CAVA Restaurante – Creative Restaurant in Manuel Antonio

The dinner everyone talks about
in Manuel Antonio

Chef-driven Mediterranean cuisine. Local ingredients. An intimate open-kitchen experience designed for nights worth remembering.

Mediterranean Spirit. Costa Rican Soul.

Not just dinner. An experience.

CAVA is a chef-driven restaurant in Manuel Antonio where Mediterranean and Greek flavors meet seasonal Costa Rican ingredients.

The space is warm, intimate, and built around the open kitchen, where every dish is finished with precision and intention.

Whether you’re celebrating or simply choosing where to eat tonight, this is the place people remember.

About Thomas Bernard

A World-Class Chef Returns Home

After more than a decade cooking in some of the most demanding 3 Michelin star kitchens in Europe, Chef Thomas Bernard has returned to Costa Rica with a clear purpose: to honor local ingredients through world-class technique.

Why Choose CAVA

Why guests choose CAVA

• Intimate, open-kitchen atmosphere
• Chef-driven cooking
• Mediterranean flavors with local ingredients
• A dinner experience worth planning your evening around

Meet the Chef

A Chef-Led Experience

I was born and raised in the Central Valley of Costa Rica and moved to Madrid, Spain at the age of seventeen to train at the Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute. This gave me a strong classical foundation, discipline, and deep respect for technique.

I have over a decade of experience working in some of the most demanding creative restaurants in Madrid and London, alongside pioneering chefs including Heston Blumenthal, Daniel Boulud, Mauro Colagreco, Alex Dilling, and Abraham García.

These experiences taught me that creativity, identity, and technique can coexist at a high level, and showed me the importance of precision and consistency. A great meal is not only about food, but also about emotion and the complete experience.

A Masterpiece of Fish

Unlocking the true flavour of fish is an art. It demands freshness, balance, and respect for the ingredient. It is about crafting a complete experience one that is light yet profound, refined yet expressive, delicate in texture and bold in taste. A celebration of the sea, shaped by craftsmanship, rooted in locality, and inspired by the world.

What to expect

Dinner Menu

Bold Mediterranean flavors. Fresh seafood. Carefully sourced ingredients.

Dishes designed to be shared, discovered, and remembered.

From shrimp saganaki to slow-cooked meats and vibrant vegetable plates, the menu evolves with what’s best available.

Ingredients

Local seafood and meats, seasonal produce shaped by Costa Rica’s climate and terrain.

Technique

Mediterranean technique, live fire, and careful finishing focused on flavor and balance.

Rhythm

A relaxed dining pace that allows you to enjoy each course without rushing.

Celebrate

Moments beyond the table

At CAVA, special occasions are approached with the same care and precision as our cuisine. Birthdays and anniversaries are marked with thoughtfully curated menus and attentive service, creating celebrations that feel personal and unforced.

Private dinners offer a composed, intimate setting where seasonal dishes and tailored pacing shape an evening of quiet elegance. For weddings, CAVA provides a refined culinary backdrop where atmosphere, flavor, and timing come together seamlessly allowing each moment to unfold with grace and lasting meaning.

Tripadvisor

Guest Reviews

Rated 5 out of 5

"Beautiful. I really don’t know whether one should go there for the brilliant food, for the Location or for the staff. All of them superb."

"After 3 weeks in Costa Rica Cava was best restaurant experience. Presentation, food and service comparable to a gourmet restaurant. Reasonable price."

"Excellent location, warm and private atmosphere. Very good service from staff. The food is delicious, very elaborate and of excellent quality."