La Palapa Belga for a very special dinner.

By now those of you who read my blog on a continual basis have probably noticed that I review a lot of restaurants. My husband and I love to cook, eat out and generally discuss food. We have spent many a night taking turns in the kitchen being “chef” and “sous-chef” sharing a bottle of wine and trying out new sometimes exotic recipes and we especially enjoy it when we are able to go out to have a pleasant meal with great company. On Friday it was my Mother’s birthday and we decided to go to a wonderful place that I have gone to since it opened in 1995.La Palapa Belga features traditional french cuisine with Belgian specialities and can be found in the Hotel Zone in The Hotel Imperial http://www.palapabelga.com/yinicio.htm.

View from the dock at La Palapa Belga

One of the reasons I love the Palapa Belga is its location. It is situated along the lagoon and you can dine on the dock or in the more enclosed area. It boasts one of the best views of the Hotel Zone from across the water and their prices are very reasonable considering you are eating in the, often over-priced, Hotel Zone. The food is delicious and they have many tempting appetizers and entrees. From mushrooms au gratin or escargots de bourginon to duck breast in wild cherry sauce or rack of lamb you can’t go wrong. To date, I haven’t had a disappointing meal yet and unlike many restaurants here in Cancun they don’t just have one or two really good dishes but various great dishes to choose from and their specialties change from time to time which people like me who live in Cancun really appreciate.

Duck breast at La Palapa Belga

Friday night was no exception! My husband Cesar, my Mom and I had already started our night off first at my Mom’s place sharing a bottle of champagne to toast her birthday. We then arrived at La Palapa Belga at 8pm and we were seated by the ever friendly staff on the dock . We ordered oysters on the half shell and escargot de bourginon and we used the fresh, warm bread to sop up the escargot’s jus. Next our meals arrived, seared tuna for my Mom, grilled New York steak with herbs for hubby and one of my favourites the duck breast in wild cherry sauce.YUM! For dessert I had mentioned to the staff that it was my Mom’s birthday and they kindly brought us a slice of cheesecake with strawberry sauce and a candle and of course we all sang “Happy Birthday”  There was a warm breeze that night, we had a spectacular view, the food was great and the company… even better. All in all it was a lovely evening and it set the tone for my Mom’s birthday weekend as the festivities were not over yet as we had a party planned with friends for Saturday night.

The seared tuna steak comes with wild rice but my Mom wanted fries

If you are in the mood for a romantic evening, a celebration or a night out with friends or family La Palapa Belga has something for everyone and is a must if you are vacationing in Cancun. It is a true gem!!

Lis, Sylvia, my Mom, Lisa and Erika on Saturday for my Mom's birthday party