Fine Dining in the Forest

The Lodge's towering, two-story Dining Room offers a dramatic setting for a lively gourmet experience. Here, Mashpi's chefs draw from the diversity of Ecuadorian cuisine and ingredients, making the most of its location between the coast and the Andes: the best of both worlds.

Dishes are conjured with herbs (mint, peppermint, lemongrass, chillangua, wild garlic, citronella, stevia, basil and sweet basil...), spices, varieties of chilies, and leaves from the surrounding rainforest, as well as from delicious regional ingredients, such as a vast array of tropical and temperate fruits (think papaya, pineapple, naranjilla, guanabana, muyo, snake fruit, wild blackberry...) and palm heart, coffee, manioc, chocolate and plantain.

Breakfasts are very informal and include fresh fruit from the region, breads, eggs any style, cheeses, hams, cereals, home-made jams, organic honey and muesli, and energizing fruit juices for the day's activities.

Lunch is deliberately light, with a changing menu every day, mixing a wide variety of fresh vegetables, soups, sandwiches and a mix of classic, contemporary Ecuadorian dishes. Ceviche – served in different styles – might well feature. Again, delicious and energizing fruit juices are on offer, and, to end the meal, a buffet of delicious, home-made ice-cream – including palm heart, coffee, chocolate, sweet mini-banana.

Dinner is a more formal affair, the drama of the dining room accentuated by the subdued floor lamps, creating an intimate and romantic ambience. The dinner menu changes according to season, and could include chicken, beef, fish, seafood and vegetarian dishes, all accompanied by mouth-watering side-dishes of local ingredients prepared with imagination and flair.

A full bar offers specialty fruit cocktails and natural energetic drinks. A carefully-selected wine list features mainly Chilean and Argentinean vintages.

Chocolate-tasting with single-source, organic Ecuadorian chocolate is a feature of Mashpi's gourmet experience.

The chefs are happy to cater for the needs of vegan and celiac guests.