The guide
Hiring a private chef in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Ceiba Dining Co is a private chef service on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast, run by Chef Julián Acuña. This guide explains how hiring a private chef in Puerto Viejo works: what happens before and on the day, what’s included, what we cook, and where we go.
How does a private chef work in Puerto Viejo?
A private chef plans a menu with you, buys the ingredients, cooks in the kitchen of your villa or Airbnb, serves the meal and cleans up afterwards. You don’t leave the house, and you don’t lift a pan.
With Ceiba Dining Co, it happens in four steps. Julián cooks personally for every booking, so the person who reads your request is the person who cooks for you.
It helps to share a little about the evening you have in mind: the occasion, the ages at the table, whether you’d like a relaxed family-style spread or a plated menu, and roughly what time you’d like to eat. The more we know, the more the menu feels like yours.
- Request a quote through the form with your dates, villa location, group size and dietary needs; WhatsApp and email work too.
- Receive a menu proposal and a quote, with groceries included.
- Adjust the menu until it feels right, then secure your date with a deposit.
- On the day, Julián shops, arrives with everything needed, cooks, serves and leaves the kitchen spotless.
What’s included
Every booking includes the thinking as well as the cooking, and the groceries too. Your quote lists everything, so you know before you confirm.
- A menu designed for your group, your tastes and your dietary needs
- All the shopping, done by Julián himself: never-frozen proteins, ocean-fresh seafood and organic local produce
- A check of your villa kitchen beforehand, with his own equipment brought in if anything is missing
- Cooking on site, in your villa or vacation rental kitchen
- Table service, plated or family-style
- Full cleanup: the kitchen, the oven, the trash and every space he used, left spotless
- On request: wine pairing, cocktails, mocktails and fresh natural juices
What does a Caribbean private chef cook?
Julián describes his cooking as Costa Rican, international and avant-garde, with Caribbean influences: modern, creative food served as a true gastronomic experience.
Three loves run through his menus. Ceviche, the dish that tells his story: fresh, simple ingredients and memories of childhood. Live fire: ribeye, pork and beef cuts, and seafood, from the grill, over charcoal or smoked. And corn, from homemade tortillas to a carne asada lunch with grilled corn.
Sample menu inspiration from his own menus: red snapper ceviche, Caribbean-style; grilled jumbo shrimp with thin tostones; prime ribeye seared in beef tallow with tamarind jus and crunchy yuca; mackerel confit in coconut, curry and Caribbean spice; coconut and passion fruit cake; and a tasting of local chocolate. For breakfast, gallo pinto and Costa Rican coffee. Every menu is designed for you.
What reaches the table depends on the coast as much as the recipe. The catch changes with the boats, fruit follows the season, and the menu follows both. That’s why every proposal is written fresh for your dates rather than picked from a fixed list.
Private chef vs. eating out in Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo has a wonderful restaurant scene, and many guests enjoy both. A private chef simply solves a different set of problems.
Many rentals in Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo sit along a single coastal road with little street lighting. After dark, that means driving or arranging taxis on unlit roads, often in tropical rain. With a private chef, dinner comes to you and nobody has to be the designated driver.
- Getting there: no evening drive, taxi or parking
- Weather: a downpour doesn’t cancel dinner
- Children: they can eat early, play nearby and go to bed on time
- Dietary control: every dish is planned around your allergies and diets
- Timing: dinner is served when you’re ready, with no reservation needed
Dietary needs & allergies
Plant-based, gluten-free, kids’ menus and specific diets are all welcome. Julián gained real experience with them at The Retreat, a wellness- and diet-focused boutique hotel, so your menu is designed around your needs from the start, not adapted at the last minute. The one diet we can’t offer is kosher, which requires certification.
One honest note: the chef cooks in your rental’s own kitchen, with its equipment and surfaces, so a completely allergen-free environment can’t be guaranteed. For severe allergies, tell us in detail so we can talk through how we’ll cook.
Group size, deposits & payment
Private dinners are for 2 to 12 guests. Larger parties are welcome and are quoted as events; the one thing we can’t take on is a very large group at short notice.
About 15 days’ notice is ideal. Last-minute requests are welcome whenever possible, and a last-minute fee may apply. A non-refundable deposit secures your date, and the balance is split before and after your service; the exact terms are in your quote.
You can pay by SINPE Móvil, international bank transfer, PayPal (a small processing fee may apply) or cash.
Where we cook
We serve the southern Caribbean coast of Limón province: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva, Manzanillo (Limón, Costa Rica) and Cahuita. Most villas and Airbnbs here have kitchens that work well. Julián checks yours beforehand, from the listing link or a few photos, and brings his own equipment when something is missing.
Staying just outside these areas? Ask. We’ll tell you honestly whether we can reach you.
A short glossary of Costa Rican and Caribbean food
Words you’ll find on Julián’s menus, and on menus all along the coast.
- Ceviche
- Raw fish or seafood cured in lime juice with onion, cilantro and chile. The citrusy liquid it leaves behind is called tiger’s milk. For Julián, it’s the dish that tells his story.
- Gallo pinto
- Costa Rica’s everyday breakfast: rice and black beans fried together with onion, sweet pepper and cilantro, often seasoned with Salsa Lizano.
- Casado
- Costa Rica’s classic lunch: rice, beans, a protein, salad, sweet plantain and a picadillo, all on one plate. The name means “married”.
- Patacones / tostones
- Green plantain, sliced, fried, flattened and fried again until crisp. Served thin alongside ceviche, or loaded with toppings for lunch.
- Patí
- A Caribbean turnover with a flaky pastry and a spiced, peppery filling, usually beef. Limón’s favorite snack.
- Plantintá
- Patí’s sweet cousin from Limón: a pastry filled with ripe plantain cooked down with sugar and spice.
- Chayote
- A mild, crisp, pale-green squash grown all over Costa Rica. Finely diced, it’s the heart of a classic picadillo.
- Tamarind
- A tart-sweet pod fruit, loved in Costa Rica as a cold fresco. On Julián’s menu, it becomes a jus for prime ribeye.
Are groceries included in the price?
Yes, always. Julián does all the shopping himself and picks the best local ingredients: never-frozen proteins, ocean-fresh seafood and organic local produce. There’s no separate grocery bill to settle.
Do I need a fully equipped kitchen?
No. Julián checks your villa kitchen beforehand, from the listing link or a few photos, and brings his own equipment when something is missing, such as a blender.
Do you clean up afterwards?
Always. Every space he uses is left spotless: the kitchen, the oven and the trash included. Your evening ends at the table, not at the sink.
Can you cook for kids and families?
Yes. Kids’ menus are welcome, and dinner can be timed around bedtime. Let us know ages and preferences when you book.
Do you cook for celebrations?
Yes. Birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, family reunions and retreat dinners are all a pleasure to cook for. Private dinners are for 2 to 12 guests; larger celebrations are quoted as events.
Ready to hire your chef?
Share your dates, villa location, group size and dietary needs, and Chef Julián will reply personally by email with a menu idea and a quote.