Chef Regina Escalante Leads Copal at AVA Cancun

Mexico City — AVA Resort Cancun is elevating the all-inclusive luxury concept with an international gastronomic proposal backed by award-winning celebrity chefs and culinary experiences that traverse global flavors without leaving the resort. Each restaurant invites guests on a unique sensory journey, accompanied by five-star service and the attention to detail that distinguishes this new icon of hospitality in the Mexican Caribbean.

The resort has designed a culinary proposal to conquer the most demanding palates, with spaces that celebrate the diversity of international cuisines and the talent of renowned chefs.

Copal, the flagship restaurant of AVA Resort Cancun, is being consolidated as a benchmark for high Mexican cuisine with the arrival of renowned chef Regina Escalante, a native of Mérida, Yucatán. With a solid professional trajectory and a unique culinary sensibility, Chef Escalante transmits the flavors, aromas, and emotions of her childhood in every dish, transforming local ingredients from the region into memorable experiences.

Inspired by the cultural and culinary richness of the Peninsula, Regina brings to Copal an authentic proposal that celebrates Mexican tradition and innovates with elegance, making it a living tribute to Yucatecan cuisine from a modern and personal perspective. With this alliance, Copal reaffirms AVA Resort Cancun's commitment to promoting Mexican talent and extolling the cuisine of the region, becoming an unmissable culinary experience for its guests.

The resort's other culinary centers include Black Iron Woodfire Grill, specialized in premium cuts of meat and local seafood, exalting wood-fired cooking that highlights the natural flavors of each ingredient.

Chez Moi offers an immersion in classic high French cuisine, directed by Chef Michel Mustiere, awarded Best Chef of Mexico and distinguished in the Michelin Guide Mexico. Each dish is an expression of elegance and French culinary precision.

Livo brings the essence of the Mediterranean to life with mezze, shawarmas, locally sourced grilled meats, fresh seafood, and homemade pita bread. Kita & Minami is a teppanyaki culinary spectacle where meats, fish, and vegetables are prepared in front of the diner on the griddle, an experience led by Chef Mitsunori Ichikawa, who combines Japanese tradition with modern touches.

Veranda, inspired by Italy's culinary richness, offers everything from antipasti and fresh pasta to traditional recipes from different regions, created by Chef Ricardo de la Vega, a specialist in contemporary Italian cuisine.

BAO offers an extensive menu providing a culinary journey encompassing China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea, complete with a sushi bar and a noodle station. Plaza Mx & Food District is an ideal meeting point for families and large groups, offering an extensive selection of locally prepared recipes across different culinary stations.

The Pods offer a refreshing proposal with frappe-style cocktails and mocktails, plus a selection of beers, wines, snacks, and sweets by the pool. Aroma is a space for coffee lovers, captivating with the aroma of locally roasted and prepared beans, alongside a variety of artisan breads and pastries. Konos Ice Creams serves homemade ice cream in a wide variety of authentic Caribbean and classic flavors.

The gastronomic experience at AVA Resort Cancun expands into mixology, with a tour of international cocktails and signature drinks that pair perfectly with the resort's culinary offerings. Notable spaces include The Cocktail Bar, the home of high mixology and AVA's main bar, where Fátima León, a recognized Mexican mixologist with an international trajectory and winner of World Class Mexico, creates signature cocktails like the AVA Mule, Gold Bee, AVA Cantarito, and Mezcal Punch.

Cantina by Casa Jugadores recreates an authentic Mexican cantina, ideal for tasting artisanal mezcals and tequilas. Dez Day Club is the space for daytime fun with creative mixology and refreshing cocktails. Digit Bar is an innovative and avant-garde bar that combines contemporary mixology with digital art, featuring a rotating installation of works by international artists.

The drink menu includes everything from international classics—margaritas, martinis, daiquiris, and mojitos—to sophisticated mocktails and creations inspired by each restaurant, such as sake at Kita & Minami, Aperol and Italian wines at Veranda, and artisanal mezcals at Copal.

With this proposal, AVA Resort Cancun is consolidated as a culinary and mixology benchmark in the Mexican Caribbean, where every dish and every drink tells a story of creativity and flavor.

AVA Resort Cancun is located at Blvd. Kukulcán 25.3, Zona Hotelera, 77500 Cancún, Quintana Roo, México.

About RCD Hotels

RCD Hotels® is the company in charge of the promotion, marketing, and operation of luxury hotel properties in Mexico, the Caribbean, and the U.S. The group's properties include Nobu Hotel Miami Beach and Nobu Hotel Chicago; in the Caribbean, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, the world's first all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel, as well as the new Aloft and Marriott Piantini in Santo Domingo. And in Mexico, Hard Rock Hotel Cancun, Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos, Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya: the first of a new all-inclusive luxury concept for adults only. Additionally, properties include Residence Inn by Marriott® in Mérida, Cancún, and Playa del Carmen; as well as its most recent opening—AVA Resort Cancun—under the all-inclusive luxury concept for the whole family.