For a long time, Mexican cuisine has enjoyed great prestige in the capital;
In fact, here we had the only Mexican restaurant in Europe with a Michelin star (
the late Punto MX
).
Today we have a large group of dining rooms
committed to bringing a piece of Mexico, its culture, its food and its drink to Madrid
.
Well-known names, such as Barracuda MX, Tepic, Iztac, Mawey Taco Bar or Salón Cascabel, share the limelight with others that are not so famous, but have a lot to say and tell.
Take note of these four that, in addition, you can visit this month because they do not close.
Panuchos of cochinita pibil and x'nipec (Yucatecan sauce), in La Tomata.
THE TOMATO
The Sardou Zamudio family,
originally from Sinaloa
, has spent years showing the people of Madrid a little bit of the rich and varied Mexican cuisine.
Authentic cuisine that comes from the hands of Ana Marcela Zamudio
, who carries the cuisine of the Aztec country in her DNA: her father and her uncle are chefs and, every year, she travels to her country to soak up the kitchen of the roots of her.
For this reason, "she is La Tomata; she is the one with the touch", explains Juan proudly who, after years as maître de Punto MX, in 2014 (after achieving the Michelin star)
left Roberto Ruiz's iconic restaurant to set up his own house
where his son, Juan Javier, also works.
Shrimp aguachile, one of the star dishes of La Tomata.
And, although they come from that state on the coast of the Gulf of California, the proposals of this cozy place do not stop there and include recipes from other areas,
traditional preparations to which Ana Marcela gives that
unique and unique touch that Juan cites.
Do not look for excesses or artifices, the menu -simple- bets on classic dishes, such as
red, green or divorced chilaquiles;
appetizers, panuchos, shrimp aguachile, one of the
hits
in the dining room.
They also have a rich taco offer: cochinita pibil, chicken tinga, shepherd's prawns, Iberian carnitas, Iberian shepherd's meat, recent lamb, and
sometimes they use first class Spanish products
.
Average price: 25 euros.
Address:
Eguilaz, 2. Tel.: 635 44 26 01.
Pink mole, in Tamán.
TAMÁN
Authenticity.
That is the word that defines the proposal of this dining room, or rather
casa fonda, which was opened three years ago by Estefanía and Luis Ángel,
both from the State of Hidalgo.
A little-known restaurant among the people of Madrid that has its raison d'être in
the flavors and techniques -many of them ancestral- of the traditional cooks
of their land, those women who pamper and pass on the knowledge and family recipes.
These two photographers by profession - they arrived in Madrid a decade ago to expand their training
- embarked on an adventure and, fleeing from fast food, Tex-Mex and tacos
, opened this unique place.
"The idea is that when entering Tamán one crosses
an imaginary bridge and arrives at our house in Mexico
", explains Estefanía (with Asturian origins).
Because what matters here "is transportation, the experience, there are no photos of the place or the dishes," she argues.
And not because of what the saying goes - you know, "at the blacksmith's house, stick a knife" -, but
because what they put on the plate every day is a surprise.
Grilled fish, in Tamán.
"It is a changing menu. Every week we propose
five different dishes
to show the beauty and breadth of Mexican cuisine. We have already offered more than 350".
House hits
are the moles
(pink, red, blackberry, peanut, almond, pipianes...) that they make from scratch in Mexican clay pots and
family recipes
: tlacoyos from Aunt Fran, the sancochados from Maricruz or teacher Lupe's pancakes.
Price: 30 euros.
Address:
Alfonso VI, 6. Tel.: 91 064 09 96.
Yucatecan tikinxic octopus, in Q78 Gastromezcal.
Q78 Gastromezcal
This newcomer to the capital (it opened its doors in May) is
the first foray into Europe for well-known Mexican chef Pedro Evia
, owner of the K'u'uk restaurant (Mérida, Yucatán), an international benchmark for southern Mexican cuisine.
The proposal that the chef brings to the Retiro neighborhood is clear:
mezcal and a current vision of the ancestral recipes of his country.
In the words of Evia, it is "a tribute to contemporary Mexico, with gastronomy with traditional accents and a great mezcal offer",
present even in the name of the place.
"Q" refers to the quiote, the edible stem of the maguey flower from which mezcal is made, and "78," the year it was legalized (1978).
Cochinita pibil in casserole, in Q78 Gastromezcal.
And what are the star dishes of this elegant place?
The cochinita pibil, either in a cake or in a casserole, whose meat
is prepared in a special oven that replicates the traditional elaboration -underground-
of this recipe of Yucatecan origin.
It is followed by the black shrimp and scallop aguachile in a black recado sauce, creamy avocado and cilantro;
yucatecan tikinxic octopus
with roasted pineapple puree, creamy avocado and guacachile and marquesita, a dessert of cold cream cheese ball, chocolate ice cream with hazelnut, amaranth and red fruit sauce.
Average price: 50 euros.
Address:
Villalar, 6. Tel.: 91 679 69 28.
Classic guacamole with wood-roasted cacalas, in Bakan.
BAKAN
We close the route of Mexican dining rooms with much to say with this place that
arrived in the capital at the end of last year
with the aim of conquering locals and foreigners, since it is at the foot of the Puerta de Alcalá.
In this spectacular place what rules is the
traditional cuisine, the
gastro
culture
around mezcal and corn and crafts
(for example, its ceilings are decorated with
Huichol art
typical of the Mexican indigenous people; there is copper from Santa Marta in the kitchenware ...).
Tacos of maguey worms, in Bakan.
The proposal is based on tradition and craftsmanship, for example, in
the tortillas they make every day with ancestral corn
.
Appetizers, aguachiles, tacos, enchiladas, moles, meat and fish prepared in an oak wood oven... For fans of
insect dishes
, the menu includes maguey worm or escamole tacos, Chicatana ant sauce, peasant calaca with chalupines.
And, to accompany the meal, a wide range of
mezcal and tequilas (more than 300)
.
Average price: 40 euros.
Address:
Plaza de la Independencia, 5. Tel.: 91 138 26 84.
Conforms to The Trust Project criteria
Know more