Nelhua

Top choice in Puebla


Talk about hitting all the right notes. The contemporary Mexican dishes at Nelhua highlight the complex flavors of mole – from smoked poblano on turkey to pepián (with pepitas) on fish – not to mention the delightful edible flowers, sprouts and berries. Other wins are the industrial-chic lamps, bare walls and angular chairs, plus servers showing passion for their food.

Pop by the cafe level, where snacks such as quesadillas with chapulines (grasshoppers) and breakfast sandwiches are excellent. Upstairs is a bar mixing creative cocktails (how about avocado or amaranth?), if you never want to leave.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Puebla attractions

1. Biblioteca Palafoxiana

0.06 MILES

Situated above the Casa de la Cultura and founded in 1646, Biblioteca Palafoxiana was the first public library in the Americas. For this, Palafoxiana has…

2. Casa de la Cultura

0.07 MILES

Occupying the entire block facing the south side of the cathedral, the former bishop’s palace is a classic 17th-century brick-and-tile edifice that now…

3. Museo Amparo

0.09 MILES

This superb private museum, housed in two linked 16th- and 17th-century colonial buildings, is loaded with pre-Hispanic artifacts, yet the interior design…

4. Catedral de Puebla

0.11 MILES

Puebla’s impressive cathedral, which appeared on Mexico’s M$500 bill until 2019, occupies the entire block south of the zócalo. Its architecture is a…

5. Zócalo

0.14 MILES

Puebla’s central plaza was originally a marketplace where bullfights, theater and hangings occurred, before assuming its current arboretum-like appearance…

6. Museo José Luis Bello y González

0.23 MILES

This house is filled with the diverse art-and-crafts collection of the 19th-century industrialist Bello family who lived here. It's a treasure trove for…

7. Edificio Carolino

0.25 MILES

Next door to the Iglesia de la Compañía is the 16th-century Edificio Carolino, now the main building of Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.

8. Iglesia de la Compañía

0.26 MILES

This Jesuit church with a 1767 Churrigueresque facade is also called Espíritu Santo. Beneath the altar is a tomb said to be that of a 17th-century South…