I had been living in Mexico City for three years before I went to Cafe Tacuba for breakfast- For the record, the band was named for the restaurant, not the other way around, just in case you were wondering. It was my mistake, and I hope to save you from making the same one. Yes, it’s in all the guidebooks, and if it’s not it should be (I confess, I haven’t actually read them all), and it may have been on a travel food show or two, but before you write it off as a tourist destination – one of those places that has traded in authenticity for approachability and where no local would ever set foot – hear me out.
Cafe de Tacuba was founded in 1912 and is housed in a magnificent and well preserved mansion in the historic center of Mexico City. You’ll be enjoying breakfast or brunch surrounded by paintings of historic figures, frescoes, wood paneling and stained glass windows. When you arrive, you’ll find a display case where you can order sweet bread and cake to go and a small podium where you can ask the hostess for a table. If you get there during the breakfast rush there might be a short wait, but don’t worry, it’s worth it. When your table is ready, the hostess will lead you through one or more packed dining rooms filled with couples and families, locals and tourists.
The menu is extensive, but the waiter will stop by to get your drink order before you’ve had a chance to read it. If you like coffee and milk, order the cafe con leche. It’s prepared with concentrated coffee, and warm milk poured into a tall glass from a pitcher held two or three feet above, crating a lovely foam at the top. They’ll serve the coffee and milk at the table, so you can let the waiter know how much cafe you’d like with your leche, and if you’re lactose intolerant, ask for leche deslactosada. If like me you don’t drink coffee, they have a pasable hot chocolate that you can order with water or milk. If you like juice at breakfast, order a large jugo de naranja. You’ll get a liter of fresh orange juice – sometimes sweet and sometimes tart depending on the season and the quality of the oranges, but always fresh and never from concentrate.
A Mexican breakfast begins with sweet bread, so once you have your drinks you’ll want to signal to one of the women walking between the tables with huge white bows on their heads and trays of sweet bread in their hands to show you what they have. The panque de nuez is a specialty – a sweet loaf with pecans and a buttercream frosting – but the churros are also delicious. Everything is baked in-house, so guaranteed to be fresh, but also filled with dairy, gluten and sugar – if that’s not your thing, beware.
When you’re ready for the savory course, the only recommendation I have for you is the tamales de salsa verde – tamales with chicken and tart tomatillo salsa – though I hear the other menu items are also good. Growing up in California, I never understood why everyone made such a fuss about tamales. Hard corn dough wrapped in a leaf just never really did it for me – until I arrived in Mexico City and tried a tamal from the guy who rides around selling them from a pot tied to his bicycle in the evenings. Finally, I understood what exactly was so great about a soft, fresh, steaming tamale with mole. And then, I tried the tamales verdes at Cafe Tacuba, and my world changed a little. Just the right balance of fluffy and spicy and tart – I never order anything else. In fact, I go to Cafe Tacuba for breakfast specifically for the tamales – not for the ambiance, not for the sweet bread, and not for the coffee. I should mention though, that I hear their other breakfast food is also good.
While you’re eating, you might notice a large group of men wearing medieval costumes, carrying various stringed instruments that you may or may not recognize, and singing at the top of their lungs. Rather, if they’re there, you may not be able to avoid noticing them. This is the estudiantina – a group of musicians and singers who will wander from table to table taking requests, for a small contribution.
Before you head off to the adventure – or errand – you have planned for the day, you might want to take a photo on the staircase. They say that the ghost of a nun haunts the old house, and that sometimes she’ll make a guest appearance in photographs taken there. She’s never shown up in any of mine, but maybe you’ll have better luck. If not, don’t worry, the huge bridal painting in the stairwell and beautiful skylights on the second floor are worth taking a few minutes to explore.
Location: TACUBA 28 CENTRO, 06010 • MEXICO CITY