Art libreria — Restaurant in Chiapas

Wow! I really love this place... it's making me hungry just to look at the photos and think about the meal I had there recently! Absolutely incredible flavors, textures and freshness - I was amazed! So much nutritious, high quality fresh produce made into a real, yummy homemade, elaborate Mexican banquet. Absolutely zero grocery store packaging, minimal salt and sugar, maximum spices and real organic heirloom plant flavors! The owner Gerardo is an absolutely beautiful being full of knowledge and insights, who prepares his traditional "peasant" Mexican dishes with real love, passion and intellectual understanding, and who furthermore treats his visitors and the ingredients with the utmost consideration. Really an interesting, jovial guy to talk with, especially if you are interested in the food system. He serves you all the food you want to eat in big steaming hot clay pots full of delicious, vivaciously nutritious, real home cooked organic locally grown food! This last time I went, we had thick lentil soup, a mind-blowing red salsa, potatoes with chard, oil-less tostadas, and the most amazing guacamole you ever tasted. The table was utterly laden with abundance! To drink: lemon and spinach water, which I asked him not to sieve: a delicate, vitamin- packed refresher! Nothing sugary, nothing oily or salty: just real, authentic, flavorful, highly nutritious and light (voluminous! full of water and fiber!) FOOD.

This traditional meal is a tribute to the slow food movement but also a surprising throwback to family celebrations and the ancient Greeks lounging about eating while discussing philosophy! And all of this happiness in a unique, very comfortable, community minded space complete with a mini library and geology museum, artwork, plants, event announcements, and even apartments around the back. I enjoyed the feeling that you are sitting in this big open dining room, around the big table. I commend Gerardo for his revolutionary genius and with it, his sincere, generous love for those he cooks for! I hope that little by little restaurants and eating culture in general will change and that this densely nutritious, high quality, local farmer connected, sociable experience of eating out will become the norm!

Go to this awesome place around lunchtime really,...

Gerardo lives up to the hype of all his other 5-star reviews. My partner and I strongly believe in local organic vegan food and this is where you can get it along with great vibes and conversation. There is 1 table and we had great conversations sharing the table with strangers. There is no set menu. Gerardo makes whatever food he can daily, based on the local organic ingredients he finds. The food is freshly made and tastes great. Gerardo is passionate about this model and we are too. He serves enough for 2 meals. So we brought containers and took food to our room to eat later. One downside for us is that Gerardo uses honey. So, if you are like us and don’t use honey then check with him that there is no honey in the food. We think he told us that he only puts it in the cocoa. Another downside for us is that the food did not have as much protein as we would like. He uses beans but can also be heavy on potatoes. Also, the hot cocoa he serves is not what you are probably used to. It is more medicinal than a drink for pleasure. One of us really liked it but that one is somewhat of a chocoholic. Gerardo is a passionate activist changing the world one local organic vegan meal at a time. That deserves 5 stars in our view. I think it is worth mentioning that we were in San Cristobal in Sept 2022 for just a week and ate @ Art...

Update: A restaurant review is not an evil conspiracy. Just my experience which I and every customer has a right to. I do not use a photo, as an honest review in the wrong place throughout Mexico can mean more than food poisoning at a restaurant. Your aggressive response validates my choice. Review:I don't get the 5 stars at this place. Must be a cult thing. This is the only place during my vacation that made me deathly ill. I really thought I was going to die. This was the only food I ate that day, which was quite mediocre and unseasoned at best. I strictly used bottled water throughout Mexico. When Gerardo went to go wash the dishes in the hostals dirty laundry sink (yeah, I noticed that), a rat ran from behind his food prep area by my feet. This spot is musty and just not hygienic. I recommend any of the other vegan restaurants here. I tried them all and none of the others made me ill like this place. I used to love lentils. After this place, I need to do some...