Restaurante Casareyna — Restaurant in Puebla

Where to begin….. from the minute we arrived, you could tell the service was going to be impeccable. And I was not wrong. We were in town visiting some family and was recommended this place for their CHILES EN NOGADA since they are in season in Puebla, Mexico. They accommodated 6 adults and my little baby boy in a stroller without any fuss. Then we were offered wine by, in my experience, the best sommelier named Alejandro or Alex. He brought us a delicious red wine that paired very well with the Chile en nogada. For those who haven’t had it, let me tell you, it’s the best dish to try for this season. It’s a poblano pepper stuffed with all sorts of fruit (pear, apple, raisins, to name a few) and ground meat. It’s topped off with a walnut sauce and pomegranate on top for added flavor and texture. Sounds a bit weird but your taste buds would love you. The whole table had chiles en nogada and the most cutest thing they do, is they give you a certificate that comes with the chile en nogada and a number so you know how many plates of these they have served this season and which number you were. I was number 43,081. Once done with the main dish, I of course had to have dessert. I ordered a 3 chocolate mouse cake, which was devine, and for the rest of table, they had a sampler dessert where they had everything from rice pudding to strawberry ice cream. Since we were winding down, my boyfriend ordered a rosé champagne. Alex, The sommelier, recommended to have a taste of the strawberry ice cream and then the champagne together in your mouth, and let me just say, this was the best thing ever! After that I had a coffee drink (forgot the name of it) that tasted as if I was sipping on an iced coffee, only this one was spiked 😉. There are so many good things to say about this place that one review doesn’t justify it. You have to actually go and experience it, you will not be...

This restaurant is very much a place that has imprinted prototypes of what good fresh, made-from-scratch poblano cooking is in my mind. You’ll see your chulapas coming out onto your plate sizzling; as you bite into it, the texture is so springy and fresh that you can bet it was made from masa minutes ago.

It’s no wonder wonder they seem to be so busy and packed with both locals and visitors to Puebla. Good restaurants are masters at details. Clearly every culinary detail matters to the chef here — down to the quality of the house coffee (fantastic), the fresh bread, the home made tortilla chips, the salsas made from the freshest local ingredients, and not to mention the hand made Talavera plates! They also have very large portions and reasonable prices

Like many Poblano eateries, they are more likely to use hot manteca bread than tortillas for appetizers… the bread is toasted crispy on the outside, warm and chewy inside, accompanying with freshly made salsas sitting on your plates; the fresh bread continuously replenishes as the meal proceeds.

But being bread masters doesn’t mean they aren’t masters of tortilla chips! Their chilaques in mole (basically tortilla chips cooked in mole) was stellar….I don’t know how you can cook tortillas in mole sauce while somehow keeping the tortillas fresh and crispy even when they are drenched in mole.

Speaking of mole…All of mole poblano here is all made from scratch and is exquisite in its smooth and multilayered natural flavors… it’s hard not to judge all future mole as being too salty or overpoweringly sweet, or too greasy after eating here. The restaurant is also a master of texture— how the onions add just a subtle spicy kick to the savory and chocolatey hues of the mole sauce, which you can temper with the fresh avocado. And if there is leftover mole , get that...

TL;DR: A hotel that redefines low expectations – from a windowless sauna of a room to a mystery meat “mole” dish and a pool that exists only in your dreams. But hey, at least there’s one free coffee capsule!

The bathtub drain plug was just there for decoration – water drained out instantly like it had somewhere better to be.

The room had a “window,” but don’t get excited – it opens into the hallway, not the outside world. Which means zero fresh air and a growing sense of being slowly suffocated unless you blast the aircon like you're cooling a server room.

The power socket claims to have USB ports. Spoiler: they don’t work. But nice try!

The toilet seat? A wobbly, budget plastic masterpiece straight out of a public restroom horror story.

Despite the clearly displayed “Do Not Disturb” sign, the staff barged in anyway like it was their personal mission to change towels and sheets. Boundaries? Never heard of them.

The crown jewel of disappointment: the non-existent pool. I complained, and management responded by doing absolutely nothing. Zero reply, zero effort. Luckily, booking.com had my back and gave me a partial refund, but the hotel’s complete silence was a masterclass in disrespect.

A Nespresso machine in the room – fancy! Until you realize it comes with exactly one free coffee pod. There is a second one, but it's decaf, so basically a cruel joke.

Tried the “mole” dish in the restaurant. Tasted like someone googled “Mexican food” and gave up halfway. Bland, dry meat – school cafeteria style. Thankfully, I tried the real deal elsewhere and confirmed it can be delicious, just not here.

No toilet brush. Because… who needs hygiene, right?

Sink water stood there like it paid rent. No...