CIELITO LINDO BAR AND GRILL — Restaurant in Tokyo

This started out to be a promising dinner. The restaurant was decorated very nicely, and they had good music playing, and the menu was quite varied. My husband and I ordered beer for him and a margarita for me. I ordered ceviche as an appetizer/starter and I ordered two tacos. My husband ordered a marinated fish taco, cowboy beans, and a chicken taco. I’ve never seen a margarita come in such a tiny martini glass and the glass was not even full. That started the disappointment. The first thing to show up was my husband’s appetizer which he sat and looked at for 15/20 minutes while we waited for my appetizer to show up. The first thing to come was not my ceviche appetizer, but my two tacos, which were very tasty. He finished his appetizer while I tried to eat my tacos slowly. We were awaiting his two remaining dinner items and my ceviche appetizer. Another 15 minutes later my ceviche showed up, but still nothing more for my husband. I gave him some of my ceviche to eat because who wants to eat alone? It seems to be the story if you dine there. Honest to God, we waited another 25/30 minutes for his dinner which never showed. I couldn’t eat any slower. It was terrible. We had to flag them down to get more water, and find out where my husbands food was. At one point they said it was coming in two minutes. After ten more minutes we asked for the check. There were other tables receiving food that came in well after us. No apology, no chips to go w the salsa in the tables, no offer of another beer on the house while he waited 45 minutes for his two tiny things. It was only at that point when we asked for the check that they came over and apologized and said his food was coming very soon. We were DONE. We were not enjoying ourselves and were frustrated and tired of waiting and eating in shifts. If beans were going to take almost an hour to come out, then someone should have said something to him when he ordered them. They, of course, removed the two items he never ate, but here was a surprise. There was a 550 yen surcharge per person for getting a table at the restaurant to eat. I think that’s absurd. The table they sat us at was in a corner with a stack of boxes right next to him. The table was not set w proper flatware and pretty dishes, as all the other tables were. There wasn’t a bar to sit at and nowhere on the menu did either of us come across that charge. That charge for the two of us was more than my two tacos! 1100 yen for us to sit at a table! And nowhere was that made available to us. So go there for the tasty food. Not the drinks, and not the service, and definitely not if you are hungry...

Recommended by my wife's colleague, we came here for lunch before heading to Hamamatsucho. Located on the 3rd floor of SoftBank's office building in Takeshiba, it's a small-ish but new and well-furnished Mexican restaurant.

There's a lunch menu which is priced reasonably. We got the tacos at 1200 yen and seared steak set at 2100 yen with a side of guacamole and chips.

Tacos were some of the best we've ever had in Tokyo. The 3 set for lunch are pulled pork, slow cooked beef and fried fish. All excellent. Our other dishes were really enjoyable too.

We'll definitely be coming back for dinner as they have a bigger menu with more taco choices.

Staff were also very friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this place. It was busy while we were here but they were able to seat us without a booking. May be a good idea to book if planning to go for dinner however.

Update: Came here for dinner. Staff and food were as good as ever! Items are a bit pricier but the quality is great. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Baja fish is one of the best tacos we've ever...

If you’re looking for truly authentic Mexican food in Tokyo, look no further than Cielito Lindo. As someone born and raised in Mexico, I have high standards when it comes to Mexican cuisine, and I can confidently say that this place is the real deal.

Victor, the owner, and his dedicated team go above and beyond to create an exceptional dining experience. From the moment you walk in, you’re welcomed warmly, and the service remains attentive and friendly throughout. Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor, made with care, and perfectly seasoned. The ingredients tasted fresh, and the flavors took me right back to my hometown.

This is not just another attempt at “fusion” or “Tex-Mex.” This is the type of traditional, home-style Mexican cooking that’s hard to find outside of Mexico. I’ll be making this my go-to spot whenever I’m in Tokyo and recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone craving authentic Mexican food. Whether you’re a fellow Mexican, an expat, or simply a lover of good food, this place...