RESTAURANTE LOREA — Restaurant in Mexico City

READ BEFORE BOOKING: A Candid Review of LOREA

During my culinary adventures through Mexico City, a city I've explored plate by plate over the last decade, I recently decided to dine at LOREA. It’s worth mentioning that one of my meals was comped by the restaurant, as I did not consume a portion of the dishes presented to me.

First and foremost, the service at LOREA was impeccable. There's absolutely nothing to critique on that front, a beacon of professionalism in what was otherwise a disappointing experience.

Regrettably, the core of any restaurant visit, the food, was underwhelming. From the first dish to the last, I was served a series of bland and uncreative meals that progressively soured my dining experience. Dish after dish, my anticipation for culinary innovation was met with mediocrity, failing to excite or satisfy. Who serves unsalted steak??

Prior to my visit, I had informed the restaurant of my lactose intolerance, a condition they inquired about themselves, multiple times. I emphasized that while minor inclusions of dairy wouldn't pose a significant issue, any substantial presence would. Yet, the dessert served to me was a glaring oversight: a brownie buried under a mound of cream. This decision baffled me, especially after the restaurant had made a point to ask about food allergies/ intolerances. Their offer to replace the dessert came too late in the evening; my desire by then was to simply leave.

My dining experiences across Mexico have set a high bar, one that LOREA unfortunately didn't meet. While I refrain from labeling the experience a rip-off, I firmly believe that even paying 20-30% of the tab would feel excessive for what was offered.

Equally disappointing was the wine list, reminiscent in taste of selections one might find in a convenience store. The drinks "experience" touted by the restaurant fell flat, and I would advise future patrons to bypass it in favor of making their own beverage choices.

I am perplexed by the abundance of glowing reviews LOREA has received. For anyone with a discerning palate or familiarity with other establishments in this price range within Mexico City, I urge you to consider the critical voices amongst the reviews. My sentiments echo those of others who share my disappointment.

Following the main course, we were served a digestive broth, touted as a unique feature of the restaurant, derived from corn scraps. The concept, while unique, failed to impress, akin to drinking warm soy sauce in both concept and appeal.

Our intention was to enjoy a memorable evening out in Mexico City, a plan we ultimately fulfilled with tacos after our meal at LOREA. This experience served as a stark reminder that not all culinary adventures end favorably.

To add insult to injury, my visit was marred by minor digestive discomfort (unrelated to the LOREA restaurant), compounded by the absence of toilet paper in the restrooms. Fortunately, I had the foresight to carry a small pack of tissues with me.

In summary, my experience at LOREA was far from the luxurious night out we had anticipated. It stands as a cautionary tale for those enticed by the restaurant’s reputation...

Michelin Star Well Deserved. And Then Some!!!

Lorea was truly the perfect way to end our trip. It was a truly full sensory experience, and one of the most memorable meals we've ever had. As one of our last nights in CDMX, we wanted something special to celebrate our 15-year anniversary, and this exceeded every expectation.

We booked the earliest reservation and were seated right at the chef’s table (highly recommend if you can snag it). It’s part dinner, part performance.

From the moment we sat down, the attention to detail was incredible. You're greeted with a sealed envelope, ink-stamped with their emblem, and inside is a seasonal menu curated specifically for that night. What made it even more special? They customized ours with an anniversary shoutout…such a thoughtful touch that immediately set the tone.

Every dish celebrated Mexican culture and ingredients with a level of creativity and reverence you rarely see. From mole to Mexican-aged caviar, heirloom corn, wagyu beef raised locally, and herb-infused teas steeped tableside, each plate felt like a love letter to the region.

What truly stood out (beyond the phenomenal food) was the energy in the kitchen. Watching the team work together in real time from the chef’s table was remarkable. I’ve sat at many chef’s tables, and they’re often buzzing with intensity or chaos. But here, everything felt calm, focused, and respectful.

The team communicated with such patience and kindness, not just toward us, but toward one another. It was like watching a perfectly choreographed dance🥹

The chefs and servers (shoutout to Ulises, Juan, Aaron, Jenny, and Alexander) took the time to explain each course: where the ingredients came from, why they chose them, and the inspiration behind each technique. It gave every bite so much more meaning, and made me appreciate the artistry behind it all.

Another little detail that blew us away: they began working on our desserts the moment we sat down - and we were there for over two hours! That level of care and timing speaks volumes about the passion and love that goes into every plate.

To the entire team at Lorea: thank you for giving us such a beautiful and memorable final night in Mexico City. We will...

Disappointing in various ways. If I’m honest, our experience at Lorea, which followed an underwhelming experience at another high end contemporary Mexican restaurant the previous night, and another a few nights before, resulted in us cancelling the bookings we had made for similar restaurants for the rest of our stay in Mexico City. Some of the food was pleasant enough, but besides some outstanding bread and butter (not joking, it really was amazing. Some lovely sour dough with butter made with toasted yeast which had amazing depth of flavour) nothing else was knockout. And indeed some courses underperformed significantly. The seabass (I think) salad featured fish that had no texture and had basically devolved to mush by the time it reached us. They gave us an extra course to atone - a beef tongue taco, which was quite nice and we appreciated the extra effort. One of the two desserts, a flan, was absolutely awful and tasteless - a real mystery as to why that was on the menu. The main course of beef tacos was pretty good, but frankly did not compare favourably with the street tacos we had had earlier that same day. This combined with our other experiences led us to conclude that Mexican cuisine shows its best, in terms of taste but most definitely in terms of value, at the street food level. Perhaps this will change in the future, but our last few days of trying expensive contemporary Mexican restaurants, at which we have spent hundreds of pounds on each occasion, is that the level they are delivering is not commensurate with what they are charging. I would like to make a special mention to our server Luc, who was absolutely lovely and did an excellent job explaining the dishes and chatting to us, and giving us recommendations for places to visit during our stay. And we would also like to thank Lorea for the glasses of complimentary champagne they gave us for my wife’s birthday. Our experience was by no means a disaster, but they are unfortunately not hitting the level of quality required to fill a restaurant at these prices - just under £320 for two people - especially when many taco bars around the city are serving better food for a fraction...