I knew this was no ordinary hotel restaurant when I saw that one of the entrees on the menu was black risotto with grilled octopus, shrimp, calamari and squid ink.

“Is this a misprint?” I asked Milagro Vallejos, 42, the head chef at El Jardín in Monteverde Lodge & Gardens. She said no — they actually flavor the risotto with the ink from squids, the same fluid these mollusks use to hide from predators.

I started wondering how they milk the squid.

Monteverde Lodge was one of four hotels in the original Böëna Lodges collection, alongside Tortuga Lodge in Tortuguero, Lapa Rios on the Osa Peninsula and Pacuare Lodge on Costa Rica’s celebrated rafting river.

All underwent a gastronomic transformation under the guidance of Greek chef George Belesis, culinary director, working alongside Costa Rican executive chef Allan Mata.

The owners of Pacuare Lodge visited Kapari in 2017 and were so impressed by the food that they invited Belesis to Costa Rica to overhaul the culinary operation at their riverside lodge.

As the Böëna collection grew, Belesis created new menus, redesigned kitchen systems and trained culinary teams to translate his recipes and philosophy into each destination.

There is also a strong movement toward plant-based dining across the lodges. Although meat remains available, diners can choose from imaginative vegetarian and vegan dishes designed to feel complete rather than secondary.

Allan Mata worked as a chef at Pacuare Lodge for 12 years before becoming executive chef across the collection. He was instrumental in implementing the new culinary vision and continues to oversee quality, menus and logistics.

Pacuare Lodge, the property where the transformation began, introduced a new menu, kitchen and dining area built on a platform around a tree.

Its plant-based “menu within a menu” includes vegetarian poke, coconut curry, beetroot risotto, orzo pasta, falafel bowls and handmade ravioli with goat cheese and spinach. Guests can also choose dishes such as beef filet, lamb shank or pork stew.