Tamarindo kind of overwhelmed me the first day. So I was glad that I had made dinner reservations at Dragonfly, on recommendation from the Brazilian couple I had met in La Fortuna. The reservation was easy enough, everything was done online and in English. Once I arrived at the restaurant at 7pm, I was even happier that I had booked a table. The place already seemed quite busy.
dining room @Dragonfly bar&grill
As it turned out that was just the beginning. Shortly after I sat down, a wedding party of about 20 people came in. So making a reservation is necessary, if you don’t want to line up for a table as I’ve seen several people do. This place is popular.
I ordered a Dragonfly refresher, a cocktail with vodka, cucumber, mint, lime, ginger, and soda. This sounded like the absolute perfect drink because the place was heating up. Underneath the roof, despite being open on three sides, the heat of the BBQ and all the people added up. When I made my first sip, a sugar rush hit me. This was not a refreshing drink at all, just pure sugar. Usually I eat and drink everything and only complain to you about it. But this was just plain awful and my toe nails curled up, I couldn’t drink that. So I asked for another one, this time without the sugar and it was spot on. Lemony, minty, weak on the cucumber with a hint of alcohol in the back. So very good!
Dragonfly refresher @Dragonfly bar&grill
I asked the waitress if the filet mignon was a big portion or if I should get a starter. Since I didn’t have anything to eat that day except for some fruits in the morning, I was hungry. She told me I would be alright. It’s lovely when the service staff doesn’t want to sell you more, because she was totally correct. The steak was more than enough.
First up was a bread basket though with Chimichurri on the side. The bread, two small buns, had also a sweet taste but with herbal oil sauce it was fine. I finished both buns while waiting for the steak. What can you do when you are hungry?
bread basket @Dragonfly bar&grill
The steak looked impressive. A big slab of meat, perfectly seared on the outside, medium rare inside. The taste of my first bite was exquisite. Unfortunately the caramelized onions which came with it, were too sweet. This was beginning to feel like a problem, because even the accompanying veggies and salad had a sweet note. I am not sure why the kitchen felt the need to sweeten every dish. The potato cake at least came with a Gruyère note on top.
filet mignon @Dragonfly bar&grill
The meat eventually got really chewy, with some tough sinews inside. It took me forever to at least finish the steak. The rest I left on my plate, it was just not great. Around this time the restaurant had reached a noise level equivalent to a club. Not really sure how bigger tables were coping with that. I for one, left and went in search for a quieter place. Yours, Pollybert
Dragonfly bar&grill
50309 Guanacaste Tamarindo, Corona Street 150 meters behind Hotel Pasatiempo
Tel: (+506) 2653-1506
Email: dragonflybarandgrill@gmail.com
Mon-Sun: 17:30-22:00
https://www.dragonflybarandgrill.com/home
