Native cocoa - Guadalupe Branch — Restaurant in Chiapas

I regret to say that my visit to Cacao Nativo in San Cristóbal de las Casas was an extremely disappointing experience. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry for over 10 years, I can confidently say that the level of customer service I encountered here was unacceptable.

I ordered a hot cacao with almond milk, and right from the first sip, I could tell something was off. The drink was sour, which made me suspect that the almond milk had gone bad. After drinking only 10-15% of it, I politely raised the issue with the barista and asked if it would be possible to replace it with a smaller cacao made with water instead (even though I had paid for a larger drink and the supplement for almond milk). I thought this was a reasonable request given the circumstances.

However, my concern was completely dismissed. The barista did not offer any solution, and what appeared to be the supervisor on duty outright refused to provide me with another drink. There was no apology, no attempt to address the issue, and no effort to make things right.

Mistakes happen—everyone in hospitality knows that. What matters most is how a team handles those situations, and unfortunately, the staff here demonstrated a complete lack of care for customer satisfaction. Their unwillingness to resolve a fairly simple issue was disappointing and unprofessional.

A chain like Cacao Nativo should prioritize proper training for their staff, especially in customer service and problem resolution. A bad experience like this can leave a lasting impression, and in my case, it has.

I cannot recommend this place to anyone, and I sincerely hope that the management takes these issues seriously. With so many wonderful options in San Cristóbal, there’s no reason to settle for a place that treats customers...

My visit to Cacao Nativa was extremely disappointing. I came here with a friend, and we were both very clear with the staff that we could not have any dairy and would be opting for almond milk as the only plant-based option they offered. Unfortunately, what followed demonstrated a lack of care and attention to customer needs.

I ordered a cold drink with almond milk, and as I waited, I noticed the barista adding whipped cream to my drink. I immediately brought it to their attention, reminding them that I had specifically chosen almond milk because I wanted a dairy-free option. Rather than remaking the drink, the barista simply scooped the whipped cream off the top, handed me the drink without apologizing, and left it visibly dirty with remnants of the cream around the edges.

While I am fortunate that my choice to avoid dairy is an ethical one and not due to an allergy, this level of carelessness could have had serious consequences for someone with a dietary restriction or allergy. Beyond that, the lack of an apology or effort to resolve the issue felt disrespectful and dismissive.

As someone who appreciates good service, I was shocked by how little regard the staff showed for my request. Mistakes can happen, but the way this situation was handled showed a lack of training and...

Cacao Nativa was my favourite place to get delicious authentic Mexican hot chocolate in San Cristobal. In the evenings and mornings, the temperatures dropped and it got quite chilly in the city (around 10 degrees Celsius in November), so this café was my go-to stop.

It was a popular café chain found throughout the city with a handful of locations in the central area. I always visited the one on Guadalupe Real. They served a variety of types of hot chocolate along with coffee and other café drinks. My favourite was the 55% cacao hot chocolate – it had the perfect amount of sweetness and even had small chunks of chocolate in it. Soo good.

Some of their locations had seating inside the café while others (like the one on Guadalupe Real) were just a small storefront for to-go orders.

They also sold a range of chocolate bars containing various cacao percentages. These were also delicious and I especially loved the 70% almond...