La Generala

After spending the day wandering the streets of Playa del Carmen being hounded by restaurant hosts with menus featuring «hamburgers», «nachos» and American Sports we were frustrated and exhausted. Our hope was to find something authentic and unique and we felt caught in a tourist trap nightmare! We were steps from our hotel and ready to throw in the towel on dinner when I saw a cute little restaurant just down the street from us. We stepped in to see the menu and reluctantly sat down to order some small bites. What started at 2 tacos and an appetizer turned into a full meal and wonderful evening with the owner and her staff. Not only was the presentation itself first class and worthy of a fine dining restaurant, everything we tried was to die for– I started with the Elote soup which was absolutely amazing, served with a side of cream and lime, you can adjust it as you like to your tastes. The fish tacos were perfectly cooked, lightly battered but not at all greasy. I can’t remember the name of the other soup that we ordered but it had a chicken base which is served separately and is then poured over the other ingredients– my partner practically licked the plate clean. Our hostess insisted that we try one of her specialty dishes whose main ingredient was carrot, we were quite full at that point and decided to pass on it but she had a small dish made for us, on the house, just so that we could try it. It’s not on the menu, but it is certainly worth ordering! Not to forget dessert, I tried the homemade chocolate brownie (a blend of corn and flour) served with a homemade hibiscus syrup. Not overly decadent and heavy as many desserts but delicious. We ended our meal with a little Mezcal tasting which was a great end to the evening. The owner spent her evening with us, providing a history of the area, recommendations of things to do and generally making us feel completely at home. Not to mention, the prices are an absolute steal compared to what you will find on 5^th Ave, but with much better food and service! Our favorite restaurant in Playa del Carmen hands down.