I personally found my experience of dining at La Gruta to be wonderful!
I admittedly felt some apprehension about going, as I've seen many reviews and heard word of mouth about it not being worth a visit...most of my group had already decided against going.
I still wanted to experience La Gruta's unique dining location at least once however, so I convinced my partner to go with me.
The atmosphere and vibes upon approaching were very impressive...I basically had a "wow!" type facial expression.
You can see the dining space in the caves below as you walk up to the host stand...and I've just got to say - it is REALLY beautiful and cool to see!
Another aspect of the atmosphere that impressed me was just how bright and airy it still was inside the restaurant space, since there's several openings to the surface.
We were visiting Teotihuacan on a Monday, so even though we didn't have reservations, we got seated right away!
I seriously enjoyed walking down the steps and descending into the large, spacious, cavernous area in which the tables are located.
A true EXPERIENCE from beginning to end.
I was also pleased to find that service here was attentive and courteous without being overly pushy.
Now on to the food itself - I actually enjoyed most of what we ordered quite a bit more than I had anticipated.
The portion sizes are very generous - even for the starters, and we ended up with more than we could finish on our own.
So keep that in mind when ordering!
Yes, they have very American prices (similarly priced to restaurants back home in LA), but you could probably just share a couple menu items with the whole table and be perfectly fine!
I especially recommend ordering the "La Gruta" Mortar starter of guacamole, onions, and pork rinds.
The guacamole was fresh and it was a HUGEEE size!
I also wanted to try the Fried Grasshopper Corn Cakes...for the experience!
It was beautifully presented (as beautifully as one can present a plate full of fried grasshoppers), and well-prepared, although definitely not something I could finish or would order again!!
It was fun to try out one time, though!
Lastly, we had the Trio of Quesadillas starter and also some Prickly Pear Margaritas.
The margaritas were lovely, and the quesadillas came in a colorful trio of red, plain, and green (like the Mexican flag).
Now, they were honestly a tad bit bland, although I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to them being prepared in that authentic, pre-Columbian way.
The tortillas themselves and ingredients inside were still very high quality!
OH yeah, and at the end of the dining experience, they bring over a candle to your table for you to leave on the walls of the cave as part of a little ritual/tradition to leave from "la gruta" as a "re-born man or woman".
It was a lovely little touch and one which we enjoyed doing!
Overall, should you visit La Gruta?
I personally say YES!
As a traveling/vacation experience, I definitely feel it's worth doing at least ONCE.
The atmosphere here is truly incredible, the service solid, and honestly a lot of the food is pretty decent as well.
I ended up having a great time during my dining experience, and it has since become a memorable highlight from our Mexico City trip! read more