Experience Boat to Table Dining

Restaurant Tierra a la Mesa at Botánika

Welcome to Crocodile Bay and Botánika, where the concept of “boat to table” dining has been taken to a whole new level. At Botánika and Crocodile Bay Resort, guests are offered an unforgettable culinary experience where they can catch their own fish and have it served fresh for dinner that night at the resort’s gorgeous restaurant, TIERRA A LA MESA.

The experience begins with a guided fishing adventure where guests embark on a fishing charter off the Osa Peninsula’s abundant waters to catch prized eating fish like yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi,  snapper and grouper. The resort has a large fleet of well-equipped boats and expert guides who know the best fishing spots to ensure hook up with table-fare species. Guests can choose to try their hand at fly fishing, deep-sea fishing, or inshore fishing, depending on their preferences.

The “boat to table” concept not only ensures that guests get the freshest fish possible, but it also promotes sustainable fishing practices. The resort has a catch-and-release policy for certain species, and guests are encouraged to only keep what they want to eat that night.

Once guests have landed their fish, they are expertly processed onboard by our mates and immediately placed on ice to ensure freshness. At the end of the day the fish are labeled with the guest’s name and room number and unloaded from the boats and into coolers which are destined to the modern kitchens of Tierra a la Mesa.

The restaurant is known for its innovative cuisine that blends local ingredients and flavors with contemporary culinary techniques. The chefs at Tierra a la Mesa are passionate about showcasing the unique flavors of Costa Rica and expert preparation the freshest seafood available (caught by our guests)! They work closely with the guests to understand their preferences and create a dish that is sure to delight their taste buds.

Guests freshly caught fish are prepared four ways: as ceviche and sashimi appetizers and grilled and fried preparations of the fish as the entree. These are served with a selection of two fresh sides to accompany the seafood. The boat to table dining experience is $18 per person. We invite you to come to Costa Rica and fish with Crocodile Bay and experience one of the best seafood dinners of your life. It always tastes better when you’ve caught it yourself!

Sportfishing Calendar

January

Tuna, marlin and dorado taper off. Number of sailfish begins to increase.

February

Prime time for sailfish. Occassional marlin, tuna or dorado.

March

Prime time for sailfish.

April

Sailfish numbers drop mid-April and some marlin begin to appear.

May

Slower for billfish. Typically we start seeing schools of spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

June

Slower for billfish. Spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

July

Marlin begin to appear. A chance for black marlin as well as blues and striped marlin. A chance for tuna.

August

Marlin and tuna.

September

Slower for billfish. A chance for tuna and dorado.

October

Dorado begin to appear in numbers with marlin close behind.

November

A mixed bag of dorado, marlin and some big tuna.

December

Marlin, dorado, tuna and sailfish are all possibilities.