After being practically abandoned for over a decade, Progreso’s famous Casa del Pastel has now become the port city’s newest restaurant.
The three-story art deco casona — dubbed the Wedding Cake House — has been a landmark in Progreso since it was built in the 1940s.
The grand old house gets its name from the fact that it looks similar to a large three-tiered cake or pastel in Spanish.
According to local legend, La Casa del Pastel was built by Pedro Infante, the famous Mexican actor who died tragically in an airplane crash on what was the outskirts of Mérida in 1957.
But in reality, the house was built as a summer home for the Suárez Molina family of Mérida.
The remodel of the casona into a restaurant was taken on by architect Pedro Manzanilla, who has expressed great enthusiasm to be working on such an iconic project.
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Before the home deteriorated to the point it was no longer safe to inhabit, it was often rented out during summer and Semana Santa holidays.
The brand-new Casa del Pastel restaurant, part of the Trotter’s chain, specializes in seafood as well as traditional Yucatecan fare.
The drinks menu features many favorites, such as carajillos, sangrias, and piña coladas, as well as a few more exotic signature cocktails.
Most of the tables are set along the patio, with large black and white umbrellas to protect guests from the sun.
