Mexa Cocina del Alma — Restaurant in Mexico City

We came here for a birthday dinner and it was just alright. We ordered the

mezcal cured seabass tostada smoked shrimp aguachile red tostada heart of palm salad sliced scallop and cucumber cold dish duck confit grilled bone marrow

As several other reviewers said, most of their dishes are drenched in sauce. We found this to overwhelm the main ingredients themselves as it seemed like they relied more on the sauce rather than the performance of the other solid ingredients.

The mezcal cured sea bass tostada had incredible potential but they sliced the fish paper thin to where the flavor and texture itself was lost between their incredible corn tostada (super tasty, we loved them!) and the amount of pumpkin seeds they throw on there (see photo). It would have been nice if they just crushed a few seeds up (or used a bit less) and sprinkled it on top rather than it be a mouthful of flavorful nutty corn tostada then full nuttiness of pumpkin seeds.

The smoked shrimp aguachile was good and spicy! We forgot to get a photo:/ But I would suggest the team maybe cut up the 2 big shrimp they lay on the bottom as it was a bit difficult to eat and portion out to maximize every bite. Flavors were nice though!

As another reviewer said, the heart of palm salad was too saucy (see photo). And unexpectedly very VERY sweet?

Sliced scallop and cucumber was quite disappointing. The scallop itself was super tough and chewy and reminded me of scallops that were previously frozen. They drowned the whole dish in sauce and it was just an unpleasant eating experience because it’s like you’re taking spoonfuls of soup.

The duck confit tamale was the star of the show for us. It was well seasoned, tender, and the tamale melted in your mouth. The squash blossom(I think!) they laid on top gave a nice, delicate floral note when you were able to get a bite with it. Super great dish!

The grilled bone marrow was just okay. We wouldn’t recommend this because like other reviewers said, the octopus is fried and overcooked, so it’s extremely tough and chewy and the overall dish lacks flavor because there is the texture and oil of the octopus chicharron takes over the whole thing.

The service was good and they were able to accommodate a birthday request which was kind of them, but overall we wouldn’t recommend or come back to this restaurant because super saucy dishes are just not our thing. Maybe for others though, and I would absolutely get a duck confit...

Unfortunately, quite irritated with myself for having spent so much on a meal that I really did not enjoy very much. I don't like leaving poor reviews, but after having been in Mexico for 2 years and never once spending so much on a dinner (and we go out to pricey dinners rather frequently) I think it's only right to leave a review for others.

The atmosphere is lovely! And the staff are attentive, if anything a little too attentive. But the food was subpar. The tostada de robalo was dull, it lacked any sauce or spicing that gave it a punch. The infladita de escamoles was fantastic, well balanced, airy, fluffy, and well salted. The steak was chewy. And cost $800mx. On a well prepared steak (usually salted for at least a 2 hour period but better 12/24 hours), the fat should melt like butter in the mouth. With this steak I pulled lots of fatty cartilagenous chunks out of my mouth that I couldn't chew. The fries on the side were nice, clearly made in house and fried to a nice crunch with a soft center. My partners ceviche was yummy too, no complaints there. However, his shrimp taco wasn't sensational, sort of like the tostada, it just didn't have a good punch. And we ordered the chocolate mousse with brownie crumble at the end, which honestly, was plastic-y. Kind of like, manufactured chocolate goods. It lacked depth of flavor, and interaction between the layers of the dessert. Maybe there's other stuff on the menu that would be better! But unfortunately, we weren't impressed with what we tried.

UPDATE: Thank you for your professional response! I appreciate so much a restaurant that is able to respond with aims for improvement when criticized with actionable detail, rather than defensiveness. I'm sure that you folks will address the issues at hand....

The food at your restaurant was superb, a true highlight of our visit to Mexico City. However, my girlfriend and I were disappointed by the service we received, which greatly overshadowed our dining experience. As first-time visitors to the city and both beginner Spanish speakers, we approached our server for an English menu, only to be informed that it was unavailable. When we requested explanations of the dishes, the server merely reiterated the ingredients in a manner that felt dismissive and condescending, particularly during the dessert explanation.

Throughout the meal, the server removed our drinks and dishes without confirming if we had finished, including taking away my cocktail while it was still half full. Despite the restaurant being nearly empty, the server seemed impatient and eager to rush us along, undermining what should have been an enjoyable experience.

When the time came to settle the bill, the server inquired about the tip percentage I intended to leave. After adding a mere 10 pesos with plans to leave a cash tip, I was met with scoffing and laughter, which felt profoundly disrespectful. I had always believed that tips should reflect the quality of service, and given our experience, I felt that the treatment we received did not warrant anything more.

It saddens me to write this because your food is truly exceptional, but I cannot patronize a place where I felt belittled and deprived of basic human kindness. I hope you take this feedback seriously, as the potential of your restaurant deserves...