Dining at Rios Lodge
Farm-To-Table Flavors Served in the Heart of Costa Rica
Of all the things you experience at Rios Lodge, some of the most important moments you create will be around the dinner table. Our beautiful, open-air dining area will connect you to some of the freshest, most delicious flavors in the rainforest, thanks to our in-house chef, Chef Luca.
Chef Luca has traveled the world as a highly-esteemed chef, working in fine dining in France, the Caribbean, Canada, Ibiza, and now, Costa Rica. Chef Luca loves to play with fusion cuisine, combining unique tropical ingredients with the strategies of a French cuisine-trained chef.
With three delicious and warm meals daily, every moment you spend in our dining room will be filled with new flavors, classic favorites, and endless lifelong memories waiting to be made.
Thoughtful Dishes With Delicious varied menu
We are honored and excited to house a skilled chef who can turn simple, fresh ingredients into a meal you’ll remember for years. From classic Costa Rican fare to thoughtful fusion dishes, our dining experience will leave you satisfied and looking forward to the next meal.
We have a fixed menu at our remote ecolodge, and carefully plan ahead all the dishes two weeks in advance of guests’ arrival to the lodge. Our menu includes vegetarian and vegan dishes. In addition, several dishes can be made gluten-free upon advance notice.
Colorful, Diverse, Farm-To-Table Flavor
Chef Luca knows that the best dishes start with the individual ingredients, so we prioritize using the freshest foods, locally sourced whenever possible. We partner with local Turrialba farmers to source the highest quality vegetables, eggs and herbs. These partnerships help us create beautiful dishes that come straight from the land you stand on when you visit Rios Lodge.
Ethically Sourced, Sustainably Prepared
Every decision we’ve made about the development of Rios Lodge has had our community and planet in mind – and that is reflected in how we source, prepare and share our meals.
- We leverage fresh, local ingredients, partnering with locally run farms as much as possible.
- Our kitchen runs on solar and hydropower.
- Everything we need to run our kitchen and offer fantastic meals is brought in on rafts, and our kitchen non-compostable waste is brought out on rafts.
- Compostable waste goes is used at the lodge for our growing gardens.
Full Bar Stocked with Beer, Wine and Spirits
You don’t need to wait for 5 o’clock to enjoy the Rios Lodge fully stocked bar at our dining pavilion. Our lodge facilities include several areas to relax in comfort with a cool drink in hand, from pavilions to waterfall pools!
Our full bar supplies quality wines, Rios Lodge branded craft beer, and spirits, so you’ll have plenty of options to find your drink of choice. We also offer sodas and mocktails to everyone who doesn’t partake in alcoholic beverages.
Restaurant Menu - Example Fare
Breakfast
- Gallo pinto omelet
- Fresh fruits & banana cakes [contains gluten & dairy]
- Fried eggs with potato avocado and bacon [V option with plantains]
- Robust Costa Rican coffee and fruit juices
Lunch
- Rigatoni pasta with bacon, sautéed eggplant & zucchini tomato sauce [GF and V options]
- Chicken teriyaki served with rice and vegetables
- Chop suey chicken or beef
- Costa Rican beef tenderloin with sweet mashed potatoes & vegetables [contains dairy]
- Mahi mahi filet in a butter lime sauce with rice and vegetables [contains dairy]
For V-Vegetarians and VG -Vegans
- V – Spring roll with plum sauce. [contains gluten]
- V/VG – Roasted tofu with pomodoro & basil sauce and vegetables
- V- Eggplant & zucchini duo, feta cheese, arugula, balsamic glaze [VG option substitute tofu for feta]
- V/VG – Pasta pomodoro sauce served with vegetables [GF option]
DINNER
- Chicken breast covered with provolone, pomodoro sauce served with rice and vegetables [contains dairy]
- Chicken skewers on the grill, tzatziki sauce served with couscous and ratatouille [contains dairy]
- Vegetarian lasagna served with mixed salad [contains dairy]
- Sautéed beef in a soy, honey, ginger, lime sauce served with rice [contains gluten, V and VG substitute beef for vegetables]
- Mahi Mahi filet with capers, black olives, pomodoro sauce served with vegetables
Desserts
- Pina colada cheesecake [contains gluten & dairy]
- Passion fruit mousse [contains dairy]
- Tiramisu [contains gluten & dairy]
- Chocolate mousse [contains gluten & dairy]
- Exotic fruit pie [GF, no dairy or gluten]
What You Need to Know
Food and Dining FAQ
Yes! All guests visiting Rios Lodge have breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals included in their stay.
- We have a fixed menu at our remote ecolodge, and carefully plan ahead all the dishes two weeks in advance of guests’ arrival to the lodge.
- Our menu includes vegetarian and vegan dishes. In addition, several dishes can be made gluten-free upon advance notice.
- It is imperative to indicate in advance (on your trip information form when you reserve your stay and on your waiver), if you have specific dietary restrictions of gluten-free, vegetarian, and/or vegan.
- If you have a food allergy, you must alert us at least 2 weeks prior to your trip so we can try to accommodate your needs.
- We have worked hard to create an amazing and varied menu, but due to our remote location and minimal onsite cold storage, we are not able to secure last minute or onsite special requests.
- We will always do our best, but guests must understand the nature of our remote kitchen in the jungle and how critical it is to pre-plan. Thank you!
- Fresh, robust Costa Rican coffee is ready for early risers from 6am.
- Breakfast is served from 7 -9am daily.
- Lunch is served from 12-2pm daily.
- Dinner is served from 7-9pm daily.
- All meals are served in the dining pavilion.
- Additional snacks and beverages can be purchased from 3:30pm to 6:30pm.
Additional snacks and beverages can be purchased from 3:30pm to 6:30pm.
Tea, coffee, and water are available all day.
Meals are served in our beautiful, open-air shared dining area, with seating capacity for all lodge guests. The dining area has the open air kitchen at one end, and the full bar. Guests dine overlooking the river.