Perhaps the Linguine, Nachos or Poke Bowl might have been a better option than the Burger!

Pros: Interesting restaurant with aeroplane feature, Clearly labelled vegan options, Friendly, attentive waiter

Cons: Plant-based burger was dry and lacked flavour, Cauli Wings were not available

albergonx

Points +1292

Vegan
27 Nov 2024

Buen sitio para tomar algo

Terraza con vistas muy buenas. Recomendable ir con mucho tiempo o reservar para poder ver el atardecer. El avión por dentro está chulo. Las alitas de coliflor ya no las tienen, nos dijeron que no les salía rentable...

GabiBlue

Points +942

Vegan
06 Apr 2024

bland but nice view

okay for the view and atmosphere but the food wasn’t very good or flavoursome. portion of nachos was small and the beans were just stuck to the plate below the nachos so very dry. expensive for what it is too but the staff were nice.

MaylaNebeská

Points +2276

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 +1700

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 +548

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 +598

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 +246

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 +150

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 +956

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

LeonV

Points +1357

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 +117

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 +299

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 +39

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




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