Azul Historico — Restaurant in Mexico City

I was going to leave a 2 but it genuinely was a 1 star experience. Possibly my worst dining experience, and it came as such a shock as we have been having a ball eating our way through CDMX. Service from the onset was subpar and only trended downwards. They opened by pushing drinks and left us waiting for food menus after we declined. Halfway through the meal they just took our water cups and didn’t bring them back (we were later charged for the water).

Nobody asked about allergies and one in our party almost ate the shellfish soup opener (unannounced, but would have been a welcome surprise, if only it were good). Another who did (not allergic) ended up sick anyways. We eventually came around and ordered a round of mezcal, and I am glad we did as it was the only thing of quality that we had that night.

We ordered everything recommended (black mole with chicken, duck buñuelos w/ black mole, fish, escamoles) - everything was COLD, poorly seasoned and designed, and under-portioned. The guac might have been a prepackaged grocery store purée, and the duck dish was especially disappointing - the “legendary” mole topping could be mistaken for a thinned out Hershey’s fudge sauce that was left near some onions and peppers, the fritter was bendy and cold, and the duck meat was a salt bomb. Another review said the tortillas were tough - nothing more needs to be said here. Dessert was even more disappointing. The soursop dessert was almost good, but was swimming in a fully flavorless zapote sauce. I should give them credit - I have never in my life had a tres leches cake taste dry, even while swimming in milk, until this meal. Akin to the shrimp soup, the absence of presentation here would have been forgiven if the dessert were good. And never have I cared about presentation - serve me food in a boot, if it’s good, it’s good!

The entire time, not once were we checked on, asked if we wanted more water, how we liked the food, nothing. EVERYTHING was a wait. It felt as though we were just being treated like tourist cattle, only given enough focus to confirm we were eating the food and would be swiftly on our way to paying and exiting. And when it came time to pay, they held us hostage because they didn’t agree with the tip we left, claiming our card didn’t work and wouldn’t unless we entered a bigger tip. They would take the card and the bill and go laugh at us on the corner, as if we couldn’t see them or hear them, like, again, we were supposed to just be easy tourists with no standards. Skip, skip, skip, skip!

Giving them a 3 on atmosphere, the service and the food are not the fault of the interior designer, but they did allow random hawkers to enter the space with live animals, which, well, eh. I genuinely think this spot has high ratings from a gilded past life, but it’s fully...

Disappointing Experience at Azul, Mexico City

Celebrating a special occasion at Azul in Mexico City turned out to be quite disappointing, despite its promising reputation. My family and I visited Azul to celebrate our parents' 50th wedding anniversary, expecting a memorable dining experience. Unfortunately, the afternoon fell short in several critical aspects.

Firstly, the much-anticipated sopa de tortilla, touted for its unique Mexican twist, left us underwhelmed. Instead of the rich, flavorful broth we expected, it resembled a thick cream of tomato soup with little resemblance to traditional tortilla soup. The density was overwhelming, missing the traditional balance of flavors that characterizes this beloved dish. The other dishes we ordered and the drinks were decent.

The ambiance and location of Azul are undoubtedly its strong points. Situated in a beautiful setting, the restaurant exudes a charming atmosphere perfect for a celebratory dinner. However, the beauty of the venue was overshadowed by the service we received.

We felt rushed from the moment we arrived, despite waiting forever to get a table (mind you, we already had a reservation). The waitstaff seemed impatient, pressuring us to order quickly and making us feel as though our presence was burdensome. This discomfort was exacerbated by their tendency to clear our plates prematurely, often before we had finished our meals. It was particularly frustrating given that we were celebrating a significant family milestone and had hoped to savor the experience together at a leisurely pace.

What struck us the most was the subtle judgment we felt regarding our attire. As a tribute to our parents, we wore family t-shirts featuring their wedding photo—a sentimental gesture we expected to be received warmly. Instead, we sensed disapproval, as if our casual attire did not meet the restaurant's standards.

In summary, while Azul offers a picturesque setting and potential for culinary excellence, our visit was marred by disappointing food and subpar service. For a restaurant claiming to offer a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine and hospitality, it fell short of expectations. If considering Azul for a special occasion, I would caution others to manage their expectations carefully based on...

Overall good food but the service we received was rude, slow, and inattentive for the price point and advertised caliber of the restaurant. Because of this I will not be returning in the future.

Main grievances re: service:

I understand that service is slow sometimes... but to have to ask for water 3 times before receiving service is a bit much. If you're going to have slow and inattentive service, at least be consistent... the waitstaff could clearly see that we were still browsing our menus and would come to rush us to order. This happened with the main menu as well as the dessert menu multiple times before we were ready to order. The guacamole is to be served with fresh tortillas. We had to ask for the tortillas after seeing that our guacamole was served and the tortillas were not following. After the waitstaff clears the primary courses they are supposed to provide napkins to each person. We witnessed this happen with other tables but not ours. It was not until we asked for them AFTER our main course was served that they slowly provided them. We paid in cash and our waitstaff counted the change in front of us before we left. As soon as he saw we placed the cash in the receipt box, he rushed over, counted the cash, and took the money without a word.

The guacamole con tomate asado, ceviche mar de cortés, tamal de chaya, and fresh corn tortillas were all delicious. The main courses were ok. I liked how the menus tell you about the origins of each dish/sauce. These are the only redeeming qualities...