El Manatí Bacalar — Restaurant in Bacalar

My wife and I were only in Bacalar for a very short time, so we did some research on where to find the best coffee. We got this address and so we went to El Manati full of expectations.

We can wholeheartedly confirm that the coffee was delicious and indeed one of my best coffee experiences.

We also took brunch, and both opted for a toasted slice of bread with toppings of local vegetables. Very healthy and above all tasty.

We came back the next day for the breakfast. After all, it was so good that we didn't feel the need to try another restaurant during our 2-day stay. We opted for a fruit juice, again a coffee, and an omelet (my wife) and a toasted sandwich (me). It was all very tasty.

The menu also mentioned much more, and the choice was actually very large.

The place is actually more than just a restaurant. There is space to show art, there is a small boutique, and at the front you can buy interesting things such as soaps, coffee, honey, sauces, etc.

To eat, you can sit both inside and outside. Everywhere it is pleasant to sit. The garden feels very tropical and is richly overgrown with trees and plants.

Also worth a mention is the team, who are all very friendly, helpful, and...

Please allow the record to reflect that I did not dine at this spot. My mom and I were walking the city center and spotted the beautiful entry way. The venue didn’t open until 8:30 am, it was about 7:45 am and the manager encouraged and allowed us to explore/visit the art gallery and garden. This place is absolutely stunning. The menu looked extensive, the gift shop has lovely sustainable and local products from clothes, bath/skin care and spices. Please don’t skip visiting this place and try some of their food that comes highly recommended. We were departing soon so we needed to get back to our hotel. Should I visit Bacalar again, and I do imagine that I will, I will make this a first stop for breakfast or lunch.

The art gallery tells the story of nature and particularly sea life. I’ve only seen similar artwork in Mauritius, Africa and Coney Island, New York that have moved me like this. There were also some abstract pieces. And the garden was absolutely adorable.

I hope you find this review helpful. If so, please give me a thumbs...

Beautiful place: if inside, it's like eating in an museum of beautiful local artists; if outside, it's like eating in the jungle! Attentive uplifting service. We went twice: on the first day for lunch, my partner loved his chilaquiles with chicken; he said the red sauce was the best he had in two weeks in Mexico. I had the coconut cheviche which was a great concept idea for a vegan/vegetarian option and good when adding lime but unfortunately it didn't taste of coconut at all. My partner had a Jamaica water and I had a freshly made, rich smoothy. On the second day for breakfast, we both had chilaquiles with red sauce: the red sauce was still very good, but much more watery than on the first day - we requested some bread to go with the sauce and cleaned the plate. My partner had chicken again (it was that good) and I had eggs - well, one egg; for the price, they could offer two eggs (everywhere in Yucatan/Quintana Roo they served me two eggs)....