Review: Mesón Sur (Managua)

4 July 2010

‘Off the beaten path’ of Carretera Sur you can find one of Managua’s ‘best kept secrets,’ the ‘diamond in the rough’ that is Mesón Sur. And although you may have trouble describing its location to a friend without resorting to clichés, there is nothing cliché about this unique Italian restaurant nestled in the hills overlooking Managua’s Laguna Nejapa.

Beatriz Fernandez Ferreira, the restaurant’s Italian-Argentinean owner, relishes in Mesón Sur’s reticent dignity, even saying that if her restaurant was full they wouldn’t be able to make their pizza as good as it is now. Everything is made from fresh natural ingredients. “Nature is our luxury,” Fernandez Ferreira says. And I would describe the pizza that comes out of the wood-fired oven the same way, simply luxurious.
The ambiance of the restaurant is decidedly tranquil. Soft jazz, Brazilian music, and an abundance of green plants, make the outdoor seating a great spot to relax and unwind with a glass of wine or a cold beer. Indoors, the walls are decorated with some of Fernandez Ferreira’s own paintings (her home and studio is located above the restaurant).

Mesón Sur is a great place to escape the city without actually leaving it. It’s a place for those times you feel like going out but don’t want to be crammed in a bar with loud 80’s music and tv’s; a place where you can have a slice of serenity with your slice of pizza.

Dir: carretera vieja Leon, km 9 1/2, del cementerio 750 mtrs al norte