This Gorgeous Hotel In Puebla Is Also One Of The City’s Best Places To Eat And Drink

15.11.2023 - 14:07 / forbes.com

There are places I feel compelled to visit once, and there are places that beckon multiple visits. As Mexico’s fourth largest city and a cradle of signficant cultural and culinary importance, Puebla falls squarely into the latter category. It took one trip in 2017 for me to fall hard for the historic center’s candy-colored buildings, Baroque-style churches, artisan crafts like Talavera pottery, and last but not least, the local food and drink.

It’s the biggest reason I keep coming back. I can’t seem to get my fill of the local delicacies—mole poblano, the country’s national dish and one of my favorite things to eat, originated here—or the city’s unique ability to bridge the old and new in ways that feel natural and honest. And as I discovered during a recent jaunt to Banyan Tree Puebla, it’s easy to experience the best of both under one roof.

Unveiled in November 2021, the 78-room property tucked away adjacent to Templo San Francisco is comprised of four historic structures from different eras for a wholly singular look and vibe. The property exudes quiet luxury throughout, with touches of Puebla’s centuries-old heritage everywhere you turn. Dreamy abstract local art frames the lobby, while the spacious accomodations mix Talavera tiles, original stone walls, and Pueblan textiles. Even the subterranean drinking den Los Lavaderos Bar—where I gazed at stone basins for washing clothes dating back to 1863 while sipping Don Ramon Añejo Cristalino—honors Puebla’s rich roots in thoughtful and surprising ways.

Though the city is packed with incredible places to eat—like the lively Augurio by Ángel Vázquez, whose specialty is elevated homestyle cooking—Banyan Tree Puebla conveniently has two terrific restaurants. On the rootop with breathtaking panoramic views of the city including the smoldering active volcano Popocatépetl, I feasted on goong sarong (crispy vermicelli-wrappd shrimp), fiery green chicken curry, and sweet-sour-savory prawn pad thai at Saffron, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts’ signature Thai restaurant—and the only place to find proper Thai food in town.

Downstairs at Pasquinel Bistrot, the all-day eatery helmed by Executive Chef Victor Tufiño, I tucked into a dreamy breakfast of enmoladas, chicken-stuffed fried corn tortillas topped with crema, sesame seeds, onion slices, and an extraordinary mole poblano. Thick, glossy, a striking reddish-brown, and balanced with sweetness, smoke, and savoriness, I instantly craved more after my last bite.

Luckily, I got a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the mole poblano so special with the hotel’s Market to Table Culinary Adventure. During the daylong excursion, Tufiño navigated me through Cosme del Razo Municipal Market in the nearby Magical Town of Cholula