el Chivo

Welcome to El Chivo, a neighbourhood bar and restaurant in Playa Pelada, Costa Rica. Originally opened in 2014 as a “Tequila & Tacos“ concept, El Chivo has evolved post Covid adapting to the growth and development of Nosara. The new Chivo offers bar style service, quality pub food, casual ambiance, trivia night and live music on weekends. Right next door sits La Bodega, a grocery-cafe concept we melded with in 2021 with a lovely front patio so you can enjoy the Chivo vibe inside and out! Check out our lunch and dinner Menu and our Sunday Brunch menu here.

El Chivo hosts Taco Tuesday, Red Lantern Wednesday and Live Music Fridays every week, as well as Charity Trivia on the first Thursday of every month. Click to view some of our past question rounds… October 2023, April 2024

La bodega mercado

La Bodega Mercado/Grocery & Cafe in Playa Pelada with groceries, beer, coffee, sandwiches, an amazing wine selection, fresh and frozen prepared meals and sauces to make dinner a breeze. Open from 8-8 Monday-Saturday and 10-8 on Sundays.

OUR STORY

Our Costa Rica story started in 2000 with a road trip through Central America in a pick up truck and camper heading south from Toronto. We spent a good deal of time in Mexico, partly because we loved it, partly because we needed a new transmission in Barra de Navidad. We eventually made it to Nosara, only to turn around and head back to Mexico again… and we kept going back… it became evident that our love for Mexico was not a one night taco stand.

Somehow, despite our love affair with Mexico, we ended up in the hospitality industry in Nosara in 2002, taking over other people’s restaurants and hotels; Blew Dog’s, The Gilded Iguana and La Luna to name a few.

El Chivo was our first "from scratch", Mexican inspired restaurant in Nosara where we created a fun bar vibe for the people of Nosara and her visitors to hang out and enjoy good music, funky art, delicious tequilas and casual Mexican inspired fare. 

The Covid pandemic and the losses generated from its fallout forced us to close our doors in April of 2021 and restructure our entire business.

UPDATE: MAY 2022

On April 4th of 2021, El Chivo closed it’s doors for what we thought would be the last time. We bought La Bodega (the little grocery next door ) and were ready to shift gears. In June of 2021, we re-opened Fish Bar in Guiones, our beach bar come beer garden that needed some covered seating. With Fish Bar and La Bodega up and running, we kept things afloat making use of the former Chivo kitchen for Fish Bar and La Bodega product. Meanwhile, we sought financing and bought the Chivo property, put a roof on it and re-opened to the neighbourhood on April 4th, one year to the day that we closed down, and the Chivo Republic became whole again. Thank you Nosara for your continued support, we couldn’t do it without you.

Matt and Joellen

The Legend of El Chivo

 To everyone in the village, he was simply known as “The Kid”. There were loads of other kids skittering about, but he was “The” Kid. One time, as the older villagers tell it, a little gaffer was stuck way up a tree. (Stupid little guy but, what are you gonna’ do?) Being possessed of a benevolent and caring temperament, as well as otherworldly leaping skills, The Kid jumped up to help. One bound, and the tyke was down. Life was like that. Simpler times. And so it carried on. Quiet. Dusty. Lotta’ the same. But things were getting more complicated. The Kid was growing.

He discovered Santo and the luchadora, and became enamoured of his battles with the Blue Demon. Seemed a good pattern for a life, so The Kid became a ‘good guy’. Even got a silver mask and some prized argent underwear. And as it also will, the world was changing too. There were rumours about.

One hot night, rumours were made manifest. Out pops this chupacabra! Menacing. Malevolent. Bent on conquest. The villagers feared, but The Kid was up to it. Inspired, he pulled on his mask, horns bursting through the top, and became ‘El Chivo’, The Glorious Goat! El Chivo knew chupacabras preferred goats but this was one goat that was not about to be “preferred” by any monster.

So he up and whupped him. (It was sorta’ messy so I won’t go into details but it involved a lot of jumping.) Carried that chupie’s tail with him for about a month until it began to attract too many flies. (Ditched it somewheres, I dunno’ where.) And the name ‘El Chivo’ became known and respected as far away as Copenhagen – and most points in between. Rumour has it, Frida Kahlo nearly convinced Diego Rivera to paint a mural depicting the legend.

Life settled back and over time, he learned a lot from the many visitors to the village. About tequila, yoga, surfing, how to make the best fish tacos, and an interesting little game called crokinole. Useful stuff ‘n such. Now as for El Chivo himself? He ain’t here presently, but you can ask after him. While you’re at it, have a cold one and a bite over a game. Never know, he might show. For now, this particular El Chivo will be right here.