Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Trip Advisor WTF?

Here are the top 21+ restaurants  on Trip Advisor and my thoughts on them:

1. Cafe Creme
I thought it was going to be awful and it wasn't. We sat in the garden and we were not alone. I'm going back some day soon.  I had one of their croissants recently at Coqui Coqui and it was delicious.

2.Rescaldos
I've not been there for two years and there must be a reason.  Heavy handed use of oregano.

3.La Chaya
Just plain awful.  Worse than I expected and my expectations were set very very low.  Pretty girl at the entrance and competent friendly waiters but when they don't ask you why you did not touch your main course I think I must not be first the person to hate it.  Oh & wilted brown greasy lettuce....yum.

4.Bruno Bistro Gourmet
Never been,  the word Gourmet scares me perhaps.

5.La Recova
Loved it the first 6 months and went there every week. Hated it the second 6 months after it opened and became trendy.  5 years later never been back.

6.Hacienda Xcanatun
The most consistent quality for the past 11 years of any of the restaurants in this price range.  The only really good Yucatecan cuisine I've had outside of the villages.  The restaurant interior reminds me too much of Miami but I love to sit on the terrace.

7. Helados Colon
This passes for the best sorbet in Yucatan and unfortunately it might be true.  It's not a restaurant though.

8.Hey Joe
Never heard of it.  Don't know where it is. Don't care.
All the reviews are from locals and it's an American restaurant so be very very wary.

9.Acqua
Some people I know like this place.  I've never been.  I don't like stacked food and squiggles on my plate.

10. Hennessy's Irish Pub
OK

11. Bel-Ami Cafe
I don't expect this will be no. 11 for long..It seems the owner has run out of friends to write reviews.

12.Trattoria La Pasta
I don't eat pasta at restaurants unless there is absolutely nothing else on the menu worth ordering.  I've heard less than appetising things about this place...never been.

13.Trotters
Yuk Yuk Yuk a tan.  If you've ever eaten in the upscale restaurant in mall in America that hopes to become a chain then you've eaten at Trotters.  Have not graced the threshold in the past 6 years.

14. Casa San Angel
I've never had anything here that I loved and I've never hated anything about the place.  I recommend it for breakfast.

15. Marlin Azul
*****

16.La Rueda
I'm a vegetarian but when I wasn't I used to go here.  Local steakhouse with lots of families and lots of TV's and bad accoustics.  But I did love the place.  Ask them not to salt your meat...

17.Casa Thai
Heard good things.  Gotta remember to go when I'm out in the boondocks.

18. La Pigua
I just cannot bring myself to eat here.  The food is not bad if you keep your order simple (not easy).
They use the cheapest fake olive oil on the salads and for me that says it all.

19. La Tradition
I want to try the new location but the huge photos of food on the facade have scared me away.  I've eaten some years ago at the old location near the Fiesta Americana hotel and the food was good though the atmosphere was ... off putting.

20. Punta del Mar
Can be good can be bad should be better than it is considering the owner chef knows what he's about.

21. Habaneros
I don't eat at restaurants with clowns passing out menu's ... However pre-clown I did walk in sit down read the menu and walk out .

26.  Rosas y Xocolate
It should probably have a higher rank.  This year it has been better than the past two years.  If you're going to splurge once I'd choose Xcanatun if your going to splurge twice I'd try RyX.

34. Ku'uk
I hear it's very Ku but I'm sure it's very Uk.  Afraid to go but someday I will.

38. Miyabi
I'm glad it's number 38 ... if it were in the top 10 where it should be there would be no table for me.  I go weekly as do most of my friends.

60. Alberto's Continental
It was once rated #1 in all the guide books.  I think the first review I opened it unfortunately correct. "Overpriced, Good Location-Average food"  stick to the Lebanese dishes ... but it's seriously overpriced for what it is.

UPDATE 6 OCT 2013
Albertos is closed again.

I'm glad to see that most of my favorite places are very lowly ranked