Painapol — Restaurant in Isla Holbox

I want to start with the food which was tasty and nicely presented. The space itself is nicely decorated and cozy. The service was good and fast for the amount of customers. With that being said I personally think the place is overhyped and not really worth the money. As I said the food was nice but also nothing groundbreaking. The things that bothered me most were on the one hand the fact that you can only pay cash which according to some of the restaurant's answers to reviews is because of the poor reception on the island. Almost no other restaurant on Holbox seems to have this problem as 95% of them accept card payment. On the other hand the music was way too loud which made it hard to have a conversation. Additionally one of the staff kept singing along to the music most of the time which some people may appreciate and find charming, love that for you, we didn't and found quite annoying. Lastly I want to highlight (rather lowlight) the restaurant's response to reviews. It's highly unprofessional and immature. It's not how you treat paying customers, no matter the review. You should always be grateful for feedback whether you agree or not. For this reason I do not expect any understanding to my review nor do I expect a pleasant answer to my review (which is fine by me as I won't be visiting again). I hope my review will be taken as a chance for change and improvement rather than just another bad review which gets a snarky response. Best wishes,...

I hear the bowls are good; that’s not what I got.

I feel bad writing a mixed review, but my experience was not great. The people are clearly trying their best. The hostess is sassy but funny for the most part. My initial server was super sweet and helpful.

I got pancakes with Nutella. So inedibly dry, even with Nutella, it was depressing. I asked for a to-go box so not to make it a thing, but really was starving and bummed.

They asked me why I wasn’t eating it there and I said “honestly, I’m really sorry, but I don’t like it very much. It’s super dry”. 3 other people quickly approach me saying they understand I found a problem.

I order something else, get moved to a different table so a couple can get seated at my initial table (totally fine, I’m alone), one of the other men approaches me (not my original servers) with the hostess and impresses upon me that I was wrong about the pancakes; in fact, they are not dry; the hostess continues with “you are the only one who has made that comment.”

I was near tears with their condescending nature. I had to press “ * I never make comments * and I’m so sorry, but really it was so dry. I am happy to pay for it, but I’d like to order something else”. I got the avocado toast with an egg - it was ok. It had a small dual-colored hair on it; I believe dog hair. Nothing special.

I felt so uncomfortable there. I ate...

If I can give this place 10 stars I would!!

Small beautiful and cozy place to have a nice start for the day. A must-see/eat place at Holbox Island.

The food is amazing, menu has great items and options. All ingredients are fresh.

Bread is baked daily, so soft and fresh.

Plenty of excellent refreshing juices. It is awsome.

Owner came and sat down with us, he is so hospitable and caring. He explained the menu for us when we asked questions, recommended items and he was never wrong. The hospitality aspect of this restaurant/owner is off the chain. Very rare to find places like this.

We went there 2 days in a row. The next day was before we left the island.

Service is Excellent. Everyone works as a team and help each other.

Ambiance is nice, chill place with nice breeze.

Restrooms are clean, excellent job on that 👏.

5 min Walking distance from many beach resorts, located in middle of many different restaurants and bars.

Place is clean, and I noticed that waitresses Ted their nails, which tells me that owner is super attentive to details and hygiene. That's a plus plus.

Presentation is above and beyond. Amazing job to the kitchen staff.

Pancakes are delicious.

Cafe Late is really creamy and smooth. Made very well.

I definitely give this place a 10 star for everything.

Will definitely visit if I go back...