Koji's sits on Calle Buenos Aires, one of the unpaved roads that fan out from the center of Santa Teresa on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. There's no sign announcing a destination restaurant, no website to check before you go, and that's part of the point. What's served depends on what came off a local boat that morning, and the kitchen builds its short menu around that catch rather than around anything flown in or frozen.

Santa Teresa itself is a surf town first, a place known for its beach breaks and its dirt roads that turn to red mud in the wet season. Finding a Japanese kitchen of this caliber at the end of one of those roads is the surprise that gives Koji's its reputation. It's the kind of place surfers and chefs from other restaurants in town talk about, the sort of spot you hear about from a bartender in Santa Teresa before you see it mentioned anywhere online.

Why Koji's stands out

The appeal is simple to state and harder to replicate: the fish is landed locally, often that same day, and the menu is written around it rather than the other way around. In a town where a lot of restaurants lean on an imported or frozen supply chain to keep a consistent menu running, Koji's takes the opposite approach. If the catch changes, the menu changes. That means two visits a week apart might look nothing alike, and it means the kitchen is, in effect, reporting on what the local boats brought in.

It also means there's no guarantee of a specific dish. If you're hoping for a particular cut or preparation, ask when you arrive rather than assuming it'll be there.

What the kitchen is known for

Koji's has built its name on day-boat sushi, built around whatever species the local fleet is pulling out of the water that day. Expect a tight, changing selection rather than a long printed menu. The point isn't variety for its own sake, it's freshness and a direct line from ocean to plate that's hard to find in a surf town at the end of a dirt road. Ask what came in that day and let that steer your order.

Atmosphere and setting

The space is small. Seating is limited, and the restaurant doesn't try to disguise that with overflow tables or a sprawling patio. It reads as a working kitchen more than a dining room built for turnover, which tracks with the daily-catch model. Don't expect white tablecloths or a formal service choreography. Expect a focused, no-frills room where the food is doing the talking.

Reservations and waits

This is the detail to plan around. Koji's does not take its full evening of bookings in advance, so queues form, sometimes well before service starts. If you've got your heart set on eating here on a specific night, plan to show up early rather than relying on a phone reservation to hold your spot. Because seating is limited and demand in Santa Teresa's high season can be heavy, arriving at the start of service rather than mid-evening meaningfully improves your odds. Going with a smaller group also helps, since a table for two is easier to seat than a table for six.

Price tier

Koji's sits at the upscale end of what Santa Teresa offers, priced accordingly for a town built mostly around beach bars and casual surf-trip meals. It isn't fine dining in the white-glove sense, but for a town at the end of a dirt road, it's a step up from what you'll pay at most other places nearby. That premium tracks with the sourcing: day-boat fish doesn't come cheap, and the restaurant isn't trying to compete with the taco stands and smoothie bowls that fill out most of Santa Teresa's food scene.

Best time to visit

Arrive at the start of dinner service if you want a realistic shot at a table without a long wait. Santa Teresa's dry season, roughly December through April, brings more visitors to town overall, which means more competition for Koji's limited seats. If you're traveling in the wetter months, the roads leading in get muddier, but the lines at the restaurant also tend to thin out a little.

Good to know before you go

• The menu depends entirely on the day's catch, so don't go in expecting a fixed sushi list.
• Seating is limited and the restaurant doesn't take all its bookings in advance, so plan for a possible wait.
• The road in is unpaved, like most roads in this part of Santa Teresa, so a rental car with some clearance or a local taxi makes getting there easier, especially after rain.
• Prices run higher than most other spots in town, which reflects the sourcing rather than any attempt at formality.

Neighborhood and location context

Calle Buenos Aires runs through one of the quieter pockets of Santa Teresa, away from the main strip of surf shops and beachfront bars that lines the road closer to the water. The Nicoya Peninsula itself is one of the more remote corners of Costa Rica's Pacific coast, reached by ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya or by a long drive around it, which is part of why a restaurant like this, dependent on a hyper-local supply chain, makes sense here. You're not going to stumble onto Koji's on a casual walk from the beach. It's worth treating as a dedicated trip rather than an impulse stop.

Who this is for

Koji's suits travelers who care more about what's actually fresh that day than about ordering a specific dish off a menu. It's a good fit for anyone already curious about Japanese food who wants to see what that looks like when it's built entirely around a small coastal town's daily catch, rather than around a supply chain. It's less suited to anyone on a tight schedule who can't afford to wait in a line, or anyone who wants a guaranteed dish before they arrive. If you can be flexible about timing and about what's on the menu, it delivers something genuinely uncommon for this part of the Nicoya Peninsula.

FAQ

Does Koji's take reservations?

It does not take its entire evening of bookings in advance, so expect the possibility of a queue, particularly during peak season.

What kind of food does Koji's serve?

Japanese-style sushi built around fish landed locally that day, so the specific offerings shift with the catch.

Is Koji's expensive by Santa Teresa standards?

Yes, relative to most restaurants in town it sits at the upscale end, which reflects the quality and sourcing of the fish rather than any added formality.

Do I need a car to get there?

The restaurant is on an unpaved road, so a car with decent clearance or a local taxi is the easiest way in, especially if it's been raining.