La Pigua, a restaurant in Historic Campeche

Located not far from the center of town, and just down the street from the cathedral, is a lovely little hidden gem of a restaurant, La Pigua. In 1987, Francisco Hernandez Romero established it as a small cocktail bar that became a local favorite, and to this day has a loyal following.   From the outside it is very unassuming, but the moment you walk through the door and are greeted and led to your table you know you have come upon something very special.  We found this gem when we googled places in Campeche to have Stone Crab, but we will return to try more from their extensive seafood menu. 

The room is open with windows on both sides, door to the front and kitchen and restrooms in the back.  The windows have a view of the stone walls and lovely greenery, simple, understated, cool and beautiful.  The tables are set with white linen tablecloths, and waitstaff are well trained to give excellent service, not overwhelming, but attentive to your every need.  We knew we wanted the stone crabs and the waiter helped by recommending the size we should try and even came out with them on a plate to present them before preparing them for us.  The wine selection was extensive and excellent, we chose a lovely Mexican white to complement our seafood.  While waiting for our order we were served a basket of fresh tortillas, rolls, croissants and crackers. 

The stone crabs came in orders of 5 and we chose to have 2 orders, though the four of us were unable to finish them all.  The crab claws were accompanied by two bowls of melted butter, one plain butter the other with garlic and herbs.  This was the perfect afternoon meal, a cool, comfortable ambiance with excellent food and wonderful service.  We are already planning to visit Campeche again and this will be top on our list - I’m thinking dinner next time.  La Pigua restaurant has a strong history as being part of Campeche’s dining community and has won several awards over the years, and it’s easy to see why.