Restaurante El Cardenal: Lunch in Historic Center of Mexico City

Restaurante El Cardenal in the historic center of Mexico City

Restaurante El Cardenal, located in the historic center of Mexico City, is renowned for its traditional Mexican cuisine and authentic recipes. Founded in 1969 by Olivia Garizurieta and Jesús Briz, the restaurant began as a means to support their family.

Over time, they shifted their focus to creating high-quality Mexican dishes using fresh, local ingredients. Their extensive menu includes everything from chilaquiles to chicken mole to grilled sea bass.

Since opening over 50 years ago, El Cardenal has expanded to four locations in Mexico City. Over the decades, their commitment to quality, affordability, and excellent service has remained steadfast.

On my recent visit to Mexico City, I stopped by their location on Calle de la Palma in the historic center of the city, housed in a beautiful 20th-century French-style building.

Interior of Restaurante El Cardenal

Bright interior of the main dining room, Restaurante El Cardenal, Mexico City — Bright interior of the main dining room

When I arrived at Restaurante El Cardenal, the first thing I noticed was how beautiful the French-style building was, even before stepping inside.

When I walked through the door and into the restaurant, it was as beautiful as the exterior. I entered a small dining room with only a few tables and access to an outdoor patio.

The friendly staff directed me to an elevator, which took me up one floor to the main dining room. I thought this was unique.

The main dining room was large, open, and bright. I especially enjoyed the large, beautiful windows, allowing in light and a cool breeze.

The atmosphere was casual and inviting but louder than expected, with the sounds of diners talking and staff moving around plates and cups.

Menu at Restaurante El Cardenal

Of all the restaurants I visited on my trip to Mexico City, none might have had as many options as the menu at Restaurante El Cardenal.

There were endless items, including hot starters, cold entrees, salads, soups, seafood dishes, meat dishes, traditional dishes, and moles.

You are in luck if you are in the mood for a dish with beef, chicken, pork, veal, lamb, salmon, tuna, shrimp, or octopus. There were also options without meat.

If you are unsure what to order, there is also a large selection of recommended dishes. I asked my server for his recommendation because I couldn’t decide.

Bread

After ordering, but before my food arrived, a server walked over and placed a basket of warm bread and butter on the table.

The bread was airy and soft on the inside while crispy and crunchy on the outside. Even though I hadn’t added butter yet, the bread seemed to have a buttery texture to it.

While simple, the bread was delicious, thanks to the in-house bakery which bakes fresh bread daily for breakfast and lunch.

Arrachera Marinada

First, at my server’s recommendation, I ordered the Arrachera Marinada (330 pesos). This dish included a large piece of arrachera (hanger steak), guacamole, sauteed nopales (cactus leaves), and scallions.

The sear on the steak’s exterior added texture, color, and a smoky flavor. And it looked beautiful. Inside, the meat was tender and bouncy, with the perfect richness. And there were no fatty, tough-to-eat bits.

Though cooked all the way through, the steak wasn’t dry. It was easy enough for me to cut through with my knife. I appreciated the simplicity of the steak, seasoned with just salt and pepper, allowing me to taste the natural flavors of the beef.

On the side was a simple, fresh, tangy guacamole, tender crunchy nopales that were lightly acidic from pickling, and sautéed onions, which they called scallions. A couple of roasted red peppers were mixed in, which looked like chili de arbol but without the heat.

Pollo en Mole Poblano

While a few mole options were on the menu, I ordered the Pollo en Mole Poblano (260 pesos). The menu noted that this dish had rice and was a little spicy.

The dish included chicken breast or thigh and leg covered in mole made with three types of chilis including mulato and ancho, almonds, dried bread, and chocolate. I opted for the thigh and leg.

The first thing I noticed was how simple this dish appeared. But sometimes simple is best. While simple, the dish looked beautiful, with the mole glistening under the lights.

The chicken leg and thigh were tender and moist, and the rice was cooked well. While the chicken and rice were delicious, the mole elevated the dish.

Mole is special. It requires a lot of ingredients, time, and love, and at El Cardenal, it was no different. The sauce took a long time to prepare for something simple.

As mentioned, the mole had chilis, almonds, dried bread, and chocolate. The result was a thick, sweet, smoky, spicy, umami-rich mole that was so delicious.

The combination of mole, chicken, and rice was perfect.

Service at Restaurante El Cardenal

Of all the restaurants I visited on my trip to Mexico City, none could compare to the service I received at El Cardenal.

From the time I arrived until I left, the staff was welcoming and attentive. Whenever I needed anything, a staff member was nearby to help or give recommendations.

Finally, I found the restaurant’s interior spotless, with staff constantly cleaning tables after a guest left.

Conclusion

With a history of over 50 years, it’s no surprise that Restaurante El Cardenal was one of my favorite restaurants in Mexico City.

While the dishes were simple, everything from the quality of the ingredients, flavors, textures, and plating was fantastic. Anything you order on their menu will be delicious.

Besides the food, the service was attentive and professional. And the building and dining room were beautiful.

On my next visit to Mexico City, I will stop by Restaurante El Cardenal again. And so should you.