El Parnita — Restaurant in Mexico City

My recent dinner at El Parnita left much to be desired. From service mishaps to lackluster food, the overall experience fell short of expectations. Upon arrival, we were promptly served our drinks, which was a promising start. However, the subsequent events were less than satisfactory. After waiting for over 30 minutes, we inquired about our starter. To our surprise, the waiter claimed we had only ordered drinks. When we reminded her of our actual order, she seemed flustered and disappeared for another few minutes. Finally, our tacos arrived. Unfortunately, my taco shell was cold, and the filling was disappointingly chewy. The texture was far from the flavorful, tender experience I had hoped for. Moreover, the timing was perplexing—why did the starter take longer to cook than the tacos, when starters typically arrive first?

When the starter finally made its appearance, it was a letdown. The dish, supposedly the simplest thing to prepare, turned out to be tasteless. As someone exploring the culinary delights of Mexico City, this was a missed opportunity to savor something memorable.

El Parnita’s missteps in service and food quality left me feeling underwhelmed. For a restaurant that boasts Mexican flavors, this experience fell flat. I hope they take steps to improve consistency and elevate...

I had three “viajero” tacos, which consisted of pork loin and pork leg, avocado, and red onion on corn tortillas. They were very filling, and I would have been satisfied ordering just two. For dessert, I tried the “gelatina de cajeta” and “budin de elote”. The “budin de elote” (Mexican corn pudding; kind of like corn bread) was deliciously moist and not too sweet. Such a quintessential Mexican dessert, and El Parnita makes it perfectly. It’s a must-order if you’re dining here! The “gelatina de cajeta” (gelatin made from Mexican caramel, known as cajeta) was very sweet. I enjoyed the first few bites, but definitely preferred the corn dessert. I went on a Friday during the late afternoon, and the restaurant was quite loud and lively. Not necessarily bad, but something to...

Food was not good. The best item we had was the viajero and it was only meh (and that may have been because we were starving). Ceviche was very fishy. Tlacoyos especiales were bone dry, covered in cold, hardened cheese and smothered in a sauce that tasted closer to marinara than salsa. Carmelita was also very fishy. We didn’t finish anything because it was all just plain bad. The cocktail (El Guadalupano) would have been great if it weren’t so weak! It was my favorite part of the whole experience though.

Atmosphere was fun, VERY loud, with many, if not majority, foreigners. Not a bad vibe, just what it is.

Service was rushed and hard to come by. I felt trapped because we kept trying to pay and it took 20 minutes for someone to bring a card...