Chef Nelson Arias

Private Chef in Liberia

Hi! I'm a passionate chef with over 13 years of experience in the culinary world. My journey began in a humble pizzeria, where my love for food and hospitality was born. Since then, I’ve worked with renowned companies, appeared on TV cooking shows, and dedicated my path to creating meaningful culinary experiences.

What truly inspires me is transforming food into unforgettable moments—whether it's a romantic candlelit dinner, a colorful Costa Rican fusion menu, or a fun and interactive cooking class for all ages.

My cooking style is versatile and vibrant. I love blending traditional Costa Rican ingredients and recipes with international techniques and creative twists—resulting in a unique gastronomic experience rooted in flavor, color, and connection.

Whether you're visiting Costa Rica or simply want to turn your evening into something extraordinary, I’ll bring the flavors, warmth, and joy of a private restaurant right into your home or vacation rental.

Let’s create something unforgettable together.

See you in the kitchen!

— Chef Nelson

For me, cooking is...

It's a perception of the world.

I learned to cook at...

It all started at home watching my mom cook delicious food and bake cakes. At the age of 18 started studying Gastronomy and worked in Recognized rest.

A cooking secret...

Enjoy all the time! The happiness of making people happy with food.

My menus

Traditional Costarican food

STARTER

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Tico Cucumber Roll: salsa, sweet plantain, cucumber, costa rican withe chesse, avocado, ground pork skin with roasted peppers sauce

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

MAIN COURSE

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Caramelized Pork rib in a lime sugar cane reduction, yuca pure, a crsipy touch of a breaded zuchinny cilantro mayo and a fresh green mix salad on the top

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Brownies

Amanecer de sabores

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Los santos coffee

Orange juice

Cacao shot

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Seasonal fruit platter

Costarican Style ceviche: lemon marinated fish fresh onions, celery, red bell peppers and ciloantro with crispy homemade patacones on the side

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Gallo pinto: gallo pinto, fried egg with tomatoes creole sauce, over a cheese corn tortilla

Red Snapper: Whole or fillet fish, avocado rice, corn relish, carrots and white onion caramelized in orange juice

Avocado toast: local bread, avocado, volcano salt, and crispy chichcarron topping on the top

Banana cake and nuts sidede with fruits

DESSERT

All inclusive

Customizable Menu

STARTER

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FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Cheese and fruits and nuts plate

MAIN COURSE

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Chicken and sausage paella

DESSERT

All inclusive

Honey sweet plantains wipped coffee cream on the top and strawberrys

Deligth bites

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Avocado mess: Guac, pico de gallo, roasted peanuts, cilantro and white cheese

Tico Cucumber Roll: salsa, sweet plantain, cucumber, costa rican withe chesse, avocado, ground pork skin with roasted peppers sauce

Costarican Style ceviche: lemon marinated fish fresh onions, celery, red bell peppers and cilantro with crispy homemade patacones on the side

Costa Rican Salad: lettuce, red onion, sweet plantain croutons, caramelized peanuts, cherry tomatoes with cilantro garlic emultion

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Sabanero Beef Stake: Costarican beef Shrimps & veggies skewer, yuca red mash, creole roasted tomatoes sauce

Volcano Chiken roasted tomatoes sauce sided with red mash and sauted veggies

Caramelized Pork rib in a lime sugar cane reduction, yuca pure, a crsipy touch of a breaded zuchinny cilantro mayo and a fresh green mix salad on the top

Red Snapper: Whole or fillet fish, avocado rice, corn relish, carrots and white onion caramelized in orange juice

DESSERT

All inclusive

Honey sweet plantains wipped coffee cream on the top and strawberrys

Customizable

Seasonal Fruit Salad: Costarican Seasonal fruit trilogy, blackberry sauce, coconut cookie crumble, ice crem lollipop

Seafood of Costa Rica

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FIRST COURSE

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Shrimps mango ceviche with a touch of garlic, ginger, fresh cilantro and home made patacones on the side

Caribbean style ceviche: coconut breaded shrimps in a coconut, lime, ginger, garlic, ceviche sauce with a spicy touch

Costarican Style ceviche: lemon marinated fish fresh onions, celery, red bell peppers and ciloantro with crispy homemade patacones on the side

Vuelve a la vida: mixture of seaffod in fresh tomato sauce really good seasoned just to make you come back to life and live the pura vida

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Zuchinny stuffed with seafood in a creamy wine sauce with a cheesse chicharon on the top over a potato morterito

Achiotado Mahi Mahi: Costarican flavored achiotado mahi over green beans, garlic, tomatoes, lime, suggar cane sautted, costarican seasoning grilled sweet potato

Costarican mariscada: seafood mixture al ajillo with rice on the side

Fresh tuna avocado sauce with pineapple, grilled tomato and red onion salad with caramelized carrots

Pescado Frito: Whole red snapper grilled or baked shrimps sauce, potatoes and mango cabagge salad on the side

Quetzal: baked Rainbow Trout roll stuffed with typical vegetables wrapped in banana leaf with cilantro, avocado, sauce and potato chips

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Coconut kiss: Coconut terrine, coconut cookies crumble, blackberry sauce and passionfruit jelly

Honey sweet plantains wipped coffee cream on the top and strawberrys

Fried Milk: Breaded curdled milk over a mirror of creamy vanilla and milk sauce with apple compote on the top

Flavors and colors

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Avocado mess: Guac, pico de gallo, corns chips, roasted peanuts, cilantro and white cheese

Caprese salad, balsamic thyme reduction, with a touch of honey

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Sabanero Beef Stake: Costarican beef Shrimps & veggies skewer, yuca red mash, creole roasted tomatoes sauce

Achiotado Mahi Mahi: Costarican flavored achiotado mahi over green beans, garlic, tomatoes lime, suggar cane sauted on sided roasted sweet potatoes

Volcano Chiken roasted tomatoes sauce sided with red mash and sauted veggies

DESSERT

All inclusive

Fried Milk: Breaded curdled milk over a mirror of creamy vanilla and milk sauce with apple compote on the top

Honey sweet plantains wipped coffee cream on the top and strawberrys

Birthday

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Choose 1 dish

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Avocado mess: Guac, pico de gallo, corns chips, roasted peanuts, cilantro and white cheese

Caprese salad, balsamic thyme reduction, with a touch of honey

Costarican Style ceviche: lemon marinated fish fresh onions, celery, red bell peppers and cilantro with crispy homemade patacones on the side

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Parrillada: Steak, corn, patacones, grilled sweet potatoes

Sabanero Beef Stake: Costarican beef Shrimps & veggies skewer, yuca red mash, creole roasted tomatoes sauce

DESSERT

All inclusive

Favorite Cake

Seasonal Fruit Salad: Costarican Seasonal fruit trilogy, blackberry sauce, coconut cookie crumble, ice crem lollipop

Honey sweet plantains wipped coffee cream on the top and strawberrys

Costarican food with a twist

STARTER

All inclusive

Welcome drink

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

PIco de gallo Salad, roasted garlic alioli and palm tree fruit chips

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Fresh tuna avocado sauce with pineapple, grilled tomato and red onion salad with caramelized carrots

Costarrican Casado: Rice, beans, traditional picadillo, cabbage, cilantro, salad and Roasted chicken thigth

Gallitos Costarricenses trilogy of beef, chicken and fish with the authentic costarican flavors in a fresh corn tortilla de cascado corn

Caramelized Pork rib in a lime sugar cane reduction, yuca pure, a crsipy touch of a breaded zuchinny cilantro mayo and a fresh green mix salad on the top

DESSERT

All inclusive

Palm tree fruit sweet sauce mirror, cacao cake and guava sphere

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Chef Nelson's reviews

4.88

•

194 services

5/5 Stars – Incredible Private Chef Experience! We booked Chef Nelson to cook lunch, dinner, and brunch for a group of 9 for multiple days at our rental in Playa Ventanas, and he and his wife Eli were absolute perfection from start to finish! Beyond their incredible cooking, they were wonderfully accommodating and flexible whenever we needed to adjust our schedule. Chef Nelson's food is a fantastic fusion of local cuisine, expertly highlighting fresh local fruits that paired deliciously with the main dishes. Every day, his freshly prepared juices were a highlight, and his desserts were top-tier. Whatever you do, don't miss his fish tacos—they were hands down the best breaded fried fish we’ve ever had. Chef Nelson made our stay in Guanacaste unforgettable, and we couldn't recommend him highly enough!

Nelson is an amazing chef. The food was amazing. He was always on time and we enjoyed his company. Thank you very much, Nelson.

We engaged Chef Nelson Arias for 7 days, 3 meals per day, for our 6 person family in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica in February 2026. Prior to this, we had never hired a chef so we weren't sure what to do or what to expect, but Chef Nelson made it so easy. We first interacted with Chef Nelson on the phone for menu planning. We gave him a list of proteins we liked and didn't like, along with some individual likes and dislikes (no food allergies in this group). We didn't want a planned menu, we told him to just surprise us with some authentic Costa Rican foods. Chef did all of the shopping, even picked up beer and wine for us. Chef Nelson, along with Eli (Ellie), prepared every meal, set the table, served the food, introduced the food (origin/meaning/history), cleaned the table and did all of the dishes....it was AWESOME! Can't tell you how amazing the food was. All of us agreed, it was the best food we had ever eaten. We had homemade sangria, hand made juices from local fruits, fresh meat and seafood and fantastic sauces, all a flavor party in your mouth. Chef Nelson even made special servings for our 2 year old granddaughter since she was on a little different eating schedule than the rest of us. We all agreed that every restaurant meal will forever be rated on the "Nelson Scale". Best of all, we felt like we had made new friends. Nelson and Eli are beautiful people and we were blessed to have met them.

Nelson and his wife were perfect! They did a great job, the food was excellent - we had such a beautiful night.

Chef Nelson and his wife did an incredible job of bringing to life Costa Rican food with “a twist”. I would highly recommend they be one part of your culinary plans.

Delicious food and amazing service. He was able to accommodate many preferences- we ate like royalty.

Chef Nelson's dishes were inspired. Reach course exceeded our expectations ten fold. My parents and kids were all equally impressed. We requested traditional dishes focused on seafood. He brought us the most delectable coconut shrimp and pineapple rice dish I've ever tried. The ceviche was melt in your mouth perfection with a passion fruit sauce. The main dish was an explosion of flavors. And we were so excited about the dessert we forgot to take a picture ha! Beautiful food. Warm and inviting service. An experience we will never forget!

Chef Nelson was amazing and gave us a five star experience.

Chef nelson was so incredible and everything was beyond delicious!!!!! 10:10 recommend. Thank you chef!!!

Great chef, everything was delicious definitely one of the best meals I’ve had.

Chef Nelson was wonderful - very accommodating and communicative! Highly recommend

Awesome experience all around. Food was incredible, great conversation, very engaging. Exceeded all of our expectations.

Great experience, food was beautiful and delicious

My husband and I had an AMAZING experience with Chef Nelson Arias and his awesome sous chef and wife Ellie! We had the best ceviche we ever had for the appetizer with perfectly fried plantain chips, and for the main course, we had Costa Rica Chicken ballottine with green beans and sweet potato, and we had this super coffee cream over mango for dessert. It wasn’t just the food itself. We had amazing conversation and had the best time!! First time using a personal chef and we simply loved it. Thanks Chef Nelson and Ellie!

Nelson was fantastic! Close attention to detail and very inviting. Highly recommend!

This was the most incredible experience. They were so wonderful and I would highly recommend them to anyone. They went above and beyond in every aspect.

A great evening and wonderful food and drinks. Would recommend!

Where to begin! What a hidden gem. The Chef and his wife made valentines day so special. From the thoughtful mocktails since we dont drink to the authentic meal he made. It was such a perfect night. If you can reserve him do it. He uses local ingredients and knows what they mean as he is from the area. Perfecto!

Chef Nelson and Eli were absolutely wonderful. They prepared fresh local dishes that were absolutely delicious. I would not hesitate to book them again.

Chef Nelson was amazing. Each course was exquisite! My favorite was the fried milk dessert. I have never tasted anything like it! They were also impeccable in clean up and follow through. I highly recommend him for any meal. We will definitely call him again next year when we return to Porto Rica.