La Palapa

La Palapa Cocina Mexicana and the La Palapa Taco Bars are owned by Barbara Sibley, a chef and artist with extensive New York City restaurant experience. Barbara Sibley was born and raised in Mexico City. For many years she has collected traditional, rare and ancient Mexican recipes, including 17th Century recipes from Mexico’s convent kitchens, and traditional ingredients. Her influences include Diana Kennedy, the well-known Mexican Cookbook author as well as the many regional cooks she has met in her travels throughout Mexico. Her extensive experience led her to open La Palapa Cocina Mexicana in 2000. As a truly authentic Mexican restaurant, La Palapa has been awarded the “Disctinctivo” by Sabores Autenticos de Mexico Foundation which promotes authentic Mexican products. Barbara is a past president of the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance, and 2024/2025 President of Les Dames D’Escoffier NY, LDNY. In 2022 she was awarded the Operator of the Year award from the Industry Excellence Awards presented by the Food and Restaurant Expo and selected as a member of the Fall 2022 James Beard Foundation Women Entrepreneurial Program. Sibley co-authored the cookbook, Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates. She is a featured contributor to many cookbooks including: The Way We Ate: 100 Chefs Celebrate a Century at the American Table, Mocha, Women Chefs of New York, and WW Fresh Mex! During the pandemic she served over 85,000 meals to frontline hospital workers, nursing homes, and soup kitchens.

La Palapa focuses on Mexico City tacos and authentic regional Mexican cuisine featuring Tacos al Pastor, Mole Negro Oaxaqueño, Salsa Pibil and many other specialties from different regions of Mexico. Salsas and sauces are rich and spicy and fresh ingredients are used. A palapa is a palm-thatched shelter on a Mexican beach where you can relax with your feet in the sand looking at the ocean while you sip an ice cold cerveza flavored with lime and salt, and eat a spicy shrimp taco with salsa guajillo.