Real Mexican Cooking

La Nacional La Botica La Nuclear

The Colonia Roma in Mexico City has always been a magnet for the famous and the infamous. Since its beginnings as a Porfiarto gem of european styles residences, for the wealthy elite, to its bohemian wild life, its was here that Kerouac and Burroughs wrote, ingested peyot and took pot shots at each other, the Roma has been a hot spot and mecca.

For the last decade or so its fame as an art gallery mecca for contemporary art has grown as has its penchant for high end restaurants, boutique hotels, and small artisan shops.  Its "precious" attitude stops dead in its tracks on the corner of Calle Queretaro and Orizaba in the southern section of the Roma  and acts as a loci for three extremely "Mexican" watering holes.


The first and longest established is La Nacional which  specializes in the "other" beers of Mexico, truly a new focus since there are only two very large corporations  that dominate the beer industry. With over 20 brands and some highly unusual flavors, barleywine, stout and abbey ale among others, La Nacional's gritty look and feel are an allure to the young and hip. But it doesn't end there since they also have a full dining menu.

Not the case for La Botica, another highly regarded boutique mezcal "chain".  With just a hole in the wall look this over four year old "mezcaleria" attracts its own devotees and serves only small bites to accompany its small production mezcals bottled in what looks like 19th century apothecary jars.
Good flavors on both counts.

Now for the new kid on the block, actually around the corner on Quertaro. They're still hammering, painting and getting ready but La Nuclear but for now its looks like a new PULQUERIA is about to arrive. As soon as an opening date is set - we'll let you know. For now just the photos will tell the story. Enjoy!