Anyone looking for fine dining and elegance in Isla Cancun can find it easily nestled up in the Zona Hotel, along the lagoon, at one of Cancun's most relaxing and romantic restaurants, the Laguna Grill.
For years, I had driven past this unassuming gem of a restaurant traveling back and forth to various establishments looking for an excellent but relaxing location to dine. Little did I know by the classy but modest exterior, the luxurious and beautiful Laguna Grill lay hidden inside.
This past trip to Cancun, based on reviews I had seen on the Laguna Grill, here and elsewhere, my traveling party and I vowed to visit the Laguna Grill. The reviews, for the most part good, don't do the Laguna Grill justice.
This restaurant is stunning from its entry portico through to its lounge and beyond to its waterfront deck-works. Upon entering the Laguna Grill you are greeted with a tapestry of mosaic tiles, stunning in their beauty and workmanship, lighting styled to its exquisite ambiance and a relaxed feeling of sensory pleasure. The restaurant and its lounge offer the aromas of fine dining and the Caribbean with the sights of moonlight dining, interior artistry and an indoor stream and bridge that seemingly appear out of nowhere under the vast palapa roofs that arch endlessly over the deck-works and dining area.
And, that my amigo's and amiga's is just the start. The food is sensational, contemporary styled seafood and steak coupled with an exotic Asian fusion and Mexican specialties that will have the mouth watering for more.
Ample portions of delicately cooked and served variations of multiple cultural foods placed with a world class chefs design on your plate to enhance not only your visual perception but the exotic qualities of the Laguna.
For starters we delighted on the excellent Lobster Bisque with tempura shrimp with just a taste of wasabi. Then there was the shrimp rolls with Thai noodles and plum emulsion that were amongst the best I've had anywhere.
For the main course, we sampled, the exotic "satay" dishes featuring a combination of lobster, shrimp and steak, skewered with a lightly spiced fusion of Indo Asian tastes that was superb. There was also a wonderful side of fettuccine to complement the satay.
Later, for dessert, the gals sat in amazement at the best tiramisu they had ever partaken of while we enjoyed Bailey's Irish Cream with Mexican coffee as an after dinner beverage.
The menu lists far to many dishes to list but a visit to the Laguna will assure you of the wealth of choices tempting to most.
The service for an entire visit was beyond reproach as our primary waiter was assisted by two other waiters who responded to every need or request usually before we could think of them. The service in a word is outstanding as is the food.
While dining, we were entertained, quite accidentally, by a beautiful fireworks display over the lagoon, a large crocodile making his nightly rounds along the lagoons restaurant row and later by the wonderful hospitality of our hosts, Caroline and Edgar, both in the restaurant and in the stunning Tragara Lounge, the Laguna's seemingly secret and stylish bar area. We also had the extreme pleasure of meeting CancunGringa, LisaCancun, MNmomma and husband,and a few other superb friends of our hosts and the local gals.
I'd be remiss in not mentioning the Tragara Lounge, centered by a beautiful Irish/English style bar with an amazing aquatic tank featuring an array of fish. The Tragara's bar is surrounded by cushioned furniture unseen anywhere else in Cancun for relaxing and conversation. And, the Tragara is also lagoon front while sporting a pool and lounge area off to its left just out of reach of its vast palapa roof.
Folks, for those interested, the Laguna Grill and Tragara Lounge is located in the Southern Hotel Zone at KM 15.6 on Kukulkan Blvd, lagoon side and in my opinion is one of the finest restaurant experiences I've ever had the pleasure of in almost twenty years of visiting Cancun.
If you're fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit the Laguna Grill and Tragara Lounge, by all means do so, it's a pleasure you owe your family and especially yourself.
Indulge yourself, you're on Isla time. ;-)
