Posts tagged FOOD

FOODIE FRIDAY: FINO RESTAURANT IN OIA

Website: Fino Restaurant

Address: Oia 847 01, Greece

Reservations required? No, but highly recommended

Phone: +30 2286 072037

Would I recommend? Yes

When we arrived into Santorini, we were a little overwhelmed with the restaurant options. Having had some of the most delicious food of my life, I knew I didn’t want to leave it up to chance and end up in a tourist trap regretting everything. Canaves Oia Epitome did an excellent job helping us to figure out where and what to eat. They assisted with getting us last minute reservations when required as well! Huge shout out to them for sending us to this amazing restaurant!

Fino Restaurant is located in Oia right in the tourist streets. It is known for its delicious Mediterranean cuisine and intriguing signature cocktails. We ordered the Mexican Zombie signature cocktail on a suggestion from the shuttle driver at the hotel. When we told the server who recommended it, he said “Oh! I know him!”. Too funny that Santorini also has those “small town vibes”.

WHAT WE ORDERED:

For my drink, I had the Mexican Zombie 🧟‍♀️.

We started with fresh bread and seared tuna 🍣. We also had the ricotta gnocchi in goat and truffle pekorino cheese 🧀 topped with sun dried figs. Omg so good. Gnocchi is always a fav!

For my main course, I had the grilled chicken with avocado 🥑 salad and Kayla had the Iberian pork ragout with rigatoni and a sweet and sour sauce.

Dessert was a delicious baklava 😋. Notice the detail on the ice cream!

FOODIE FRIDAY: LURE RESTAURANT IN OIA

Website: Lure Restaurant

Address: Oia 847 02, Greece

Reservations required? Yes

Phone: +30 2286 071114

Would I recommend? Yes

Lure by Chef Olivier Campanha is located in Oia, Santorini on the cliffside overlooking the caldera. The views and the food were simply spectacular! I am so grateful to have gotten to experience this restaurant first hand. If you are looking for a fine-dining experience while in Santorini, then Lure is an amazing option!

Grab yourself a seat here to witness the most amazing sunset!

WHAT I ORDERED:

We started with a pallet cleanser and some fresh sourdough bread. Omg, it was so good! The bread was accompanied by two types of sea salt, some fresh olive oil, and butter.

For our main dish, I ordered the free range chicken breast topped with thyme jus and Naxos gruyere. It came with a side of asparagus and roasted cherry tomatoes. My cousin, Kayla, ordered the Black Angus beef filet with pepper crust, potatoes Anna, fresh slim amaranth, and onion chlorophyll. Both dishes were yummy!

For dessert, a bitter chocolate sphere with milk chocolate mousse and salted caramel sauce topped with a flower honeycomb.

FOODIE FRIDAY: ARMENI RESTAURANT IN OIA

Website: Armeni Restaurant

Address: Armeni Bay, Oía 847 02, Greece

Reservations required? Yes

Phone: +30 2286 071053

Would I recommend? 1000%

To get to this off-the-beaten path restaurant, take the long hike down the cliffside in Oia or take the ferryboat from Ammoundi Bay. When we went, it was super windy outside so the ferry was not running. While the hike down was not too bad, the hike back up almost did me in! The views are phenomenal though so you have plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy them on your way back to Oia.

This was such an amazing experience to eat here and watch the waves crash against the dock. It was so peaceful and the food was delicious. Definitely add this one to your “must eats” when in Santorini! You will not be disappointed!

WHAT I ORDERED:

We ordered the spicy feta dip to start. While in Greece, we ordered the spicy feta dip several times at multiple restaurants and it was always fantastic!

I had heard that the octopus in Santorini was divine and that I should give it another shot. The first time that I tried octopus, I found it to be very tough and chewy. This on the other hand was very fresh and delicious!

For my main dish, I had the chicken souvlaki. It was grilled to perfection!

We hadn’t planned on ordering dessert, but they brought out a complementary chocolate ice cream cake that was wonderful!

HOTEL XCARET ARTE: EATING AT RESTAURANT CHINO POBLANO

Hotel Xcaret Arte: View from Casa Artista

EATING AT HOTEL XCARET ARTE: RESTAURANT CHINO POBLANO

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate Links for products I’m currently using, by using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

My husband and I just finished an amazing stay at the brand new adults-only all inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte. It was seriously one of the most amazing all inclusive experiences that I have ever had! (and that’s saying something as I have been to a ton of all inclusive resorts haha!) This post is just about their amazing Chinese-Mexican fusion restaurant, Chino Poblano.

Chino Poblano

We experienced an 8 course tasting menu developed by Chef Jonatan Gomez Luna that was so amazing and unique. It was such an awesome experience and the food presentation, wow!

To start, the welcome drink, Chinchin (lichi margarita), reminded me of a mango lassi, it was so good! The shot was a Green tea Tepache with rice wine and green tea powder.

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Eating at Restaurant Chino Poblano. Welcome drink

courses 1, 2, and 3

Edamame with macha and roasted onion oil. Walnut foie with walnut sauce praline and soya caramel. And candy balls with mezcal that almost killed me haha!

COURSE 4

Ceviche marinated in a sweet and sour sauce. This was topped with chicharrón (a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly) like a tortilla.

COURSE 5

Grilled bao topped with a duck and almond mole stuffed with pork. The almond mole was so flavorful - my mouth is watering as I type this!

This was probably my favorite course along with the ramen!

course 6

Grilled marrow roasted with five spices on a bed of smoked chileatole and escamole (chileatole - thick soup made of corn masa or corn kernels, which is cooked with corn chunks, epazote, salt, and a sauce made of chili peppers and pumpkin leaves.)

COURSE 7

Guata Ramen: huatepe broth with lamb from Cuetzalan

COURSE 8

Peking duck with mole poblano and plum sauce, accompanied by fresh corn tortillas, Chinese crepes and chives. Garnishments were Bok Choy with pumpkin sprouts, sesame praline and corn smut and a Potato froth with Pao Kai, crispy potato and onion ash.

DESSERT

For dessert we had a lemon (Yin Yang) filled with bitter chocolate with soya, sesame seeds, eggnog and caramel. The five EL PARIÁN CANDIES were Borrachito jellybean, Brittle soya bar, Coconut candy, Eggnog marshmallow, and Xcaret fortune cookie.

Did I mention how beautiful this resort is??

If you are contemplating a trip to the new Hotel Xcaret Arte, then DO IT ASAP! You will NOT regret it! You can find a link to the full menu for Chino P oblano. They also have a separate menu for dining for an additional charge. You can find that here.

I do recommend using a travel agent when booking as you are supporting a small business and secondly, the resort is very confusing during the booking process. Also, there are so many added things that you are unaware of when booking yourself, so save a headache and let someone else do all the work for you!

If you have been to Xcaret Arte, what was your favorite restaurant? You can also find my full review here as well as my post on the restaurant Aren al h ere.

HOTEL XCARET ARTE REVIEW

HOTEL XCARET ARTE REVIEW

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate Links for products I’m currently using, by using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

To start I just want to say how AMAZING this hotel was and I CANNOT wait to return! Also, I was not paid for this review nor was the hotel for free. We actually used credit card points for this booking.

My husband and I just finished our stay at the brand new adults-only all-inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte. We booked the Jr Suite Ocean Front Adultos Room in Casa Artistas. Our room was number 2615.

I definitely recommend to use a travel advisor when booking this property! Seriously, there is so much that is included and so much to know about this property that a travel advisor will be super helpful to you! (And you’re supporting a small business, win-win!)

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Jr Suite Ocean Front Suite in Casa Artistas

We arrived at the airport in Cancun and met with the Xcaret hotel representatives that were waiting outside the terminal for us. Transportation is included with your stay at both Xcaret Arte and Xcaret Mexico. If you book in Casa Artistas, then you receive a private transfer for your stay that is in a Mercedes mini-van. The ride was super comfy! From the moment we arrived, to the moment that we were in the van and on our way, it was probably 5 minutes. We were also offered refreshments for the journey! (It would be nice if they had some beer, but alas, they did not!) The transfer from the Cancun airport is about a 45 minute drive depending on traffic.

Upon arrival at Xcaret Arte, we were greeted by the bell boys that took our luggage. Next, we were escorted by a personal concierge that welcomed us. She took us to grab a freshly made popsicle and then showed us to our room where we were greeted by our two butlers, Roberto and Jose. Roberto and Jose welcomed us and privately checked us into our room (inside of our room). We were then given a room tour and shown where everything was and how to work everything. The amenities that were offered in our suite were great. Our luggage was delivered to our room immediately after checking in. Roberto and Jose, our butlers, were amazing throughout our stay and were so helpful with every request that we had! The very first night, they walked us to our first dinner reservation at Tah-Xido as we had just arrived and had no clue how to get around the resort. They were awesome!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Premium liquor in Jr Suite Ocean Front Adultos in Casa Artistas

Pro-tip: email the hotel to make your restaurant and park reservations 30 days before your stay! (If you are using a travel advisor, then they can do that for you!)

The first night, we had dinner at Tah-Xido. We chose to do the hibachi, but I would love to go back and try just their normal menu. The hibachi was so delicious and my husband even liked it (he doesn’t care for hibachi)! It was probably the best hibachi that I’ve had at a resort!

The next day we chose to relax at the rooftop exclusive pool that is just for guests of the Artist building. They had so many pool servers it was crazy! The bartender made me a delicious drink, a cucumber spritz, and Jazmin and Maria were amazing at constantly keeping us hydrated and fed. The Artist pool has a menu of poolside snacks that you can order. The chicken tacos were delicious and so was the guacamole!

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Rooftop pool for Casa Artistas Guests

Hotel Xcaret Arte: View Rooftop pool for Casa Artistas Guests

Hotel Xcaret Arte: Sunrise view from Ocean Front Jr Suite in Casa Artistas

We didn’t experience any of the parks unfortunately (they are all included in your stay with the hotel as well as transfers) because we have a newborn at home so we used this time alone to recuperate. Xcaret has 8 adventure parks that are included with your stay. The thing to know is that some of these can be reserved by emailing the concierge 30 days before your stay while others do not require a reservation. Xcaret, Xplor, and Xplor Fuego do not require a reservation while the other parks do. Also, Xcaret and Xel Ha parks have optional extras that are not included in the ticket price of admission. These optional excursions have to be booked and reserved for a specific time at the park.

RESTAURANTS

The other restaurants that we ate at were Arenal, Encanta, Kibi-Kibi, Cayuko, and Chino Poblano. (you can see my blog post here on Arenal). Arenal was seriously amazing (we ate there twicelol!). Feel free to see what we ate and my thoughts in full detail in the blog post. Arenal had just opened a week before we arrived so the service was a little slower than I would’ve like (it took us 2 hours to eat) during our first visit. Also, this restaurant was outside and there was no breeze because the wind was blocked by the lagoon. I also got eaten up by mosquitos, but the hostess had bug spray so it was all good!

Encanda and Chino Poblano are both tasting menus. They are super accommodating with food allergies and specific diets (e.g. vegetarian). Chino Poblano was my favorite as it was a Chinese Mexican fusion that melded into such amazing flavors (the mole sauce – omg yum!). Encanta was an 11 course tasting menu that was also fantastic! I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was eating like this at an all-inclusive resort!

We had breakfast at Kibi-Kibi, Mercado San Juan, and Cayuko.

Kibi-Kibi is such a unique experience and exclusive to the guests that are staying in Casa Artista. The chilaquiles were so fresh and flavorful and the almond pancakes were amazing! Mercado San Juan is so beautifully decorated and has a ton of options to choose from. We loved it here! Cayuko was our least favorite. It was just a buffet by the main pool and they didn’t have a ton of breakfast options available. Also, it felt as if there were not enough servers.

Additionally, another really cool thing is that this resort has a speakeasy! They have nightly entertainment and the area is huge! It was a really fun adventure to try and find the speakeasy too.

Lastly, check out was a breeze and made super simple by our butlers! They had the bell boys come to our room and grab our luggage and then they escorted us to checkout from our building. We were then taken to the front of the hotel and placed into our private transfer for the return trip to the airport. We were so sad to leave the resort and we cannot wait to go back!

If you made it to the end of this review, congrats, haha! Check back soon for my guide to this resort!

Again, I cannot recommend enough to use a travel advisor when booking this property. As you can tell there are a ton of things to know! If you don’t have one, you can reach out to me and I would be happy to help you book. My email is lauren@thatblondetravels.com!