Restaurant of the Month: Bistro Las Palomas

Each month Yucatan Today visits a restaurant in order to describe what it has to offer. This is not a review; it is a summary of the menu, service, ambience, prices, and opening hours.

March, 2010

The Bistro Las Palomas is located inside the Hotel Casa del Balam, one of the oldest and most distinguished hotels in Mérida and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is also one of the few Art Deco buildings that can still be seen in this colonial city. Recently renovated, this historic mansion has been meticulously equipped for the comfort of its visitors. The property was rebuilt in 1970 by Fernando Barbachano, tourism pioneer in Yucatán, and incorporated original details of what had been his own home. His daughter, Carmen Barbachano Gomez-Rul, conserved the original façade so it would serve as the main entry to the hotel.

Las Palomas is a cozy space with tables overlooking the lush garden and pool. (However, on chilly nights, they install a transparent curtain which keeps the cool breezes out while still permitting the pretty view.) The menu is eclectic, as would be expected of an elegant hotel, and the service and food will not disappoint you. There are Chef's specials every week, but everything on the menu looks delicious.

We started with the popular Yucatecan dish Sopa de Lima, a delicious chicken soup made with shredded chicken, tortilla and lime juice, and Ensalada Balam, a combination of lettuces, capsicum, sweet green pepper, Italian pumpkin, tomatoes, onion, celery, cucumber, and hard boiled egg, dressed with a tasty Italian vinaigrette. They were both simply delicious. We followed this with the Prehispanic Fish, a fresh filet prepared in a delicious sauce made of prehispanic seeds, regional herbs, and tomatoes, accompained by buttered vegetables and rice (garden style). We also had the Penne Alla Arrabbiata, penne pasta with a wonderfully spicy sauce made from tomato, onion, garlic, olive oil and chile de árbol, with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. For dessert we opted for the Lemon Cake…not too tart, not too sweet! The price of this elegant, beautifully served dinner for two, including a bottle of Casillero del Diablo, was 725 pesos.

The breakfast menu is simply fantastic: omelettes, crepes, Mexican specialties, classic American breakfasts, French toast, hotcakes, healthy options, and plenty of fresh fruit, accompanied by juices, espresso, cappuccino, and hot chocolate. The rest of the menu offers baguette sandwiches, burgers, and more, and the dinner menu includes Yucatecan specialties, salads, soups, pastas, poultry, seafood and beef, including the intriguing Jaguar Warrior Steak.

The pretty Bistro Las Palomas is open from 7 am to 11 pm every day. Hotel Casa del Balam, Calle 60 x 57. Tel. 924 8844. Private parking.