THE BLUE ROOM: BRINGING MODERN SPEAKEASY CULTURE TO ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA’S COLONIAL CAPITAL
The Cost - $31 per person
The Atmosphere – Open only on Fridays and Saturdays without a prior private event reservation, The Blue Room is an intimate space that fits about 20 people, at capacity. The small, charming wood bar reminds you of the traditional old-school speakeasies while the neon sign and coin-covered, black lacquered cow skull on the walls, as well as the three large glass portholes that allow you to see directly into the swimming pool, remind you that you are in one of the most modern spots in Guatemala’s nearly 500-year-old former capital city. The bar has a short list of specialty cocktails and serves some small plates from the restaurant above it. Unless you are renting out the space for a private event, it’s not the place you’ll go to for a full meal however, it is the perfect place to go to enjoy a cocktail or two, a bite, and some live music.
Antigua, Guatemala is an incredibly charming city. With one-story Spanish-style colonial buildings making up most of it, you are almost always able to see the breathtaking volcanoes that surround you as you wander down the city’s old (and not so easy to walk on) cobblestone streets. Most of the hotels in the city are independent, boutique hotels and tucked away inside one of the most notable ones, Meson Panza Verde, you’ll find The Blue Room, a newly opened, underground speakeasy-style bar that can only be entered via an unmarked staircase.
The Order – Fitzgerald and Especiado a la Antigua to drink. Tartare de Atún, Carpaccio de Res and Camarones al Coco to eat.
The Fantastic – The Especiado a la Antigua cocktail, a whiskey cocktail made with allspice (dried unripe berry native to Guatemala) simple syrup, cloves, cinnamon, and bitters, was my favorite cocktail of the evening. I don’t usually love whiskey cocktails but the amazing flavor from the allspice simple syrup with the cinnamon and clove really gave this drink a unique, spice-forward, slightly sweet flavor that combined extremely well with the whiskey. Be careful though, after three of these, you may not be able to make it up the staircase on your way out.
The Great – Not far behind the Especiado a la Antigua is The Blue Room’s Fitzgerald cocktail which was also a delight. A mix of gin, lime, bitters and a simple syrup made of artisanal panela, raw unrefined cane sugar made from evaporated sugarcane juice, this drink was incredibly refreshing. The panela simple syrup makes this cocktail special, giving it a molasses-y sweetness and a touch of earthiness. The use of traditional Guatemalan ingredients like the allspice and the panela in these cocktails make them even more special and sets the Blue Room apart from a lot of other bars and restaurants in the area that only serve the most traditional, classic cocktails. The best food dish I ordered was the Carpaccio de Res which is made up of thin, raw beef slices with capers, pickled onions, parmesan cheese, lime, lettuce, salt and pepper. While I thought I would hate the parmesan cheese with the raw beef, I very much enjoyed it. While the sweetness of the pickled onions was also a pleasant surprise, I could have done without the lettuce in the dish which added color but took away from the better flavors around it. Overall, though, it was a nice plate to have and would pair well with non-fruit-forward cocktails. The other food item to earn the Great rating is the Camarones al Coco, a serving of about ten fairly large shrimp breaded with coconut shavings served with a chili sauce for dipping. The dish is very similar to the typical coconut shrimp appetizer that you can find in many seafood restaurants, but it is of a higher quality. The dipping sauce it came with was good – I just wish it was spicier.
The Good – Tuna tartare is one of my favorite appetizers and while I did enjoy The Blue Room’s version because of the nice chunks of tuna and the capers and avocado mixed in, I did think the dish was a little too acidic (possibly due to a little too much soy sauce). I also didn’t think the ajonjioli spread on the side of the dish was the right choice but it was presented well and combined really nicely with the Fitzgerald.
The Verdict – If you are in Antigua and you have time before a late dinner on a Friday or Saturday night or if you’ve ended your dinner early, head over to The Blue Room for some live music, Instagram-able photos, and a cocktail or two. While the food is good, it’s the specialty cocktails in a chic and unique, intimate, underground setting that will make your night in Guatemala’s colonial capital one to remember.