Archive for November, 2009

“Canibal Royal”, a new beach club in Playa del Carmen

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

by Monica Hartlief

Canibal Royal´s official grand opening was on Saturday the 14th of November. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in town that day so we went there for lunch a few days later. It is located on the beach, duh, right next to the Grand Coco Bay, in front of the luxury condominium complex The Elements. Canibal Royal has 3 levels, downstairs there is a funky beach bar with a variety of different chairs and beds you can relax on. The next level has more of a restaurant feel to it, with a large bar, tables and chairs, and a really spectacular ocean view. The top level isn’t completely finished yet, the plan is to make it into a solarium, the Jacuzzi has already been built and it is very impressive.

Canibal Royal entrance 300x225 Canibal Royal, a new beach club in Playa del Carmen

Canibal Royal beach club entrance

Canibal Royal bar 300x225 Canibal Royal, a new beach club in Playa del Carmen

Canibal Royal beach bar

Canibal Royan jacuzzi 300x225 Canibal Royal, a new beach club in Playa del Carmen

Canibal Royal solarium with jacuzzi and spectacular views

According to their blog Canibal Royal is a restaurant, bar, lounge, where you can live the Caribbean life style on the beach, during the day. The nightly Caribbean lifestyle can be experienced in the Santanera, the downtown nightclub owned by the same group. Thankfully the beach club is quite different from the nightclub. Canibal Royal is a very relaxed, laid back, funky, retro style place with nice lounge tunes playing in the back ground. The food is eclectic, you could call it fusion I guess, and the lunch menu has a large variety of salads, sandwiches, home-made French pizza that isn´t pizza (I forgot the name), shrimp and salmon dishes, truffle fries, and much more. It reminded me of the food at Diablito Cha Cha Cha and Aguachiles, which is not surprising because these places are also part of the same group.

Canibal Royal restaurant 300x225 Canibal Royal, a new beach club in Playa del Carmen

Canibal Royal restaurant with amazing ocean view

Canibel Royal food 300x225 Canibal Royal, a new beach club in Playa del Carmen

lunch at Canibal Royal, spicy shrimp, truffle fries, and French pizza like bread with fresh tuna, coriander, avocado, mmm very nice

I really like this new beach club and I hope they will be very successful. Looking at the owner´s track record in Playa del Carmen I don’t doubt this is exactly what is going to happen.

If you have any comments about Canibal Royal, please let me know, thanks!

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U2 In The Mayan Riviera!

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
iphone 068 225x300 U2 In The Mayan Riviera!

Life on the Beach - Playa del Carmen

by Susan de Lima

When you live in a tropical paradise, one might say you lose touch with the world.  In a nice way; at least that is definately the case with me. I barely watch or read the news as my current events seem to come from Facebook! I receive regular emails from clients who have recently reminded me on the flu situation in the world. While there is reason to be concerned,  I don’t believe the concern should be about travelling to Playa del Carmen or this area in general. As the outbreak is world wide and outspread it is nice to see that some people are not influenced, unjustly, by the media….Just when we needed it most, the world famous band U2 chose our corner of the world to visit and take a break in between their latest tour! With all the bad publicity Mexico has been receiving lately it is nice to know that Playa del Carmen is still the gem that everyone wants to visit.
Ok, truth be known, they were scheduled to go to Cabo but due to the threat of hurricane Rick they decided to go elsewhere. Rumours have it that they were at the Maya Koba enjoying the sun and sea!
Rock on!

thumbnail7 U2 In The Mayan Riviera!

U2

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lunch at Bermann & Bermann

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

by Monica Hartlief

Bermann & Bermann is a coffee shop annex cafe that opened a few months ago in Casona. Casona is an “interior design center and concept store” with great furniture, fabrics, and art. It is located on Avenida 25 between 26th and 28th street. This means it is away from the main tourist area, and right in the middle of Villas del Carmen, where many expat “locals” live.  A perfect location to build up a clientele consisting of many “regulars”, and a regular is exactly what I’ve become in the last few months.

Casona 300x225 lunch at Bermann & Bermann

Casona - interior design center and concept store

Casona 2 300x225 lunch at Bermann & Bermann

Casona - interior design center and concept store

Bermann Bermann terrace 300x225 lunch at Bermann & Bermann

Bermann & Bermann terrace

An interesting fact about Bermann & Bermann is that the owner, Isac Bermann, is the son of the owner of the Babe’s restaurants, a long time Playa favorite. At Babe’s they serve specialty Thai noodles with a Swedish twist and although the menu at Bermann & Bermann is completely different you do taste the Asian influences in many of their dishes.

This is what’s on the menu at Bermann & Bermann at the moment:

soup of the day – 43 pesos

wraps – chicken, salchicha, meatball, or veggie – 48 pesos

lasagna – meat or veggie – 63 pesos

special – beetroot salad with Swedish meatballs – 43 pesos

the special of the day 43 – 68 pesos

the soup combo – 68 pesos

Bermann Bermann meat lasagna 300x225 lunch at Bermann & Bermann

Bermann & Bermann meat lasagna

The combo is my favorite, it is a wrap with a cup of the soup of the day. I’ve had 4 different soups there so far: spicy carrot-coconut, potato & leek, tomato, and mushroom & broccoli. All four of them were fantastic, but the spicy carrot – coconut is my favorite. I’ve become a real Bermann & Bermann soup-freak and I don’t even really like soup, but guess I can’t say that anymore because the soup is the main reason I go there. The wraps are freshly made, so it does take a while, I love the falafel wrap which, I’m sure, will have a permanent place on the menu soon. It is filled with crunchy fresh vegetables,  hummus, mildly spicy feta or tzatziki sauce, and falafel, mmm very good.

Bermann Bermann falafel wrap with potato leek soup 300x225 lunch at Bermann & Bermann

Bermann & Bermann falafel wrap with potato & leek soup

There is one more food item on the menu you absolutely have to try:  the Swedish chocolate truffle! Chocolate at its best. With an espresso or a cappuccino. Fantastic. Yes, I’m a fan. You’ll be a fan too, I promise.

Bermann & Bermann is open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 8 PM

Casona, Avenida 25 entre calle 26 y 28, Playa del Carmen

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