I stayed at essence for yoga retreat and had all my meals at essence. Marvin and staff are awesome, they take care of all your diet needs and the food is freshly made daily. Taste was awesome, along with the presentation.

This place is amazing, all vegetarian, the food is flavorful and beautiful. I highly recommend making the trip up the mountain. Located at Essence Arenal, a beautiful permaculture and yoga retreat. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at set hours 8 to 9am, 12 to...1pm and 6:30 to 8pm, so make sure you go at the specified times. There is a menu with a variety of options and dinner has an additional preset 3 course meal. They make vegetarian versions of food from across the world, such as Indian lentils with pita bread and raika, and vegetarian sushi as examples. They can also accommodate food restrictions such as gluten free, ask about the banana pancakes. The cute decor and open kitchen make for a very homey and casual experience, where you get to watch the chefs at work. The staff is friendly and the owner/chef is funny and energetic. They do serve alcohol, 3 beers on tap, wine, and a variety of cocktails. 5 stars, 10 out of 10, if you have the chance, do not miss this place.More

I spent 17 wonderful days at Essence yoga retreat where the food was crafted and served beautifully by Chef Marvin, Chef Gabriel and their wonderful kitchen staff: Dennis, Carro, Priscilla. The staff are all so kind and gracious. They are very conscientious and remembered all...of our diet restricts and they do their very best to accommodate. I have never experienced such care and the food was always delicious and the presentation was very lovely.More

The Restaurant is Amazing! The best food I‘ve had in Costa Rica. Three Course Menu - all Vegetarian, nicely served and all regional, high quality Ingredientens. Marcel the chef is the heart of the Place. He knows every detail about the dishes he serves and...is really fun to hang out with. Be prepared that you want to come back. Great view on the lake and the Vulcano. Staff is also Lovely. All in all, just an amazing place you should not miss out.More

We had 2 days breakfast in the restaurant. There was multiple choice, we tried different ones, what all tastes great. Thanks to the chef's for their kindness en help by our problem!!

A must place to stop and visit. The view is as incredible as the food. Chef Marvin is an artist in the kitchen, he made the most delicious meals for us while we were there. The falafel was amazing and the traditional gallo pinto breakfast...with tofu scramble was out of this world. Having vegan options available while traveling was an added bonus. We felt like family the moment we walked through the door, everyone on staff was so nice and so welcoming that we will be back for that reason.More

I am rarely writing reviews, but for this place I have to. At one moment you have this homie feeling, like you are visiting friends’ house and they have just brought in vegetables & fruits from the market (or actually a local farm) to cook...for you - everything is very fresh, but no surprises. Next thing you know - there is a well-decorated plate next to you and it tastes amazing! Somehow the chef manages to combine seemingly simple ingredients in a bouquet of tastes, where they complement each other, while retaining their core essence. And one can say for sure that food is cooked with love here!More