Private chef dinners at your villa or Airbnb

What is a private chef dinner?

It’s a restaurant evening without the restaurant, whether that’s a romantic dinner for two or a long table for twelve. Julián plans the menu with you, shops for the ingredients, cooks in your kitchen and serves each course at your table.

Choose a plated three-course dinner with a Costa Rican touch, or a generous family-style spread. When dinner ends, every space he used is left spotless. There’s no bill to wait for, no drive home and no need to watch the clock.

What’s on the menu?

Costa Rican, international and modern cooking with Caribbean influences: ceviche, meat and seafood over live fire, homemade corn tortillas, and the fish, fruit and produce of this coast. Every menu is designed for you, and wine or non-alcoholic pairing can be added.

His plated menus include dishes like mackerel confit in coconut, curry and Caribbean spice, or croquettes with local smoked cheese. A sample three-course dinner:

• To start: red snapper ceviche, Caribbean-style, and grilled jumbo shrimp with thin tostones
• Main: prime ribeye seared in beef tallow, with tamarind jus, crunchy yuca and a local herb salad
• Dessert: coconut and passion fruit cake, or an apple bake with coconut gelato
• To finish: a tasting of local chocolate, paired with wine

Family-style, to share

For families and groups, dinner can arrive as a generous spread in the middle of the table. Three of Julián’s family-style menus:

• Costa Rican: rice, red beans, Caribbean chicken, beef in tomato sauce, plantain and picadillos
• Local Seafood: ceviche, garlic shrimp, Caribbean red snapper, fried yuca, Caribbean seafood soup and green banana salad
• Fresh & Light: quinoa, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken and shrimp

Staying a few days? Make it a package

Combine breakfasts, lunches, dinners and pantry stocking into one multi-day package, planned and quoted together. One example from Julián’s proposals: four lunches and a dinner for seven guests, with the fridge stocked on arrival.

Lunches bring two proteins, sides, a starter, dessert and a fresh natural juice, around themes like a Costa Rican casado, patacones with toppings, or a carne asada day with homemade tortillas and grilled corn.

Which occasions is it for?

Anniversaries and birthdays. A proposal on the terrace. A reunion for the whole family, or a retreat group’s closing dinner. And, just as often, an ordinary evening that deserves to feel like more.

Tell us the occasion and your group size. Private dinners are for 2 to 12 guests; for larger parties, we’ll quote your evening as an event.

Dietary needs & allergies

Plant-based, gluten-free, kids’ menus or a specific diet: tell us when you book and the menu is built around it from the start. Julián’s years at a wellness- and diet-focused hotel make this familiar ground. Kosher isn’t available, as it requires certification.

Because the chef cooks in your rental’s own kitchen, a completely allergen-free environment can’t be guaranteed. For severe allergies, share the details so we can talk through how we’ll cook.