Bajlum

This is an extraordinary experience in the jungle. The restaurant doesn't look to be anything fancy, but that all changes when you are greeted by Francisco, the host. He was gracious to give us the details of what was offered on the menu. We had the fish and venison as our mains. The presentation was so artistic that our taste buds were already in action only to be confirmed with exceptional taste. The recommended sauce pairing with the meats was great. I also recommend the pumpkin tort. It was creamy delicious.

This place is beyond amazing. At first the owner is so kind and welcoming. He gives you all the explanation about their food culture that is inspired by the maya people. The dishes were so unique by their flavors. I never had such an experience like that all over Mexico. Well deserved

One of the best restaurants we have been to. 100% worth the trip.
Reserve days in advance.

Definitely one of the most unique meals I’ve ever had. All of the ingredients are local, and based on ancient Mayan recipes. I had the tasting menu. This family run restaurant is killing it!

I liked the passion Francesco brings to the place. The whole exercise of bringing back ancient Mayan recipes is so cool. Being vegetarian I still got to taste super interesting dishes and the jaguars on each table are works of arts with different expressions and features!

-- FYI - This is the real location on Google Maps. There is another location marked to the left of this that is labelled as just "Bajlum", referencing this restaurant, but it's in the incorrect location as it's at the end of the driveway to Hotel Villa Mercedes. --

This restaurant was an experience. They explained everything to us as we ordered and as the food came out so that we had the full picture and appreciation for the cuisine and what they were trying to achieve. They said that they had been researching the historical Mayan cuisine and putting their own modern twist to what they had found, with constant tweaks based on customer feedback. I'm a vegetarian and was well catered to (I can probably say the same for vegans). I ordered the wild tomato spaghetti which was soft and delicious and the tomatoes were 👌🏻. The people I was with (meat eaters) ordered the group fondue set which consisted of marinated cubed meat
to be fried in the fondue pot (wild boar, turkey, rabbit, venison) and regional herbs, condiments and fresh tortillas to accompany the meats.

I should also mention the free starters that came out before any of this that consisted of a large, crisp and thin corn tortilla and yuca chips accompanied by a super hot habanero sauce and special wild mushroom (from the region) crema.

They also had seasonal agua de frutas, offering guanabana (soursop), carambola (star fruit), guayaba (guava) and a pineapple mixed with local wild herbs (missed the name, but it had a mint like refreshing taste). All were delicious. I was so impressed because it was the first time in my week in Chiapas that I wasn't choosing between horchata, jamaica, lemon/orange with chia (not that there's anything wrong with those options!).

The service was awesome although we were lucky enough to have Mexican friends and Google translate with us to help with translations!

We stumbled upon this restaurant by accident but it was truly a great choice! The food here is all very regional and tastes amazing, and the host is very friendly and takes the time to explain everything. If you want to have a tast of local cuisine with jungle tastes, definitely go here!

One of the most original and unique gustative experiences of my life. This restaurant is managed by a family of academics who really dig into Mayan archives to create a cuisine that gets as close as possible to what Mayas used to eat. The manager spent a lot of time coming to explain what was in the plate, where it came from, why the Mayas used to prepare it this way, etc. The food and drinks were already excellent, but getting the explanations on top of it really added quality to the taste!

Excellent place to taste prehispanic food. Amazing explanation of the passion of the place as well. Love each detail. You must go!

Incredible experience. It is not only about food (that is great) but the entire experience.
Francisco told us a lot of interesting stories.
Highly recommended

Really nice and interesting place!! You feel like at home : the owner is a really kind and welcoming person. The food is great: a new side of the Mexican flavours 🌴

Fantastic place with incredible meals. Menu de degustation is highly recommended. The owner is presenting every meal in details, a wonderful food experience !

It was rainy in Palenque but our dinner here was a real highlight! Tasty food and great service. Loved it!

If you are (and I'm sure you will be) amazed by the archaeology wonders of Palenque and felt a little connection with the Mayan culture and the generations of people who carried it on, don't miss the chance to come here and meet Mr. Alvarez. A dedicated culinary researcher madly in love with Palenque, he will expand your knowledge of Mayan and world cuisine. The finest local ingredients are prepared with exquisite modern techniques, and presented in an appealing aesthetic. Come for the exotic food, come for the knowledge, come for a good time, you will have it all fulfilled. Don't compare with your other fine-dining experience, cause nothing compares.

Extraordinary! Full of flavour, great combination of herbs and a real Mayan traditional food. I highly recommend it.

This is a must if you visit Palenque. They litteraly wild forged for the food that they put on the table.
Everything down to the root dishes are excellently artistic, rich and flavorful.

Could not recommend highly enough. Food and flavours you will not find elsewhere. We had quail with cocoa, white tail deer with dry chili sauce (not as spicy as it sounds), and five other dishes. All indigenous to this region and served lovingly. There's nothing else like it.

A very unique place to eat lunch (after 2pm) or dinner if you want to treat yourself with meals you will find nowhere else since they only serve dishes they have invented themselves as this restaurant is the result of 10 years of research on local ingredients used by Mayas.

Even if the menu insists a lot on meat, my vegetarian taste buds had a marvelous time! The vegetarian dish (not on the menu) was a true wonder. More specifically, I ate the very best black beans/frijoles (a mix of 4 sorts including 1 which was seasonal) I will ever eat in my entire life, even if almost every plate I ate in Mexico included black beans 😅

By going there at night, you also benefit from the mystical jungle atmosphere.

Special mention to the owners of this restaurant who are passionate with their project and who take all the time to explain their creative work and the origin of the dishes.

PS: try the spicy chili made not spicy! You expect to be assaulted... But nothing happens! Surprising! 🥴

This was the best dining experience we’ve had during our travels throughout Mexico. The owner and family are brilliant; researching and creating beautiful and delicious Mayan dishes using locally sourced ingredients. The food was outstanding. If you’re looking for traditional Mexican food this is not your place. But if you’re looking an amazing experience and impeccable food, you must come and enjoy! Mucho gracias to Francisco and your wonderful family.

Beautiful setting - learned so much about ancestral Mayan cuisine from the owner! It's more a gastronomic research project than a commercial restaurant and the concept is to preserve the traditional ingredients through modernizing it with new culinary techniques. An amazing experience!