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Barceloneta.- From an interior dining room set with dim lights, candles on tables, Jazz music playing in the background, and artistic pieces inspired by women, the Merced restaurant offers an innovative gastronomic experience in Barceloneta.

“The name comes from the surname, actually. But I adopted it because it alludes to ‘I am at your service.’ The idea of the restaurant is to be at the service of the customer; to create a space where people have a good time, enjoy themselves, like it and relax. Because the idea of going out to eat is to relax and have a good time,” explained the owner and chef, Glenn Manuel Díaz-Cruz.

Likewise, he highlights that he honors his grandmother Herminia “Minín” Negrón, who was his first cooking teacher.

The 89-year-old woman is his most important critic and one of the “owners” of his heart. She was also his inspiration when creating the restaurant, inaugurated in November 2021.

“When it comes to food, for me she’s the best. I’ve grown up with her food since I was little. She and I have a close relationship, a loving relationship. So, she was the one who taught me… she inspired me, and I also think she helped me [develop] my palate,” said the chef. He started the business with his wife Yaira Rivera-Rivera.

At the entrance of the restaurant there is an impressive mural. It depicts the face of a young woman with a crown of red flowers in her hair and others sprouting from her mouth. It is one of the several details of the locale.

You could say that the restaurant’s concept is a creative criollo one. However, Díaz-Cruz would not like to put a label on it just yet.

“I don’t have a style. I understand that I am going to develop it over time. I’m creating my style right now. I make food that people like and I want to do that. And whatever comes out, comes out. I don’t want to go for just one style. I do want to, in the end, make something that is local, [make] local food. That is my goal,” he explained.

To start, they usually offer dishes such as chorizo in wine with plantain tostones; Nori tacos, made with tuna tartar, sushi rice and avocado; and bites of tempura mahi-mahi with pistachio sauce.

Their favorite specialties are ribeye in red wine reduction, recao sauce, vegetables and mashed potatoes; salmon in oriental mojo, with pickled lemon, crispy onions and accompanied by a soft cassava mofongo; and the organic chicken breast, which comes with mamposteao rice, tarragon sauce, carrots and pickled onions.

To finish, the chef selected three desserts to choose from: original crème brûlée; pistachio pudding with dates, accompanied by shortbread and chocolate sauce; or a warm brownie, with ice cream and strawberry sauce.

On site, they have craft, local and Mexican beers; and a wide range of wines from varieties such as Tempranillo, Cabernet, Pinot Grigio, Melbec and Chardonnay.

“I would dare say that perhaps it’s the type of environment we have here [that makes it different], and the concept that has not yet finalized, honestly. The concept we have here, there’s still no other restaurants like this in the area… There is no such thing in the north. So it makes us different. We offer dinners. We open from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., which is different too”, he said, in relation to the atmosphere created here through the help of music, lighting, culinary art and mural art.