El Palenquito — Restaurant in Mexico City

I wanted to check out El Palenquito as a recommended mezcal bar in Roma Norte. Their selection was ok but the service was not what I would have hoped for. I ordered a beer, and a mezcal of which the pour was small. I then asked about their special selection. I was told that they only do a double as a minimum for that particular order. Ok sure. It was tasty but when I asked for the check, the server presumptuously asked if I was going to tip 20%. Normally not a problem for me. I also realized at that point that he had taken the little bit of the shot I had left over without asking me. For those of you that haven't been to Mexico before, they always ask at the card terminal what you would like to tip. He then added more than what I had already agreed to. I was meeting some friends and told them to meet me here but after that I just decided to go somewhere else. Needless to say I won't be going back nor would I recommend this spot to anyone. They made me feel like a tourist that was to be taken advantage...

We recently moved to Mexico City and came here at recommendations of a friend. Definitely more of a mezcal and beer place, but we both ordered cocktails, which we’re pretty good. Good vibes for a small space.

After one drink each (service was fine) we headed out. When it came time to pay, the server asked if we wanted to do 12% for the service charge, my fiancé (who is from Oaxaca and speaks fluent Spanish) said 10%. When we got my card back and signed, we saw we had been charged 12.5%. My fiancé wanted to say something on principle, but I didn’t feel like it was worth the hassle over 10 pesos.

Moral of the story: Not a bad place to hang, but if you pay with card, be aware you may be overcharged. It’s a small thing, but a little annoying. I doubt...

So happy I was pointed toward El Palenquito. I believe the menu for drinks is only Mezcal, but in a very good way. They go and source quality mezcal from producers that the average drinker certainly wouldn’t have access to. I knew exactly where I was starting, and solicited help from Oscar…he extremely knowledgeable the way you would expect a sommelier to point you in the right direction. His suggestion was better to my flavor profile than what I had chosen. This is the place to go for mezcal…not an endless list, but a curated and thoughtful number of expressions. The atmosphere is a little rustic, but it adds to the charm. If you’re either new to mezcal or an old hand…this is an...