Elefanthai — Restaurant in Cancún

On my recent trip to Cancun, I saw a great looking Indian restaurant in the best hotels list and hence I went with family for dinner. At the outset the place looked fantastic and I was like “wow” to see such a great place in Mexico and felt the Indian pride to see a successful business abroad. However when we walked feeling very disappointed and let down due to below:

1. Despite the fact that my wife asked to get a seat inside they still made us sit outside by the ocean.
2. The fan above was making a strange sound and the server didn’t understand what we were saying.
3. The food is pricy which I can understand and I was fine with that. Quality of food is ok. We were given cold “naan” but not the end of the world.
4. My daughter said that the spoon was smelling bad and asked for it to be changed. The server said that’s all they have. Perhaps language issue. They did change it in the end.
5. No one came to check on the food quality, service etc.
6. The worst part was on the tip. The server literally pushed me to pay 20 or 25% tip. I live in United States and tip generously when we are happy (often more than 20%). However here I did not feel like tipping more than 10% as the experience was bad. In the end though, the server brought the credit card machine and again pushed for a 20%. I was so tired that I said ok. We walked out after paying 78 dollars for a simple family dinner.

I would never go back to this place. I have eaten far better Indian food across the world in much more respectful and friendly places. Very disappointing to see such a great place not caring on the most important things around...

I don’t understand how this restaurant is still in business. I went there in 2017 by recommendation from friends and food was nasty. Same curry base for all types of dish and curry was sweet. When we complained, the staff said the head chef is in India so the other chef probably made some mistakes on our food. And now it’s 2023, we went there to give it another chance to try their food again. We asked just for curiosity who the chef was today, they said the head chef is in India. I just discovered they have been lying to all there Indian costumers about their chef. They never had good chef to begin with. I don’t understand how other Indians have given good reviews or eat there? There apps and drinks are decent but main entree is definitely nasty. This food is nothing close to authentic Indian food. I would rather go to kebab india then going into this restaurant. If you don’t believe me then order the chicken biriyani from kebab india and then from elefante and order the same dish. Elefante chicken briyani is plain chicken with boiled soggy rice. Believe me you will be upset with this restaurant. The atmosphere is nice but what’s the point of going and enjoying the view if the food is bad. And I hope most of the people feel the same. If you want trash food then go to elefante. And spend your hard earning money in waste. Service was nice. Their kulfi tasted bitter and overly infused with pistachio. Gulab jamun was...

For starters, the Indian restaurant Elefanta has merged with the Thai restaurant next door, which appears to simply be named Thai. They still have 2 menus, however, even though you can order both. I will confine my review here to the Indian, as they are distinctly different, and deserve different ratings.

The Indian food is the best I've had, including having been to India. It's close to what I would describe as Gastro Indian--sort of a refined, upscale take on what Indian food is going for, while removing some of the heavier, greasier elements. It's absolutely delicious. Indeed, it's difficult to describe as related to Indian food; picture the relationship between a tuna steak and sushi. They're both good when prepared right, but the extra effort that goes into preparing the sushi can make it a whole new dish. The drinks also benefit from this approach, with several I've never heard of before that are in the top 10 drinks I've ever had. After all of that, dessert was a bit of a let down, but still, try anything on the Indian menu.

Finally, I'd be remiss in not discussing the ambiance. The tables are in individual, suspended nooks OVER THE WATER. At night, the bamboo and greenery is literally green lit, and the tables and nooks in soft reds. The effect is absolutely striking, and makes for a wonderfully cozy atmosphere while also being suspended in the...