La Laguna de Apoyo is a lake community located near Managua, Nicaragua. As the hidden gem of Nicaragua, our lagoon is a natural volcanic crater surrounded by lush scenery.
When it comes to food options many people will first consider Managua or Granada as places to visit. However, our up and coming restaurant at Casa Marimba is soon to be on the radar of “must visit” culinary destinations.
Casa Marimba originally opened as a boutique hotel in a nature reserve right outside the colonial town of Granada. Only a short drive from the larger city, La Laguna de Apoyo offers a few hotels, resorts, and local comedors. Having the insight to see the need for healthy living and lifestyle, the owners of Casa Marimba quickly devised a restaurant menu that would cater to people that are focused on nourishing themselves with high quality ingredients.
Owned and run by two French men, Casa Marimba brings traditional French and European concepts to our modern evolving menu. As foodies themselves, they decided to design food options that balance comfort food with healthy alternatives. On the menu you will find common dishes to Nicaragua like Jalapeno Chicken and Tostones. You will also find options that are designed to fill the belly while nourishing the body.
As a kitchen that caters to people with all sorts of dietary needs, there has been deep consideration to design meals that compliment the needs of vegetarians, vegans, and gluten intolerant diets. The dishes that have been created for those with “special diets” are highlighted in the breakfast, starters, lunch/dinner, and dessert menus.
Everything that is served at Casa Marimba is made from scratch with lots of Love.
Healthy Breakfast at Casa Marimba in Laguna de Apoyo
The breakfast at Casa Marimba can be hearty and nourishing. The menu always offers at least one option including eggs. It is usually served as an omelet, or a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast called “Tipico” which serves the standard gallo pinto, maduro plantain, and local cheese.
For guests that want to start with sweet or lighter options we provide several choices. The rotating menu provided for vegetarians and vegans usually includes at least one of the following:
Pancakes: Made with a banana base, these sweet and salty pancakes are served with honey and fruits on the side. As it contains dairy products, it is a great option for those that follow a vegetarian diet. But it can be made vegan on demand! (vegetarian)
Yogurt and Granola: A high protein gluten free option for those that want a good fill for their first meal of the day. A plain low fat greek style yogurt is served with our house granola and local exotic fruits. Add a little more sweetness with honey. (vegetarian, GF)
Chia Pudding: Made with the powerful chia seed native to Central America. Chia seeds are rich in fiber, and aid in reducing high cholesterol levels. The base of this dish is made with homemade coconut milk, honey, and magic. A breakfast item that tastes like a dessert option, this dish is topped with a mix of local fruits and our homemade granola. (vegan, GF)
Smoothie Bowl: A yummy, cooling option to have for breakfast. Casa Marimba’s smoothie bowl blends together homemade coconut milk with sweet local frozen bananas. This dish is further topped with chia seeds, granola and fruit. (vegan, GF)
Afternoon to Evening Healthy Meal Options in Apoyo
At Casa Marimba, we primarily want to promote healthy food, and fresh, organic ingredients. But as food lovers, we also introduced some yummy options in our menu. In order to offer quality, all our dishes are not served daily. Only part of the menu is offered at all times, and we regularly have “dish of the day” offers. This helps us provide freshly cooked food, while reducing waste risks. The following handful of dishes are designed specifically for vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians. The kitchen at Casa Marimba also provides meals for guests that might be interested in meat based options. However, they are not mentioned in this article so please visit our website for a detail of our full menu.
Starters at Casa Marimba
The 3 following dishes are healthy and mouth watering options that will excite your palate but leave room to explore more of our menu.
Hummus: Made with chickpea puree, olive oil, paprika and sesame seeds. This starter is packed with protein, magnesium, potassium and iron from the white beans, and additional benefits of calcium that comes from the sesame seeds. Served with a side of carrots and celery, that dish can be complemented with house made bread on request. (vegan, GF)
Gazpacho: A classical cold soup from Spain. Our version at Casa Marimba is made with local juicy tomatoes, green, red and yellow peppers, onions and cucumbers. Served with our in-house baked bread crumbs this option is perfect for warm days. This dish will cool you down and leave you feeling well fed and nourished. (vegan)
Ensalada Marimba: No menu is complete without a salad that highlights the freshness of quality ingredients. Our house salad mixes together romaine lettuce, arugula, kale, carrots, beets, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and moringa from our garden. It is served with a honey-mustard vinaigrette and sesame seeds. This dish can also be enhanced with goat cheese or other proteins. (vegan, GF)
Lunch/Dinner at Casa Marimba
Most of the following items are considered our signature dishes, that you will unlikely find anywhere else in Nicaragua…
Pizza Focaccia: Baked with our homemade focaccia bread, we top our pizzas with tomato sauce, mozzarella and oregano. The vegetarian version includes green peppers, tomato and onions. Optional add-ons for veggie lovers are mushrooms and kalamata olives. Those who prefer a vegan pizza can always request it without cheese, and when ordered ahead of time vegan cheese can be substituted. (vegetarian, vegan)
Veggie burger: Our unique spin on this plate is like an inside-out sandwich full of freshness. Made from two patties of green lentils and oatmeal, our burgers are packed with a fresh lettuce veggie salad, pickles and carmelized onions, and served with a side of house made fries. (vegan, GF)
Veggie Moussaka: This hearty plate of vegetables consists of layered eggplant, lentils, carrots, potatoes, tomato sauce and is topped with mozzarella cheese. This greek classic meets the love of our kitchen as a perfect choice for the gluten intolerant veggie lovers. This full plate is accompanied with a fresh side salad. (vegetarian, GF)
Eggplant Lasagna: A perfect dish for anyone who wants to pile heaps of vegetables on their plate. Layered with eggplant, tomato, caramelized onion, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, our version is suitable for gluten sensitive diets, as it is free of any noodles.. This amazing piece of lasagna is served onto your plate with rice and a side salad. (vegetarian, GF)
Pasta Pesto: Served with linguine pasta, our home made pesto sauce is made with fresh organic basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic and parmesan cheese. This savory bowl of noodles is quite filling. Perfect as it is, or ask the kitchen (in advance) to remove the cheese to make it vegan friendly. (vegetarian / vegan)
Dessert at Casa Marimba
We hope you saved plenty of room because our dessert menu may leave you wishing you stayed longer. Our primary dessert menu consists of options that are made with dairy products; however vegans that pre announce their arrival can give us time to add sweet vegan options for their visit. We hope you try one and all of the dessert offerings.
Banana Cake: We are listing this as a dessert option but in reality it is appropriate to eat at any time of the day. Our signature banana cake is made with sweet local bananas and filled with a vanilla cream. This is a perfect option to take on the road as you visit the local iconic volcanos and nature parks. (vegetarian)
Torta de Calala: This sweet and sour dessert will build a deep passion in your heart. Made with a passion fruit custard and homemade sweet crust. The concept of this dish is a fusion of French and Nicaraguan cuisine. Topped with shredded coconut and a sweet fruity sauce, this option will truly leave you feeling like you are on vacation. (vegetarian)
Lemon / Pitaya Cheesecake: These dessert options are hard to keep in our kitchen because of the local popularity. These sweet treats come in 2 types: slightly sour lemon and subtle exotic dragon fruit. Our cheesecakes are made with a fruit filling and sweet soft crust. (vegetarian)
Tiramisu: An international classic that is high on our list of favorites. Added with the quality of love and created with local Nicaragua coffee. We soak this pastry in our special sauce and top it with a sweet mascarpone cream. This is the ideal choice for those craving a midday sweet treat. (vegetarian)
Come to Casa Marimba for Food and a Good Time
Our in/outdoor restaurant is a semi opened space which adds an epic backdrop to your meal. When dining over the 23,000 year-old volcanic crater your eyes will have plenty of natural beauty to rest upon. Flying amongst the trees are colorful butterflies, multiple types of exotic birds, some might even be lucky enough to spot a toucan during their meal.
Our restaurant is an intimate dining experience with multiple levels of sitting areas. For our in-house guests we also provide room service, a perfect option for those who want to dine in the privacy of their balcony.
Next time you plan on coming to Laguna de Apoyo, contact us to book your stay!