30s Magazine

There’s a new pop-up restaurant in my town and I couldn’t be more exited! After a finger-licking dinner on their opening night and a yummie breakfast this morning I’m completely sold. But what really drew me in is the highly instagrammable interior design. Paco Ciao has all ingredients to become a popular hotspot in Leiden.

The interior design: Bohemian Chic

The interior design of Paco Ciao is bohemian chic with classic elegance. To me it evokes a look and feel of a vintage Latin American courtyard or a aristocratic family hacienda as seen in Mexico. Different materials are cleverly mixed and matched e.g. vintage chairs with marble tables, lush tropical plants, and brass accessories. They made use of warm earth hues and sophisticated deep colors like ochre yellow, purple, or blue. I just couldn’t stop snapping pictures. There were so many nice details and nooks to be seated. So apologies for the overload of photos.

Set in a monumental building

The owner of pop-up restaurant Paco Ciao, who also owns Branding Beachclub and Beachclub Tulum settled in an old monumental building on Stationsweg 25, steps away from Leiden Central station. The monument is called the Crown Villa named after its contractor. The Neo-French Renaissance style of this town house is characterized by lots of ornaments and decorations. There are also a few Art Nouveau details. There are so many beautiful original elements in the interior like the high plastered ceiling with ornaments, the glass ceiling, the black marble fireplaces and the round niches by the window, the stately wooden stairs with carvings or the art noveau tiles. (read more about the monument here)

Food and Drinks

At Paco Ciao you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner and anything in between. There are two bars where they create the best smoothies and fresh juices, cocktails and excellent coffee. The menu is packed with healthy dishes and less healthy things so there is something for everyone. For breakfast you can e.g. choose poached eggs, avocado on toast, eggs benedict or pancakes. The dinner menu features grilled fish, bavette steak with risotto, langoustine soup, buratta, mussels, a burger, and much more.