El Aguacate Vegan

Vegan Food in Costa Rica: El Aguacate Vegan, Tamarindo

El Aguacate Vegan brings vegan food in Costa Rica to a new level in Tamarindo. Chef Matteo turns whole, plant-based ingredients into restaurant-quality meals inside your villa or vacation rental, skipping refined sugar and building every menu around whole grains.

VEGAN COOKING CLASSES

Retreat Chef in Costa Rica

Private Vegan Chef Services in the Tamarindo area: vacation rentals, dinner parties, cleanses, event catering

Pop-Up Dinners

Pick up/Delivery Menu

Products for your kitchen/pantry

Menu and Restaurant Consulting

Private Chef Services in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

A private chef in Tamarindo, Costa Rica handles the full dining experience. This includes menu planning, market shopping, cooking, plating, service, and cleanup. El Aguacate Vegan builds each menu around what local farmers and fishmongers have that week. The chef then adjusts it to fit your group’s taste and diet.

Breakfast & Brunch

Chef Matteo cooks a plated breakfast or brunch inside your rental kitchen, using seasonal fruit, whole grains, and fresh local produce. Your morning starts without an early grocery run.

Lunch

Chef Matteo builds a midday menu of light, whole-food dishes. These meals keep your energy steady through an afternoon of surfing, hiking, or lounging. He serves it at your villa or vacation rental.

Dinner

Chef Matteo plans a multi-course dinner menu around what local farmers and fishmongers have that week, then fully prepares, plates, and serves it inside your villa or vacation rental.

Cooking Classes

Chef Matteo teaches hands-on cooking classes. You learn plant-based techniques and how to build flavor without dairy or refined sugar. He also shows you how to turn produce from the sample menus into a full meal.

Catering & Special Events

Chef Matteo scales the same sourcing and cooking standards up for weddings, retreats, and corporate gatherings, serving a plated or buffet-style menu built around your group’s exact size and budget.

Retreat Chef Services

Chef Matteo runs full meal service for wellness retreats and multi-day stays. He plans structured, nutrient-dense menus around fresh juices, whole grains, and seasonal produce. This service lasts the length of your visit.

Experiences

Tamarindo, Costa Rica's Best Vegan Dining Experiences

El Aguacate takes plant-based cuisine to the next level in tropical Tamarindo, Costa Rica. We use whole, unadulterated ingredients in their purest form without the use of refined sugars or carbohydrates. Most of our food is gluten-free and otherwise always 100% whole grain. Our gentle and thoughtful approach to cooking, enhances and showcases flavors from around the world that we have developed through our experiences cooking around the globe: from California to New York, South East Asia to Mexico and right here in Central America. We primarily source the finest local, organic, seasonal and sustainable ingredients from farmers and purveyors in the area. We supplement with other ingredients only when we can not find what we need locally. Our goal is to provide an unforgettable dining experience while supporting the local community and economy.

Vegan Cooking Classes in Tamarindo

Chef Matteo teaches small-group and private cooking classes. These classes cover plant-based technique, not just recipes. You learn knife skills and how to build flavor without dairy or refined sugar. You also learn how to swap local Costa Rican produce into international dishes. Classes run in your rental kitchen or at a set venue. They suit solo travelers, couples, and retreat groups who want a hands-on souvenir from their trip.

Pop-Up Dinners and Tasting Experiences

El Aguacate Vegan hosts seasonal pop-up dinners around Tamarindo. Each event offers a fixed tasting menu in a curated setting. It suits guests who want a restaurant-style night out without an actual reservation. Each date seats only a small group. Dates during high season, from December through April, tend to sell out. Book early to secure a spot.

High-Protein Vegan Food

Every menu at El Aguacate Vegan counts as healthy vegan food by design, not by accident. Whole grains, seasonal produce, and legumes replace refined sugar and processed filler in every course. Protein comes from high-protein vegan foods like black beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, and nuts. These foods appear in breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Guests active in surfing, hiking, or yoga get enough fuel without leaving the plant-based diet.

Healthy Vegan Food Near Me: Pick Up and Delivery in Tamarindo

Travelers searching for vegan food near me in Tamarindo can skip a sit-down booking. Order directly from El Aguacate Vegan’s pick-up and delivery menu. This rotating menu covers ready-to-eat meals, pantry staples, and packaged products. It follows the same whole-food, gluten-free-leaning standard as the private chef menus. Same-day pick-up and local delivery are both available.

Menu and Restaurant Consulting

Restaurants, hotels, and cafés in the Tamarindo area hire El Aguacate Vegan for menu consulting. This work includes developing plant-based menu items and retraining kitchen staff on vegan technique. It also includes auditing existing menus for hidden dairy, refined sugar, or gluten. This service brings the same standards guests get at a private dinner into a commercial kitchen.

What Sets This Vegan Food Apart in Guanacaste

Most vegan food Costa Rica menus add a plant-based option onto a meat-and-dairy kitchen as an afterthought. El Aguacate Vegan works the other way: every dish starts plant-based, then gets built out from there. A few things that come from that difference:

Whole-Food, Sugar-Free Cooking

Every course avoids refined sugar and processed ingredients, built instead from whole foods, so dessert isn’t the only dish that qualifies as truly plant-based.

Gluten-Free By Default

Most dishes are naturally gluten-free, and every remaining item runs on 100% whole grain, so allergy-conscious guests rarely need a separate menu at all.

Green Papaya, Tamarindo Style

Green papaya from Tamarindo-area farms turns into fresh salads and slaws alongside global techniques from Chef Matteo’s kitchens in California, New York, and Southeast Asia.

Farmers Market Sourcing

Ingredients come directly from Tamarindo-area growers first, including a standing stall at the Saturday Tamarindo Farmers Market, with outside sourcing used only as backup.

One Chef, Six Services

Private dinners, villa service, cleanses, classes, pop-ups, and catering all run through one chef, so groups skip coordinating multiple vendors during a single trip.

Personalized Menu Customization

Every menu adjusts to your group’s taste, allergies, and dietary limits ahead of time, so no one at the table eats a substitution meal.

Meet the Chef

Private Chef Services

Contact

Pick Up and Delivery Menu: Order Fresh Food and Products

Press

El Aguacate Vegan vs. a Typical Private Chef in Costa Rica

What Matters	El Aguacate Vegan	Typical Private Chef
Menu approach	Vegan-first, built from the ground up	Meat-based menu with a vegan option added on
Refined sugar	Never used in any course	Common in desserts and sauces
Gluten-free	Default on most dishes	Available only on special request
Sourcing	Local farmers first, direct from the Saturday Tamarindo Farmers Market	Mixed sourcing through general suppliers
Service range	Private dinners, villa service, cleanses, classes, pop-ups, catering, and delivery, all from one chef	Usually one or two service types
Booking	Direct with Chef Matteo, no platform fee	Often booked through a third-party platform

Fresh Ingredients From the Saturday Tamarindo Farmers Market

Chef Matteo sources local, organic, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients first, from farmers and purveyors around Tamarindo, and brings in outside ingredients only when a specific item isn’t available locally. That sourcing order supports small growers in Guanacaste while keeping every dish tied to what’s actually in season.

Where El Aguacate Vegan Operates

El Aguacate Vegan is based in Tamarindo and travels to villas and vacation rentals throughout the surrounding Guanacaste coast, including Playa Langosta, Playa Grande, and Playa Avellanas. Guests looking for a private chef on short notice should confirm the date and headcount early, since pop-up dinners and peak-season weekends fill up first.

Meet Chef Matteo

Chef Matteo built his approach to plant-based cooking across kitchens on three continents before settling in Tamarindo. His menus pull technique from California’s produce-driven cooking, New York’s plating discipline, and the bold, herb-forward flavors of Southeast Asia, then apply all of it to Costa Rican produce. The result is food that reads as familiar and genuinely local at the same time, not a substitution menu.

      
   El Aguacate Vegan
   24 Google reviews 
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       Posted on Google  
   
   Earl Romig 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matteo is a master of his craft. His food is amazing and you can’t go wrong trying anything. The bagel and lox was my fav! The desserts, sauces were so GOOD too!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Purpose Timeline 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. If you’re in Tamarindo on Saturdays, do yourself a favor and find this incredible vegan private chef at the farmers market. His food is next level — creative, healthy, flavorful, and made with so much care. I’ve also ordered deliveries and even requested custom meals, and every single time he goes above and beyond. You can taste the quality and intention in every dish. Highly recommend whether you’re vegan or not.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Ardrianna McLane 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Amazing and fabulous experience that we are still talking about! So grateful for the chance to eat fresh and artfully prepared vegan and gluten free dishes. We loved every bite!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Anita Heath 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matteo’s food is fresh and thoughtfully delicious! I have tried a lot of his items and was never disappointed.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Kristina L 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We booked a private dinner with Chef Matteo at our Airbnb, and the entire experience felt really special. From the moment he arrived, you could tell how much care and intention he puts into what he does. He brought such a calm, thoughtful energy, and the night felt very personal rather than just a typical service. We ended up talking with him for hours about his career, travels, and his approach to vegan food. It’s clear he’s deeply passionate—not just about cooking, but about sourcing quality ingredients, supporting local growers, and creating meals that feel meaningful. He started us off with a kaffir lime and lemongrass cooler that was super refreshing and unique. The first course was a tom yum soup with crispy oyster mushrooms, which was such a creative twist and set the tone perfectly. After that, we had summer rolls and a papaya salad that tasted incredibly fresh—he even mentioned the papaya came from a neighbor’s yard, which says a lot about how much he values local and organic ingredients. The pumpkin and tofu curry was my favorite—rich, balanced, and just really well done. Every bite was flavorful without being heavy. To finish, he made mango sticky rice, which was the perfect ending. What stood out most was how much he genuinely loves what he does. You can tell he takes pride in every detail and truly cares about the experience he creates. Thank you so much Chef Matteo!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   lisa spencer 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We hired El Aguacate as a private chef in Tamarindo. He came to our Airbnb, very professional, prepared and WOWed us. This was for a group of girls, only one being vegan, and everyone was blown away. He puts so much passion in to his food and it shows. I will be dreaming of the cashew cheese raviolis for the rest of my life. If you’re looking for a private chef in Costa Rica, Matteo is your man.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Angie Waters 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Chef Mateo helped make our trip to Costa Rica so special! Food was great and he even baked a cake for a birthday we were celebrating. Very easy going, and was able to accommodate all our requests.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Courtney Smyth 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I connected with Chef Matteo via Instagram before my trip to Tamarindo to chat about a few vegan options while in town. He was so responsive and answered all of my questions quickly. He arranged to deliver or meet at the market for pickup. We picked up our items and the food has been incredible (love the plantain tortillas, vegan butter and truffles!). In addition, he and his wife were so lovely when we met, they made multiple local recommendations for our trip that have been incredible and followed up to see how everything has been. We cannot recommend them enough! Thank you so much! Pura vida!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Kayla 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matteo creates incredible dishes with even more incredible flavour. He was so kind and supportive to our family when we first arrived in Costa Rica, making full, nourishing meals, and even preparing flavorful options for our kids as they settled into their first days of learning. What really stood out was how thoughtful he was in packing meals for our return trip back to Canada, everything traveled beautifully and tasted just as fresh. Matteo is not only knowledgeable and kind, but his food is truly something you need to experience for yourself. If you try it, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Highly recommend El Aguacate Vegan!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Isha Naik 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was one of my family’s favorite meals of all time. Matteo was such a pro at everything from planning, making our incredible five-course meal, and having the best conversations with us throughout the whole experience. Would highly recommend if you’re in Tamarindo!!

Book Your Meal With a Private Chef in Tamarindo

Reserve a private dinner, villa chef stay, cooking class, or pop-up seat with El Aguacate Vegan. Use the reservation form or WhatsApp below. Chef Matteo will confirm your menu, headcount, and dietary notes ahead of your visit.

Reserve Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Is El Aguacate Vegan fully vegan, or does it also serve meat?

El Aguacate Vegan is 100% plant-based across every service. This includes private dinners, catering, cooking classes, and the pick-up menu.

Does El Aguacate Vegan accommodate gluten-free and allergy requests on top of vegan?

Yes. Most dishes are already gluten-free. The kitchen adjusts further for nut, soy, or other allergies when guests flag them ahead of the booking.

How is this different from booking through a platform like Take a Chef Costa Rica?

Booking directly with El Aguacate Vegan skips the platform fee. It also puts guests in direct contact with Chef Matteo for menu customization. You won’t get matched with a rotating pool of general private chefs.

Can El Aguacate Vegan cook for a mixed group of vegans and non-vegans?

Yes. The kitchen builds a fully vegan menu that works as a complete meal on its own. Mixed groups don’t need a separate “regular” menu alongside it.

How far in advance should guests book a private chef in Tamarindo?

Book standard dinners at least a few days out, and book cleanses, retreats, or pop-up dinners as early as possible, since those dates fill up first.