The 31 Best Mexican Restaurants in Madrid (Where Mexicans Go)

26 years ago, when Ximena Caraza, director of the Casa de México Foundation, arrived in Spain, she remembers that there were a couple of restaurants from her homeland in Madrid. Today the map has changed and the number of Mexican food houses exceeds 170 locations. "There is a boom of Mexican restaurants in the city caused by all the immigration that is coming. That's positive, but it's also true that not all the restaurants out there are good, and that hurts the image of Mexican gastronomy." Therefore, from Casa de México, together with the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy, they agreed to identify all those Mexican restaurants that served a "food no longer authentic, because many adapt the traditional recipes of their country to local customs, but excellent".

With this objective, the Copil seal was born in 2022. It bears the name of an Aztec prince, considered a magician and astrologer, who promised to avenge his mother for the offense of his uncle, the god Huitzilopochtli, who ordered to kill him and bury his heart in some rocks, where the first nopal was born, whose fruits are the tunas (hearts), the basis of Mexican gastronomy. With this seal, those restaurants that approach gastronomic excellence are identified, and in this way guarantee diners a true culinary experience of this country, while promoting this cuisine as an intangible heritage of humanity. "Because in Mexico we do not eat nachos, we drink tortilla chips, as it is a mistake to confuse achiote [they are the seeds of the bixa tree] with paprika, or jalapeño with pepper," explains Caraza, who in addition to respect for traditions demands quality. "You can make a potato omelette, but make it awful. Mexico has never defended its cuisine abroad. We have neglected the excellence of our gastronomy outside our country." And he warns that what is outstanding does not have to be expensive. "We have cases of places where you can have delicious tacos for little money."

More informationA walk with Elena Reygadas, from the aquatic gardens to her restaurant Rosetta

The aspirants to wear the aforementioned seal, first have to show willingness – in this edition 32 candidatures have been presented on their own initiative – that they wish to be examined by the members of an examining committee among which are, in addition to Caraza, Laura Barrenechea, president of the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy; the chef Enrique Olvera of the Pujol restaurant in Mexico City, and Jerónimo, at the Edition hotel in Madrid; Adrián Castañeda, owner of one of the pioneer restaurants in Spain, such as Entre Suspiro y Suspiro; Jorge Vázquez, owner of Iztac; Manuel Barreiro, from La Lupita; Roberto Ruiz, the chef who began to enchilar to the capital getting in Punto MX the first Michelin star for a Mexican restaurant in Europe, and Rita Sánchez, the cook who brought to Spain the authentic Mexican cuisine in La Taqueria del Alamillo. In addition, two annual visits are made, "we send anonymous spies to the establishment to carry out the appropriate verifications," adds Caraza. At the moment, the scope of application is the Community of Madrid, but the intention is to export it to other autonomies, given the reception of this type of cuisine in Spain.

In the first edition, 20 restaurants were selected, and this Monday will be delivered to 11 new premises the Copil seal of authentic Mexican cuisine, valid for the next two years, – the registration, evaluation and obtaining of the seal does not imply any cost for the local. "We do not intend to punish anyone, but to praise those who do well, and help those who have not achieved the seal to improve, since we propose advice to achieve it," explains the promoter of the initiative.

These are the 11 restaurants awarded in this edition.

1.

Mezcaloteca Heart Agave

Opened in 2014, it brings together an important selection of agave spirits. The cocktail bar dispatches more than 300 different varieties of Mexican spirits in bar: tequila, mezcal, sotol, raicilla, bacanora, pox, charanda and other drinks such as pulque or tepache, fermented prehispanic. It also has a menu of Mexican snacks: guacamole (8 euros), gringas (wheat tortillas stuffed with cheese and carne al pastor with pineapple, 4.5 euros), or corn tortilla tacos stuffed with carne al pastor, cochinita or carnitas (two pieces, 4 euros). Address: Humilladero 28, Madrid. Tel. 913 654 409.

Cocktail of the Mezcaloteca Corazón Agavero, in an image published on the restaurant's website.

2.

Grudgingly

In the Barrio de Salesas, it offers a proposal to share, in which tacos are the protagonists, in addition to tequila and mezcal cocktails. They boast of making the best margaritas in town. The menu does not miss the guacamole with tortilla chips (12 euros), marrow soup (9 euros), or the cochinita pibil tacos (9 euros, two pieces), chicken tinga (8 euros), or the so-called Baja California (sea bass, purple cabbage and chipotle mayonnaise, 9 euros). Address: Almirante, 24, Madrid. Tel. 918 19 02 28.

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3.

Canijo Taqueria

His presentation is a declaration of intent, to pay tribute to the food of Mexican mothers and grandmothers. Its dishes seek to convey the original flavor of tacos, enchiladas, chilaquiles or guacamole, using original recipes transmitted from generation to generation since pre-Hispanic times. They offer a Mexican brunch on Saturday mornings, for 17.90 euros, with drinks, a dish and a dessert. On the menu, there are tacos (two units, for 6.90), enchiladas (8.90 euros) or quesadillas (6.90 euros). Address: Paseo de la Castellana, 23 (local 10). Madrid. Tel. 910 343 897.

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4.

Son of corn

They have two places: one of them, a craving, and the other, with grill. In the first of them, there is no shortage of classic dishes of Mexican cuisine, such as Aztec soup (11.95 euros), pozole (14.30 euros), seafood, with the cocktail Vuelve a la vida, with shrimp, octopus or mixed (16.50 euros), enchiladas (15.90 euros), or tacos (six tortillas, from 16.40 euros). On the grill they share dishes with the craving, while serving different meats, such as T-Bone (67.90 euros, per kilo), arrachera (16.90 euros) or ribeye (27.50 euros). Addresses: Parrilla Mexicana, Avda. de Brasil, 28, Madrid. Tel. 910 293 270. Antojería, Mauricio Ravel, 4, Madrid. Tel. 917 002 137.

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5.

The Turulita

Within a municipal market, the stall offers artisan cuisine, which begins with appetizers based on charro beans, brought from Monterrey (5.50 euros), or a freshly made guacamole and tortilla chips (8.50 euros), tacos, steak, rib, al pastor (all three, at 2.75 euros) or chicken or beef wire (both at 7.50 euros), or quesadillas (from 4 euros). Address: Ibiza, 8, puesto 16, Madrid. Tel. 722 476 121.

Verónica Tego, owner of La Turulita, in the Mercado de Ibiza, in Madrid.Samuel Sánchez

6.

Ticuí

Opened this year, it belongs to the Puntarena group and offers a more elaborate Mexican cuisine, which is taken care of by the chef Federico Rigoletti, and which is born from the discovery of Mexico through his travels. It combines Mexican flavors with Spanish products. In the menu, designed to share, there is burrata with beetroot (21 euros), kampachi, a fish served with tatemados chili sauce, gilthead bream cured in salt, sugar and sake, with an emulsion of yuzu and trout caviar (19 euros), fish to the size to take in tacos (19 euros) or salmon tacos with foie gras and teriyaki sauce (24 euros) or shrimp, with spicy cabbage (23 euros). Address: Cedaceros, 6, Madrid. Tel. 919 935 355.

Suckling lamb tacos, in an image provided by the restaurant Ticuí.COKE RIERA

7.

Mexcalista

A gastronomic experience of the southern region of Mexico in the Barrio de Las Letras with a wide variety of tequilas and mezcals. Among the starters of the menu there are sopecitos (a fried corn dough, beans with cochinita pibil and pickled red onion, a nopales salad, with tomato, onion and tortilla chips, assortment of tacos and ceviches. Address: León, 5. Madrid. Tel. 914 678 278.

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8.

Mestizo Salt

Cocktails, based on tequila and mezcal, and cuisine, but far from the conventional. They propose a journey through contemporary Mexican cuisine, that is, reinterpreting classic dishes: guacamole with pork rinds (10 euros), corn tortilla flutes stuffed with marinated tuna, bathed in green sauce and accompanied by guacamole, cream, cheese and lettuce (4 pieces, 12 euros), mestizo tacos, with cochinita pibil, suadero, potato with chorizo, mushrooms or pumpkin flower (4 pieces, 14 euros), and for dessert, corn pancake with cajeta sauce (7 euros). Address: Lagasca, 103, Madrid. Tel. 912 508 662.

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9.

If they let us

Located in Pozuelo de Alarcón, this restaurant has a brunch, which includes, to choose, divorced eggs, rancheros, green or red chilaquiles with fried egg or chorizo, or chicken enchiladas, plus an assortment of tacos, or cheesecake with a touch of tequila. Address: Atenas, 2, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid. Tel. 633 888 648.

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10.

Tacebarry

Its name advances what is inside: cocktails, micheladas, tequilas, mezcals. And to share rations of aguachile from Sinaloa, with prawns, cucumber, citrus, red cabbage, cilantro and serrano chile (for two people, 22 euros), chicken tamales in green sauce, chicken with mole, pork in pasilla or rajas with cheese (two units, 8 euros), nopales (4.5 euros), beans with cheese (4.5 euros), or taco tasting (nine units, 22 euros).

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11.

Hangover

They handle the concept mexpitarion, which consists of defending traditional Mexican cuisine outside its borders. They offer a contemporary proposal, without complexes in the choice of products and techniques, respecting the roots of their origin. It proposes dishes such as Yucatecan truffles (cochinita pibil croquettes with bean cream and chipotle emulsion, 12 euros), Acapulco ceviche of sea bass and shrimp, with tomato guachile, red onion, cilantro and serrano chile (16 euros) or mushroom tacos (portobello, shitake and boletus, avocado cream and red onion (2 units, 9 euros). Address: Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, 26, Madrid. Tel. 911 995 010.

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The other 20 restaurants awarded last year

1. Bakan. Address: Plaza de la Independencia, 5, Madrid. Tel. 911 382 684.

2. Barracuda. Address: Valenzuela, 7, Madrid. Tel. 911 088 999.

3. Between sigh and sigh. Address: Caños del Peral, 3, Madrid. Tel. 915 420 644.

4. Fishers. Address: Velázquez, 41, Madrid. Tel. 910 295 561.

5. Iztac. Address: Plaza de la República del Ecuador, 4, Madrid. Tel. 910 090 235.

6. Jerome. Address: Plaza de Celenque, 2, Madrid. Tel. 919 545 440.

7. La Chingona. Address: Camino de la Zarzuela, 23, Madrid. Tel. 910 884 190.

8. The Tomata. Address: Eguilaz, 1, Madrid. Tel. 635 442 601.

9. The only one. Address: Claudio Coello, 10, Madrid. Tel. 679 054 746.

10. Las Mañanitas. Address: Bravo Murillo, 54, Madrid. Tel. 915 224 589.

11. Mawey Taco Bar. Addresses: Olid, 6, Madrid. Tel. 910 117 103. San Bernardo, 5, Madrid. Tel. 918 785 201. Manuel de Falla, 3, Majadahonda. Tel. 915 954 483.

12. Half-blood. Address: José Ortega y Gasset, 83, Madrid. Tel. 918 168 257.

13. Orale Compadre. Address: Pradillo 30, Madrid. Tel. 914 134 547.

14. Puntarena. Address: Alberto Aguilera, 20, Madrid. Tel. 914 93 99 54.

15. Tacos Don Manolito. Addresses: Ponzano 91, Madrid. Tel. 912 516 972. López de Hoyos,13, Madrid. Tel. 912 878 481. Paseo de la Castellana, 259E basement 0 local 303, Madrid. Tel. 918 605 655.

16. Taqueria La Lupita. Addresses: Villanueva 15, Madrid. Tel. 914 317 145. Conde de Xiquena 10, Madrid, Tel. 911 526 565.

17. Taqueria Los Carnales. Address: Martín de los Heros, 4, Madrid. Tel. 654 83 59 09

18. Solito Mexican Taqueria. Address: Calle de la Pasa, 4, Madrid. Tel. 913 535 822.

19. Tepic. Address: Ayala, 14, Madrid. Tel. 915 220 850.

20. Tobalá Taco Bar. Address: Gaztambide, 35, Madrid. Tel. 916 338 034.