Cetli
Claudia Pérez Rivas grinds her spices and herbs on stone metates and builds the moles from there. The istak is a fish fillet poached in seawater under a white almond mole. She closes on Wednesdays.
Why go
Pérez Rivas cooks alta cocina mexicana from scratch. Frommer's puts the method plainly: she has "devoted her considerable talents to preparing alta cocina mexicana (gourmet Mexican cuisine) completely from scratch, down to grinding spices and herbs in stone metates."2 She walks the table through the night's moles and sauces herself, and the meal opens with a plate of empanadas and Mexican cheeses she sends out while you read.2 The room sits out on the road to the Cobá ruins, away from the center of town, white walls hung with paintings and antiques.1 Michelin's inspector went for the fish: istak, a fish fillet cooked in seawater and doused with a thick, not-too-sweet white almond mole with a touch of parsley, dark chocolate sauce and sesame seeds.
1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the istak, and at least one mole. Frommer's is direct about it: "Pérez specializes in moles (sauces with multitudinous ingredients) and it would be a shame to not share at least one such dish."2
- Order: the nimbe for dessert, which Michelin's inspector calls
rich and delightful,
a vanilla and chocolate pancake filled with ice cream.1 - Order: in August or September, the chiles en nogada.2
- Avoid: Wednesday. The kitchen is closed.1
What locals & experts say
- MICHELIN Guide Mexico, inspector:
They have fashioned a truly Mayan experience here, where the generous and tasty dishes are as colorful as the art decorating the walls.
1 - Frommer's, on the cooking:
Some of the finest gourmet Mexican cuisine on the coast is served in this beautiful house.
2
Good to know
- Hours: Monday and Tuesday 7:00am to 10:00pm, closed Wednesday, Thursday to Sunday 7:00am to 10:00pm.1
- Booking: the restaurant handles its own, so call the room and not a booking site.1
- Payment: Frommer's records that they do not take credit cards. That review carries no date, so carry pesos and treat it as a warning rather than a certainty.2
- Standing: a Bib Gourmand in the MICHELIN Guide Mexico, on the guide's page for this address.1
Verdict
should-visit — The Bib Gourmand sits on the guide's own page for this exact address, which is the strongest standing anywhere in this slice. Frommer's supplies the mechanism behind it, the stone metates, and Michelin's inspector supplies the dish in enough detail to order from. Both are outside voices and only one of them is dated: the Frommer's review carries no date and still describes a back street the current address contradicts. A Bib plus one undated review is a should-visit and not a must-visit.