La Sopa has been a Xalapa fixture since the 1980s — a casual two-storey place on Callejón del Diamante half a block from Parque Juárez, with a daily comida corrida (set menu) of three or four courses for about the price of a Starbucks coffee in Mexico City.
The cooking is straight regional Veracruz: chicken in mole xiqueño, enchiladas verdes, rice and beans, a soup of the day, and a flan to finish. Live music in the evenings. Cash works best.