Melaque Restaurants – 2025
Newcomers and frequent visitors to Melaque, Mexico, are always searching for or inquiring about where to dine in town. Cathryn and I are foodies so when we visit restaurants we look for good food and service, hoping those things are reflected in the price. Some folks think that cheap food or large amounts of it is great but we expect more. We often dine with friends and try to offer honest reviews. Links are included if one can be found.
El Dorado (Club Nautico) – usually our first stop after arrival since our fridge and cupboards are empty. It’s the first place east of the earthquake hotel, offering one of the best views on the beach, they have a varied menu. My favorite is a platter-sized slab of chicken parm with a loaded baked potato and veggies. Cathryn enjoys the Papillon (Dorado). We’ve tried other dishes that have been hit and miss, depending on who’s cooking that day. The margaritas aren’t nearly as good as they used to be and some staff speak decent English. This came in handy when the waiter thought we were only sharing a baked potato.
La Chinita – formerly in a terrible location on the highway, this is the best Authentic Chinese food in town. But if sweet & sour chicken balls are your thing, they have them too. Great spring and egg rolls and homemade wonton soup. The new location is in Villa Obregon where Vanilla Pimienta was and they’ve recently added a rooftop bar with pool and pingpong tables. We were six on our last visit and everyone loved their meals. We’ve also had them deliver to a party at our casa – food was hot and plentiful.
Patas – It’s small and the menu is limited but everything listed is awesome. Their burgers are one of the best in town and their ‘Denver Burrito’ is man-sized and stuffed with beef or chicken. Even their nachos are top notch, probably because they make their own chips. There’s something extra-special about warm tortilla chips and fresh guacamole. We’ve never had a bad meal at Pata’s. Cathryn can’t get enough of their cilantro margaritas.
Quetzal de Laura – Friends have given us mixed dinner reviews but swear by their crepes. For Cathryn and I it’s the best breakfast place in town, with great omelets and both gringo or Mexican dishes. Breakfast usually comes with a fresh, warm biscuit, small salad and home fries. Prices are about half what we pay at home. They use cream cheese in their omelets, a savory treat in my opinion. Their breakfast meals have been consistently good for years.
Kyoto – A Japanese restaurant that used to be downtown, a new Melaque experience for us. Toted as a Sushi restaurant, it’s more of an Asian fusion menu, with sushi, stir-frys and soups. They accept reservations there but service is exceptionally slow, even by Melaque standards. Out of our party of six, only one thought his sushi roll was lousy. Cathryn and I liked our California roll and egg rolls. We didn’t care for the dumplings – we chose the fried ones. Quiet entertainment allowed us to carry on conversation. Washrooms were broken.
El Patio – My second favorite breakfast place – right on the main drag in town. I prefer the sidewalk tables where I can watch the world go by. Only open for breakfast and lunch, they have a menu that attracts gringos and nationals alike. I’ve sampled their various omelettes and was pleasantly surprised by their authentic clubhouse sandwich. From the sidewalk, you can watch your meal being cooked. Service is quick and prices are very reasonable.
La Oficina – We didn’t make it here last year but recently went for what many call the best burger in town. Cathryn and I split one and have to admit it’s one of the top three, at least. There’s no question that their Caesar salad is top notch and our friend gave a thumbs up to his chicken burger. We’ve also taken their smoked marlin and marlin pate home, returning for more. Service is amazingly quick for the amount of food the kitchen puts out. Prices are in line with everyone else. Lots of tv’s for sporting events.
Rusty Compass – A new player in town, it’s more of a beach bar than restaurant, owned and managed by Canadians. The beer is cold and cheap and pub grub is served from a food truck. We had a shrimp cocktail that blew us away. Our friend enjoyed the taquitos and happy faces around us said the burgers were good too. No plastic cups there, wine is served in stainless steel vessels. It’s the new hot spot in town with daily entertainment.
The Frog – Our first visit back in a few years was a pleasant experience. Next to the old Simona’s in Barra, the chicken cordon bleu is the best I’ve had around here. The cream of broccoli soup was excellent and our friend thoroughly enjoyed his Czechoslovakian pasta, saying it was like chicken cacciatore. Frequent patrons at the next table raved about the fish dishes offered there. Other friends have also bragged about their breakfast.
Tacos Pedros – One of friend’s favorites on Taco row, Cathryn and I don’t see the attraction. Craving tacos, we gave it another chance. A few doors down from the main square, menu choices are listed on the wall, and limited – basically tacos or quesadillas (tacos with cheese). My pastor was edible but Cathryn’s chicken looked exactly like my pork, both virtually flavourless unless you consider one of the hot sauces, flavour. I pigged out on their radishes and beans. No sour cream or even guac available. Sorry, I’m a Taco Bell kind of guy.
Moon – Top Floor of Casa Leon – Hands down, the best view in Melaque. As much as we try to like this place, the food has really let us down. The wait staff is excellent but something’s amiss in the kitchen. On our recent visit, only one of our group of eight was happy with his steak. His calamari was overcooked and bland. Ribeye and New York’s were paper thin and fatty or grisly. It appeared they were boiled or steamed before being grilled and Cathryn’s was way undercooked. Salads were very good, as was the lemon cheesecake. Many other friends rave about the two-for-one rib or burger nights if that’s your thing. We feel prices are high for the quality of food we received. They now offer a Sunday brunch with seems to be getting positive reviews.
We’ve also eaten at the Sea Master in Barra, Seriana Gordita at Coco Beach, Pedro’s in La Manzanilla, and Pata Salada in Manzanilla, all with decent offerings, but I’ve kept this list to Melaque.
Please keep in mind that opinions expressed are our own and from our dining friends. You might have a completely different experience since menus and staff change frequently. Be brave, be adventurous. Happy dining!
A Day in La Manzanilla, Mexico
Melaque Activity Guide
The one dozen activities listed are geared toward seniors who are looking for things to while spending the winter in Melaque, Mexico. You may want to check with your physician before attempting any of the things listed.
*WARNING* – Side effects from any of these activities may cause or include: lack of breath, dizziness or nausea, sore muscles, profuse sweating, sunburn, weight loss, animal bites, drowning, drunkenness, and in severe cases – diarrhea, vomiting or even death.
Gladiator II
Paul Mescal ain’t no Russel Crowe, but then again he is only the son of Maximus. He follows the same path in life…from soldier to slave to Gladiator. I’ve given away the obvious as the plot slowly reveals the plight of poor Lucius (son of Lucilla) after the death of his uncle, the Emperor, at the hand of Maximus in a final showdown in the colosseum.
CGI and special effects give us a good idea of what Rome looked like in it’s heyday and the story lets us know exactly how politically corrupt the onetime world power really was. As a tourist who’s visited Rome and a few other colosseum’s in Europe thinking they are magical places, witnessing what really went on there is an eye-opener.
While visiting the Roman Colosseum, I was told of how they channeled river water in to flood the floor and re-create mock naval battles. One scene in the movie does exactly that and it’s quite amazing to witness the ingenuity of the Roman people two thousand years ago.
Connie Nielsen returns as Lucilla and a good eye will catch and remember one of the Senate members who starred in the original. Denzel Washington adds a few plot twists while you try to figure out if he’s a good or bad guy.
Cathryn opted out of Gladiator II thinking it was too gory for her. She was right. I saw it instead with a buddy and we both thought the movie was very good. We gave it a 9 out of 10.
Ezze – Must-see or Tourist Trap
I’d been to Eze thirty-something years ago while visiting a friend in Nice, France, but couldn’t remember much about it other than it was a hilltop village with cool little artisan shops and awesome views of the Mediterranean and surrounding area.
Since we were staying in Ventimiglia, Italy, less than an hour away, Cathryn and I decided to visit the highly rated tourist attraction. Her friends raved it was their most favorite place in the world. Not having a car at our disposal, we had to rely on trains and buses to get to Nice and Eze. That had proved challenging so far, with a train strike in the area and irattic bus schedules.
Getting on the train to Nice, I noticed there are three different stations and though online information said to catch the Eze bus in Nice, they left out the part about which stop to get off. A kind traveller sitting next to me helped us out and confirmed the bus number I had and that it was a ten minute walk to another bus station where our bus ran from.
As usual, our Apple map app had us going in circles around a roundabout when I saw some other tourists hopping into a rideshare van. They only had room for one but one of the passengers said we could take the #82 bus and she pointed over her shoulder. If not for her we would have done another lap around the roundabout.
We only had to wait 10 minutes and happily boarded the bus to Eze. We chatted with a lovely couple from Minnesota and barely noticed the ride until one particular stop where about 40 more people tried to pack onto our bus. Thankfully, we’d gotten on at the right stop and didn’t have to stand for the entire ride. Arriving in Eze and trying to get off the bus while 40 more people pushed and shoved to try and get on, my heart sank.
There was a makeshift market at the entrance to Eze Village, adding to the chaos. Lack of proper signage had us follow a small group of tourists partway up the hill into someone’s backyard garage. Finding the correct path up, we merged with the thick flow of other travellers from around the world. The medieval village is perched high above the town of Eze so it’s a fairly steep walk uphill.
No problem for the Gagnon’s, we’d been hiking all over Italy and France for weeks. I stepped out of the bumper to bumper foot traffic whenever I could, trying to snap pics that weren’t blocked by Asian girls posing every 6 feet. At least 30 people were in line to get tickets for the botanical gardens – the place to go for the best views around, so we passed it by and exited to a sidestreet where traffic was sparse.
I managed to get some cobbled street and cool door shots but our chosen path only took us to a fancy hotel/restaurant that was too busy to allow us in for a cocktail. Our transport to town had us arriving at lunchtime and lineups at the restaurants clogged the quaint little streets. We wandered some more and headed uphill trying to find the magnificent views. A kind shop owner said that was impossible since the high walls that blocked our view were built to keep invaders out. Unfortunately that didn’t include tourists.
We sucked it up and fought our way to the ticket booth, paying $25 to enter the botanical gardens. Dodging the same Asian girls on the way up the stairs, and purposely walking in front of their cameras, we were finally able to take in some amazing views of the Mediterranean coast, with Monaco and Cannes in the distance. Oh, and yes, there are all kinds of cacti and succulents to check out but no one seemed to be interested in the neatly manicured gardens.
We ooed and awed at the nice views then tried to no avail to get into one of the hilltop restaurants. Parched and hungry, we walked back down to a sidewalk patio in town and paid $35 for salad. But it was the best Nicoise salad we’ve ever had, with a real tuna steak, and the beer was cold. Finishing up lunch, we eyed the 100 or so people at the bus stop waiting to leave town. That wasn’t going to happen.
Having read about a walking path that goes from the bottom of Eze Village, down to the Eze train station, I suggested we go on another adventure. It was very cool at first, literally, a shaded path on an easy grade had us strolling along admiring the forest and listening to the birds singing. Then the paved steps became crumbling concrete. Then rocks and gravel on an even steeper grade. There were several switchbacks that occasionally offered amazing sea views but it didn’t seem to get any closer.
Everyone said the walk should take about an hour. After the first hour passed our knees no longer acted as shock absorbers. We marvelled at folks older than us practically trotting down the hill and one group of teenagers with their music cranked and drinking beer. It seemed everyone was passing us. I asked Cathryn to stop at one lookout and she said, “I don’t feel like it.”
We agreed our adventure was no longer any fun. We were parched, overheated, and I was sweating like an glass of iced tea sitting in the hot sun. We caught a glimpse of the rail line but once again it wasn’t getting any closer. Eventually we arrived at sea level and saw the sign pointing up the path – someone crossed out the 1 hour and added 30 minutes. Guess we’re just old slowpokes.
Having run out of sweat and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, I practically ran to the train station. There wasn’t a store or vending machine anywhere in sight – even close by in town. I used the fancy porta potty, happy to drink from the sink but it only spurted soap. There wasn’t even a hose tap on any building nearby. Fearing I’d pass out from thirst and heat exhaustion, Cathryn asked a fellow traveller if I could have some of her bottled water.
She handed me the warm bottle she’d carried from the top and went into a tirade of their walk down the hill – how she was terrified, had vertigo, and stopped to cry. They actually considered turning around at one point. Wimps. It nearly killed the Gagnon’s but we did it.
Ventimiglia – Life in a Medieval Hill Town
I’ve always been drawn to small medieval villages or walled-in historic hilltop towns when I travel. Admittedly, I was skeptical when Cathryn suggested Ventimiglia as one of our destinations for our 2024 trip to Italy. She had seen the town years prior during a mother-daughter trip but hadn’t visited the ‘old town’ which lay below the mountain-top resort they stayed at.
Looking for our 3rd base of operations after Lake Garda and Venice, I found us an apartment smack in the middle of the historic medieval town of Ventimiglia. With train foul-ups it was a full day ride to the last stop on our Italian adventure. We purposely worked our way south from mid-September in search of decent Autumn weather and a perch overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Although dusk was upon us on arrival, we were immediately in awe when the taxi dropped us in the piazza in front of a beautiful 800 year old stone church. Our apartment was only two doors away and although the stairs up to it were brutal with luggage in tow, we were blown away by the view. We had two balconies overlooking the main pedestrian street and a rooftop terrace offering a panorama of the church belltower and azure blue sea.
Too hungry from our long journey to bother unpacking, we headed back down the stairs and quickly surveyed our new neighborhood for somewhere to eat. There was a wine bar across the street and a cafe directly below our apartment but neither offered a full meal. We took a chance on a little restaurant right next to the church. Serving unique traditional dishes, it turned out to be our favorite place in town.
The streetlights were on when we left the restaurant, showcasing the quaint little medieval town that would be our home for the next twelve days. Ventimiglia has a population of 20k souls but I’d guess the old town has about 2k at most. The residents live mostly in 3 and 4 story buildings ranging in age from 200 to 600 years old, built right into the rock with winding and narrow streets or alleys, some barely wide enough to walk two abreast.
The main road up the mountain and into town stops at our doorstep, with no vehicular traffic allowed beyond that. Even Amazon has to deliver on foot. Cathryn and I has a blast exploring the old town, choosing tunnels and narrow passageways just to see where they led. The town’s ancient walls are still intact, with arched gates on three sides allowing entry. Some homes are actually built right into the wall.
Our balconies allowed us to observe everyday life in the medieval village. Like everywhere else in the world, many adults were on their cellphones. But children actually played – soccer or tag in the street or church piazza, some yelling back and forth – I think just to hear their own voices echoing off the stone buildings. There is no grass anywhere in town, but succulents do well in this climate and many homes have potted plants on their stoops or window sills.
It’s mostly men who gather at the cafe and in the street, drinking cappuccino or beer depending on time of day. Women’s presence is known by the aroma of baked goods or prepared meals wafting out of neighborhood windows. We only had to poke our noses out the balcony door to know it was dinner time. And we’ve had some awesome food, sticking to mostly traditional dishes to fully appreciate the local culture.
Cathryn and I don’t do cappuccino and croissants for breakfast every day but I’d be lying if I said we didn’t try it. With a local market only a few doors down, we ate at least half our meals in. To my dismay, bacon and eggs or even omelettes are not a breakfast staple in Italy. But fresh bread, pizza, pasta and seafood is. We had some amazing pasta dishes, even more amazing squid and octopus in warm and cold dishes. And it ain’t Windsor pizza but still very good.
Ventimiglia is only 20 minutes from the French border so it makes a good base to explore from. Nice and Monaco are within an hour by train. There are also other great Italian cities and towns close by to visit. We used an Italian rail pass but if you want to venture into France go for the 2 country or global Eurail pass. The area is easily accessible by car with easier access to small towns since bus service can be limited.
Life Written and Reviewed 