Salazar — Restaurant in Mexico City

Completely unprofessional and poorly run operation. I had a reservation for New Years Eve for more than a month. They called me to adjust timing a few weeks later then out of nowhere cancelled the reservation a week before my arrival and were unreachable and unresponsive.

After attempting to reach out many ways for days to fix the issue I got a WhatsApp message saying they can no longer honor the reservation and blaming me for not taking actions based on communications that never occurred. The only option given to visit another day ( what? ) or be shoved in a hightop in the corner of a bar with a complete pre-fixe deposit wired immediately.

Instead of recognizing the error they are doubling down claiming to have been sending WhatsApp messages, calling and sending OpenTable messages. Ridiculous as I have no receipt of any communication and had no problem receiving the initial call they made to change my timing. Even worse they can see this “offer” and accusal as the first WhatsApp message ever sent as there is no message history. The only other messages were initiated by me: ignored calls and a message with confirmation number asking why my reservation was cancelled a 4 full day earlier.

Do not spend your time and money here given the many high quality and well run restaurants in Mexico City.

Now I am scrambling during travel to figure out a suitable holiday option way late...

It's hard to pin down what this restaurant does best. We've been here a couple of times and they've always impressed with their food that is at the same time homely and comforting, as well as highly skilled. We like to say it's "country European" dining, everything is served family-style, the food has nods to basque, italian and french styles.

It's a great place to share a big Pat Lafrieda steak (sourcing is on point), with a side of roasted veggies (harissa beets, roasted leeks were highlights) and fresh sourdough with salty butter.

The music is sometimes hiphop, sometimes electronic house I'm not cool enough to know the name of. The servers are very attentive and the cocktails are a highlight too. They have a Paloma with fresh grapefruit juice that is too easy to get carried away and drink several of. The wine list leans on lots of natural wines, but there are more classic style bottles also if that's not your jam.

The view is perfect, and I feel they really nail this concept of countryside style restaurant, that was somehow airlifted into the roof of a building, right in the heart of Mexico City. Bring your friends so you can try more dishes and let the chef Allan (previously sous chef at Emilia, very skilled dude)...

Salazar is a great concept that, in our opinion, falls a bit short in execution.

The food was beautifully presented, though some dishes lacked depth in flavor. That said, overall, the meal was enjoyable.

What stood out the most, however, was the service not necessarily in a positive way. From the reception to the overall attentiveness, there were some inconsistencies. For instance, some wines listed on the menu were unavailable, and the sommelier’s explanation “we don’t sell this by the glass” didn’t quite align with what was advertised. Additionally, while attentive service is appreciated, being asked multiple times per course if everything was okay felt excessive, especially when small details, like clearing empty glasses, were overlooked.

Salazar has the view, the stunning setup, and the atmosphere. But for the prices charged, a “less is more” approach to service could make a big difference and elevate the experience.

With a bit more refinement, Salazar could...