La Capital — Restaurant in Mexico City

Fraud alert. Dine at your own risk.

A friend made a last minute reservation for a group of six of us for a Friday night at 8:15pm last week. Should have suspected something when we arrived and it was basically empty but we were hungry and didn't feel like waiting in line somewhere else. Prices are reasonable and most of the food was quite good, but given the quality of food in Mexico City in general it was nothing to write home about - the seafood dishes were the best but stay away from the steak, which was tough and just not tasty.

The real issue came when it was time to pay the bill. First of all, we ordered bottle service. When we asked for a price list, they told us there wasn't one, brought out three bottles of Mezcal and quoted prices. We chose the Motelobos. When the bill came, the price that was charged was not the price that was quoted, but the difference (3 figures, pesos) was not worth fighting over. We paid for the bottle, and the waiter proceeded to target one of our friends, who had gotten exceedingly and very obviously drunk, and went to him and tried to charge him for the entire bill plus the bottle that we already paid for. It was obvious that the waiter was trying to take advantage of our friend, and it took a lot of yelling and some physical intervention before we could get him and his card machine away from our friend and the bill reprinted without the bottle on it. Our other friends then laid down 40% of the remainder of the bill in cash, so that our drunk friend could put the balance on his card. The waiter then proceeded to try to pocket the cash and charge the entire bill to our drunk friend! More yelling ensued. Overall, we just had a terrible meal and a terrible time. Between the empty atmosphere, good but not special food, and memorably horrible service - we'll be telling people about this place for ages - our theory is that this place is failing and the servers are just trying to get what they can while they can.

If you do choose to dine here, watch your bill, don't order off the menu, and don't get too drunk, or they will try to take advantage of you, especially if you are...

I’m so glad we made a reservation here, the vibe is effortlessly sophisticated, the food was truly tasty, elevating traditional Mexican cuisine. The service was expedient and friendly. Juan was our server, he was great! We were a party of four, having two appetizers, four entrees and one dessert. Let me start with the appetizers: we had guacamole served in a way I hadn’t experienced yet, with herbs and a lime sauce in the middle, accompanied by all sorts of root and plantain chips. The second appetizer was Fideo Seco al Chipotle - their version of a “dry soup”. I could have had two of these for dinner - SO good! This dish is capellini pasta on chilli sauce surrounded by thin blades of avocado, crispy pepper thins on top and a white cream sauce as garnish. Order it, you’ll love it or, at least find it very interesting. Our entrees were the fillet, the sea bass and Chile en Nogada - my dish. The Chile was not only gorgeous but it was a sensory delight. The way the meat was seasoned and delicately wrapped with poblano chille like a little gift, then bathed with cream sauce… something to try for sure!

I would return to La...

This restaurant was recommended by our AirBnb host and is only several minutes from the apartment. It genuinely exceeded our expectations by a big margin. We dined at Contramar and Maximo the previous two days. While La Capital is not as well know as the other two, it certainly rivals them in both food and service. Everything we ordered, five appetizers and three main course, were all excellent in taste, creativity, and presentation. Our server (so sorry I didn’t get his name) was very attentive, friendly, and accommodating, making us feel so relaxed and welcome. The dishes were served at the perfect pace and order, allowing our taste buds and appetite to gradually open up. I noticed that restaurant food in CDMX in gey is much less salty than in the US and desserts less sugary; La Capital is no exception. The well balanced seasoning highlights the many layers of flavor of various ingredients, making each bite a sensation. And the presentation is so visually pleasant that it adds another dimension to the whole experience. All in all, it was an amazing dinner that I will keep recalling...