Review: Is La Bastille Hyatt Ziva Cancun Worth It?
Is it worth eating at La Bastille at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun? Read my La Bastille review to learn everything you need to know about La Bastille at Hyatt Ziva Cancun.
Bringing long pants on a Mexico summer vacation was not Jeff's idea of relaxation. His travel attire is T-shirts, shorts, swim trunks, and flip-flops.
So it was a hard sell to convince him that we needed to eat at La Bastille during our stay at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Packing resort wear for men is harder than for women.
They don't have cute strappy sandals that work for both casual and chic casual dining. Men's clothes and shoes are heavier and take up more space in carry-on luggage.
I rarely ask him to dress up so he agreed. Which was a good thing or we wouldn't have been able to dine at La Bastille.
At least he wouldn't have been able to... 🙂
Was La Bastille worth wearing long pants? Let's find out.
Is La Bastille Hyatt Ziva Cancun Worth It?
La Bastille is the French restaurant at the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Cancun. It is one of nine places to get a meal at the resort and only open for dinner from 6 pm to 11 pm.
There is no extra charge to dine at La Bastille if you're staying at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Hyatt Zilara Cancun, or for guests on a night pass.
Pro-tip: A night pass is $105 and allows you to enjoy the facilities in the evening.
When planning a visit to Hyatt Ziva Cancun here's what you need to know about La Bastille.
Adults Only
Although the Hyatt Ziva Cancun is family-friendly, La Bastille is not.
The restaurant is adult only. If traveling with kids you have to make childcare arrangements. The hotel offers a fee-based nanny service.
Pro-tip: Consider the Kid's Club. If you're lucky and they're old enough, your kids can go to the Kid's Club until 9 pm. The Kid's Club is available for children 4 years to 12 years old.
Dress Code
The dress code at La Bastille is resort formal. This means long pants, closed-toe shoes, and a collared shirt for men and casual chic for women. Yes, you will be turned away if you aren't appropriately dressed.
Jeff's khaki pants and collared short sleeve shirt was acceptable. I wore my Ardor dress. I love clothes from prAna because outfits are travel-friendly.
Pro-tip: The Black Tux rents suits and tuxedos and will ship internationally for destination weddings.
Although they don't ship internationally, I've used Rent the Runway when I wanted to travel light and have a variety of clothes to wear.
Reservations Not Accepted
Reservations are not accepted at La Bastille. Seating is first-come, first serve so if the resort is full it could be harder to get in unless you come early.
We were the first to arrive and were promptly seated at a table for two next to the private dining room. It was more intimate at the back of the restaurant.
Pro-tip: They seat you from the back of the restaurant to the front as you arrive. If you want a seat in the back near the private dining room, arrive shortly after the restaurant opens.
Service
Despite La Bastille being a restaurant at an all-inclusive resort, service was like that at a fine dining restaurant. Our waiter was attentive, filled our water glasses, and was quick to ensure we had all the cocktails we wanted. But the lack of white table cloths took away from the fine dining element.
For pre-dinner cocktails, we ordered a beer and chocolate martini. During dinner, Jeff had a glass of the Delirious Cabernet Sauvignon.
Menu
La Bastille changes their menu on a regular basis. During our visit 7 of the 10 entrees (appetizers) and 3 of the 9 main courses were gluten-free. There weren't any gluten-free dessert options nor were there any vegan options. \
Instead of a traditional breadbasket, our waiter brought each of us a plate of bread: small baguette and a rolled croissant with a pat of butter.
Foie Gras
I've never had foie gras and because it's illegal in California, of course, I had to try it.
The foie gras parfait with apple au Calvados and Port wine reduction was delicious. The Port wine reduction added the perfect amount of sweetness.
Lentil Salad
Jeff enjoyed his lentil and endive salad with walnuts and roasted duck breast. I was glad to see that the chef used other parts of the duck. The duck was also an option for the main course.
Onion Soup
According to Jeff, the onion soup au gratin was perfect especially the cheesy top.
Potato and Leek Soup
The potato and leek cream soup with Roquefort cheese was amazing. The presentation alone was fabulous.
Rack of Lamb
Rack of lamb is something we never cook at home so I ordered the Provence rack of lamb au jus with creamy carrot. The lamb wasn't very flavorful and I regretted not getting the filet.
Beef Filet
Jeff ordered the beef filet with bearnaise sauce and roasted vegetables. He liked his steak but thought the steaks we had at The Grill at the Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen were so much better. But then you get what you pay for...
Creme Brulee
The Vanilla creme brulee was just okay. Served cold it missed the mark. I would not order it again.
Chocolate Souffle
The chocolate souffle with Grand Marinier Savarin was very rich. Served in an espresso sized cup with a vanilla cake muffin and a scoop of vanilla ice cream it was the right amount of decadence.
Digestif
After our meal, our waiter brought out the digestif drink cart containing Baileys, Hennessey's, Grand Marinier, 1921, and several other digestifs.
I really enjoyed the 1921 Tequila Cream liqueur. It was similar to Baileys but less chocolate flavor and more cinnamon.
Conclusion
La Bastille Hyatt Ziva Cancun is an only adults-only French restaurant at the family-friendly all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Cancun and worth visiting during your stay.
Reservations aren't accepted and the resort casual dress code is strictly enforced. Come early to ensure you get a table otherwise the wait may be long or you won't be able to get in.
Guests who follow a gluten-free diet will find many appetizers and a few main courses. But there are no vegan options.
Dessert portions are small so endulge a little. After all, you're on vacation.
The potato and leek soup was my favorite dish.
What do you think of La Bastille Hyatt Ziva Cancun? Would you eat there?
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I think it's imperative that you go to the top end restaurants if you're staying at an all inclusive resort. Even if this means packing an extra pair of pants and a nice shirt. I'm surprised that reservations aren't accepted. One of our go-to's is to book the nicest restaurant at check in. At least you know there's a chance for dining every night. It also keeps more tables full, which is quite an offering for the Hyatt.
I've never been to a resort, so am unaware of the restaurants available on an all-inclusive holiday. It's good that you have a fine dining option like La Bastille available. Shame you can't make reservations - I suppose that's where all-inclusive has its limitations.
Wow, that's exquisite! You looked like you really enjoyed your meal by the sound of it. It better be considering all the requirements on your part. It sounds like a very exclusive restaurant in an all-inclusive resort! I'm probably too casual for their tastes 🙂
My husband and I love checking out restaurants in our hotel. And I totally agree with the part that there should be a dress code so that at least everyone will be classy elegant looking having delicious Foei grass! I like the Creme Brulee, and although I'm not really a big fan of Lamb and beef meat, those are actually delicious looking! La Bastille Hyatt Ziva Cancun looks like worth it!
I'd say it looks and sounds well worth wearing long pants. Love the adults only rule too! The food presentations are works of art, did you lug a fancy camera with you or did you capture those gorgeous pics with just a phone? I also didn't know foie gras is illegal in California, I love the stuff but not how it's made. So kudos to California for continually raising the bar on that front.
You had me at chocolate martini. But the actual food looks pretty amazing too. I would love the onion soup with cheesy top. Bummer the main courses weren’t what would be expected. I usually love Crème brulee, but the Chocolate Souffle sounds great too.
I love vichyssoise (potato-leek) soup and would love the addition of roquefort cheese! But I have to say I don't have a lot of patience for fine dining restaurants that give tiny little dishes of food and make you wait a long time between courses. It's fun to get dressed up for dinner once in a while, but like your husband, mine doesn't see the necessity to be all fussy about a meal!.
Yeah I can imagine how painful it must've seemed to carry formal clothes on a vacation in Mexico! But La Bastille looks really nice, and although it is a pity that only adults are allowed, many fine-dining restaurants have that policy. I'm not usually a fan of fine-dining places, street food is more my style, especially on a vacation, but I'd be happy to do it for good food and great ambience. Glad that your first Foie Gras experience turned out well, especially with Port wine!
The food and ambience at La Bastille look absolutely great. Good that they don't have a reservation system. Like the insider tips you shared. Very useful
Always love Hyatt! Top notch service as usual and they serve some of the best food. I love how their hotels really adapt with the cities they're available at. I would love to lounge in their lobby or just eat that Beef Fillet!!