With all the Mexico pavilion has to offer, it is amazingly not until you enter the temple that the true wonders of Mexico are thrust upon you. When you first venture into the temple you find yourself immediately immersed in the culture of Mexico. You walk into a bit of an art gallery where crafts, paintings, and artifacts are available for viewing and purchase. As you continue you have somehow arrived back “outside” near a beautiful fountain, in a colorful Mexican marketplace. Handmade pottery and margarita glasses, authentic sombreros and ponchos, as well as food and souvenirs are available for purchase as you walk through the market.

What stands out about the marketplace is the small details. The ceiling looks like a beautiful night where the sun has just set. Forever in twilight, the sky inside the Mexico Pavilion gives even Pirates of the Caribbean a run for its money on how authentically outside Disney imagineers can make a ceiling inside look! The architecture of the buildings which line the sides of the marketplace have an authentic colonial look and feel. Paper lanterns are strung from one side to the other, creating a sweet, romantic, and fun atmosphere. Mariachi Cobre, an authentic Mexican mariachi band, can be seen and heard around the perimeter of the market. And the piece de resistance? In the far distance a volcano that appears to be active and even smoldering a bit.

As if the atmosphere and ambiance inside the Mexico pavilion is not enough to add it to your “must-see” list, one cannot overlook all there is to do there. In the back of the room you come to San Angel Inn, a delicious restaurant that serves authentic Mexican cuisine. The food here is consistent and there seems to be something on the menu for everyone. The wait-staff is courteous and polite, and their nametags don’t just list their names, but the area in Mexico they come from. This is a delightful spot for lunch or dinner or even to stop for an appetizer or relax with a Margarita (they even have sizes big enough to share).

I, for one, am a huge fan of Mexican food. San Angel Inn’s menu seems to change from time to time and I have enjoyed every incarnation of every dish I have tried. I love the fresh salsa that is put on your table with chips in lieu of bread. I love the chocolate churros. But maybe most of all I love the fact that lunch here is equally good to a dinner here! Especially in the summertime, it is less crowded during a time when a reprieve from the heat is well deserved!

San Angel Inn is quite romantic and I think most couples would love it here. On the other hand I also think it would be very family friendly since there was a lot of space and options for food. I would go back again and again and we have.

Menu:  Lunch Dinner Drinks

Melissa has created Chip & Company’s ‘Guide to Walt Disney World: Restaurant & Snack Options’ posts as well as chronicling her Disney baking (and cooking) exploits In the Kitchen. She also writes original articles about her experiences visiting Walt Disney World and finding Disney magic in her home state of New York. Melissa is a World History teacher and you can find her on tumblr. Oh & you should probably know she believes in fairytales.