This restaurant is amazing! The atmosphere, friendliness and hospitality of the staff, the food itself (of course) - all definitely top notch!
From the moment my dad and I stepped up to review the menu posted out front, we were greeted by our extremely friendly and kind hostess and waitress, Erika. As we were quickly debating whether or not to eat at this new restaurant, she greeted us, provided a quick explanation of the restaurant, types of menu items, and specials and welcomed us. The menu looked great at first glance and the friendly greeting was all we needed to give it a try!
Erika took us up the beautiful set of stairs leading to the 2nd floor, open air restaurant, and politely and excitedly asked us about our stay in Akumal. As we reached the top of the stairs, I found that the dining area was even more cozy and inviting than I'd thought from the view below! We sat at a table looking over the area from which we entered, and as we sat down, noticed a very nice and welcome breeze from the mounted (out of the way) fans.
Upon taking our drink orders, Erika suggested a couple of the appetizers, of which we ordered both (the avocado fries with aioli and the calamari). She brought us our drinks in a timely manner (both which came from the bar - the Akumal Pale Ale & a Strawberry Lemonade, both which were cold, flavorful, and refreshing)! We then ordered our entrees (I chose the Spaghetti Carbonara and Dad chose the Lasagna Rustica) and had time for a quick chat before our appetizers arrived.
The avocado fries and calamari were both very good! I had never had an appetizer like the avocado fries with aioli, and was very pleasantly surprised with their flavor, the breading/coating (light and crispy), and the aioli provided a light burst of flavor that brought it all together. The fried calamari appetizer tasted good as well - again, a light, crispy breading and cooked to perfection. Both apps came in a very good portion, each one enough for 2-4 people, depending on your appetite.
Our entrees came shortly after we finished off our appetizers (we ate them rather quickly, as we had voracious appetites after swimming all day). The entrees were presented well, and both parmesan cheese and hand-milled pepper were offered. Since both my dad and I enjoy trying new things, we decided to split each dish so we could each try both options. The Spaghetti Carbonara had a great, full flavor, and the portion was sized perfectly as well. Definitely enough for an entrée, yet not so much that it was overwhelming. The Lasagna Rustica was definitely the winner of the evening, though, as it had amazing flavor! Most definitely better than I had expected! As with the Carbonara, the portion was perfect as well.
Finally, we capped off the night with a dessert to share (again, we were both very hungry - on a normal day, there is no way we could have polished off both appetizers, entrees, and a dessert to share). Erika recommended the Chocolate Mousse with Chilaquile. I have to admit, I was very hesitant at first, as that is definitely not a flavor combination I would normally try - but I was wrong. Yet again I was impressed by the perfect combination of flavors, paired perfectly!
After a nice chat (and picture!) with Erika, we were also greeted by the Manager. She asked us how our food and overall experience were, to which we (of course) boasted about it all! It is not often you receive excellent, friendly service, a perfect atmosphere, and absolutely amazing food!
We will most definitely be back to Taverna on our next trip to Akumal, if not before we leave in just a few short days! read more