A Decade of Flavours, Perfected in the Heart of the Osa Peninsula
Our Culinary Philosophy
At Southern Drake Lodge, dining is a central part of your rainforest retreat. Every stay includes daily breakfast and a premium evening meal served in our intimate, open-air dining pavilion.
To ensure the highest possible standard of freshness and execution, our kitchen operates on a Curated Daily Menu model. Consequently, this approach allows us to focus 100% of our energy on delivering culinary excellence. Our menus rotate daily, ensuring you experience a new, unique set of dishes every day of your stay. Specifically, these are crafted from our archive of tried-and-tested culinary masterpieces.
While our menus are thoughtfully set by the kitchen each day, we happily alter our courses to seamlessly accommodate any personal dietary requirements, allergies, or restrictions. Indeed, we handle every adjustment with the exact same level of gourmet care.
- Two-Course Daily Breakfast: A refined start to your day. The first course features our house-made granola and fresh yoghurt, a vibrant spread of tropical fruits, and freshly squeezed juices. Subsequently, this is followed by a hot, premium second course designed to fuel your day’s adventures.
- Three-Course Evening Dinner: A sophisticated culinary showcase that seamlessly blends premium local Costa Rican ingredients with international flavours. Each night presents a distinct, balanced three-course menu of appetisers, mains, and desserts.
Our Culinary Story & Community Legacy
Our menu is built upon a friendship and a ten-year culinary journey right here in Drake Bay.
Years ago, our close friends Patrick Ludwig and Yens Steller ran a celebrated local hotel. Over a decade of hosting travellers in the Osa Peninsula, they dedicated themselves to a single mission: perfecting a high-end menu that honoured the rich, natural bounty of Costa Rica while meeting the standards of discerning global travellers. They experimented with local roots, ocean-fresh catches, and native spices, systematically refining each recipe season after season.
When Patrick and Yens eventually sold their hotel, they chose to preserve their culinary legacy. They gathered their absolute finest creations and authored ‘The Gourmet Costa Rican Cookbook: A Decade of Discovery in the Osa Peninsula’.
Today, that very cookbook serves as the foundation and inspiration for our kitchen. We are incredibly proud to carry their culinary torch forward, serving the exact time-tested dishes that took ten years to master.
Best of all, this culinary legacy continues to give back. All proceeds from Patrick and Yens’ cookbook go directly to their charitable foundation, the Steller Ludwig Foundation which funds vital health and education initiatives right here in Drake Bay. When you dine with us, you are experiencing a true taste of Osa history.
From Our Gardens & Kitchen
We believe that exceptional food requires exceptional ingredients. We place a deep focus on hyper-local sourcing, sustainable practices, and handcrafted preparation:
- Homegrown & Hand-Harvested: We grow a selection of our own fresh herbs and tropical fruits directly on the lodge grounds, harvesting them at peak ripeness for your plate.
- Made from Scratch: We believe in the power of artisanal details. Our kitchen team proudly bakes our own breads, squeezes our juices, toasts our signature granola, and cultures our own yoghurt entirely in-house.
- Ocean-to-Table Seafood: Our fish is sourced directly from local fishermen, sometimes caught by the owner Joe himself, in Drake Bay, sustainably in the Pacific waters right outside our doorstep.
What Our Guests Say
“… food was a true highlight, with delicious, freshly prepared meals showcasing wonderful local flavours and ingredients.”
Recent TripAdvisor review
“The food was on another level. All cooked by Joe and Sue’s team, the menu was varied and you never went hungry.”
Recent TripAdvisor review
“The onsite chefs prepared some of the best meals we had in Costa Rica.”
Recent direct feedback