For more than 50 years, El Cardenal has stood as a beacon of traditional Mexican cuisine in Mexico City's vibrant culinary landscape. Founded in 1969 by Oliva Garizurieta and Jesús Briz, this family-owned restaurant has evolved from humble beginnings into one of the capital's most cherished dining establishments, renowned for its commitment to authentic Mexican flavors and time-honored cooking methods.
El Cardenal represents the gold standard of traditional Mexican cuisine in Mexico City. Their unwavering commitment to quality, from hand-selected ingredients to time-honored cooking methods, has created an dining establishment that not only serves excellent food but also preserves and celebrates Mexico's rich culinary heritage.
Whether you're starting your day with their famous breakfast service or enjoying a leisurely lunch, El Cardenal offers an authentic Mexican dining experience that shouldn't be missed during your visit to Mexico City.
A Legacy of Mexican Culinary Excellence and a Commitment to Authenticity
What began as a modest family venture by the Briz-Garizurieta family and their seven children has blossomed into an institution that champions Mexican gastronomy. El Cardenal's dedication to preserving traditional cooking methods and using only the finest ingredients has made it an essential stop for both locals and tourists seeking an authentic Mexican dining experience.
El Cardenal's dedication to traditional methods is evident in every aspect of their operation. They not only make their own corn tortillas, they also select the corn they'll use, nixtamalize it, and make the masa daily. They maintain an in-house bakery for their celebrated bread service. They have a partnership with a dairy farm so they know where their fresh raw milk and cheeses come from, and all of it is spectacular.
The Art of Freshly Baked Traditional Pastries and Bread
Breakfast Pan Dulce Selection
El Cardenal's breakfast service is legendary, featuring an array of freshly baked pan dulce (sweet bread) that draws crowds daily. The morning ritual here is a masterclass in Mexican breakfast traditions:
- Fresh Pan Dulce Selection:
- Conchas (traditional Mexican sweet bread rolls)
- Roles de anís (anise-flavored rolls)
- Cuernitos (Mexican croissants)
- Roles de canela (cinnamon rolls)
- Orejas (palmier-style pastries)
- Semitas (sesame-topped bread)
- Cuadritos de higo (fig-topped pastries)
The breakfast experience is elevated by their signature hot chocolate, frothed tableside, and accompanied by fresh nata (cream) made daily from leche bronca (raw milk) – a perfect complement to their artisanal bread selection. Whatever else you order at breakfast, you can't go wrong. But you can't skip this part!
Afternoon Bread Service
While El Cardenal is well-known for its morning pan dulce offering, their afternoon bread service is equally noteworthy, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to artisanal baking throughout the day:
- Afternoon Fresh Bread Selection:
- Bolillos (mini crusty Mexican rolls)
- Rosquitas de anís (ring-shaped anise-flavored bread)
- Galletas de ajonjolí (savory, sesame seed-dotted pastry sticks)
Each variety is baked fresh daily in their on-site bakery, following time-honored recipes and techniques. The afternoon bread service perfectly complements their lunch offerings, providing the ideal accompaniment to their main dishes or for soaking up the last bits of their flavorful sauces. And maybe asking for extras to take home and snack on later or eat with leftovers (wink, wink).
What to Order at El Cardenal
Breakfast Must-Haves
The quintessential El Cardenal breakfast experience must include their pan dulce with nata and tableside-frothed hot chocolate. This combination perfectly exemplifies why their breakfast service is beloved by many.
Pair it with:
- Tortilla de Huevo con Escamoles - A Spanish omelette with a very Mexican twist: ant roe. Escamoles are considered a delicacy and have been eaten in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times.
- Chilaquiles - Served in a clay cazuela with a piquant red salsa and garnished with freshly sliced onion, crema mexicana and crumbled cotija cheese, this will be the nicest version of chilaquiles you've ever had. The tortilla chips are made from the restaurant's homemade tortillas, cut up and fried on site.
- Enchiladas a la Huasteca - This dish from Veracruz (the home state of Oliva Garizurieta) used to be a menu staple, but it's been rotated off in recent years. If you ask for it nicely and they're not busy, the kitchen will usually make it for you. This is my husband's favorite breakfast dish there - it's served on top of a banana leaf and is as tasty as it is classy.
- If you're looking for a "safe" option: you can't go wrong with huevos divorciados or huevos revueltos con chorizo. Both come with a side of homemade refried black beans sprinkled with queso fresco.
Lunch
Note that some of the options are rotated between the permanent menu and specials menu depending on the seasonality of ingredients.
Appetizers
Don't miss the signature Molcajete – fresh avocado and queso fresco nestled in vibrant salsa verde, garnished with diced white onion and cilantro. It's served alongside a basket of warm tortilla, in the restaurant's distinctive blue and white talavera molcajete, making it as visually striking as it is delectable. The queso fresco is made with fresh milk from a dairy farm that makes all their cheese. This appetizer is served year-round and is on the permanent menu at all locations.
Other great options:
- Tacos Campechanos - Four tacos, stuffed with a mix of arrachera and longaniza and served with salsa on the side
- Tacos de Barbacoa - These are often rotated on and off the specials menu, and they're served with salsa borracha. The portion is usually small.
- Anything with huitlacoche - Mexico's black gold, known in English as corn smut. Don't let the name deter you! This inky delicacy tastes early like mushrooms and grows on corn. (Seasonal: Late summer-early fall)
Sopas (Soups)
- Fideo Seco al Chipotle - A slightly spicy version of the classic fideo seco dish.
- Crema de Elote con Flor de Calabaza - A light cream soup with sauteed and chopped squash blossoms.
- Sopa de Frijol con Fideo - A hearty pureed black bean soup with short-cut noodles.
Main Courses
- Chile Ancho Relleno a la Oaxaqueña - A sophisticated take on the traditional dish, this stuffed ancho chile has a sweet and savory picadillo, and is covered in mole and finished with a squiggle of crema mexicana on top. This is my favorite dish on the menu unless chile en nogada is available.
- Cerdo con verdolagas - This dish is a classic guisado we often make at home, and their version is exceptional. It's usually on a daily specials menu, but you can always ask if you don't see it.
- Manchamanteles - This dish can be ordered with pork or chicken (though I recommend pork), and is stewed in a sweet, spicy, nutty mole that literally translates to "tablecloth-stainer" due to its color.
- Puntas de Filete - You'll see different versions of this dish rotating on the specials menu; my favorite is puntas de filete a la mexicana or with a chile morita-based salsa.
- Chile en Nogada - Widely considered one of the best version in Mexico City, this patriotic dish combines poblano chiles, picadillo, and a creamy walnut sauce with pomegranate seeds. (Seasonal: August-September)
Desserts
- Pastel de Tres Leches - Their unique version includes a layer of fresh nata and is generously drizzled with cajeta. Best to share, as one piece is fairly large. This is our family favorite!
- Crepas con Cajeta - Two delicate crepes dressed in cajeta (goat's milk caramel sauce) and topped with chopped pecans. A great option to share if you just want a little taste of something sweet.
- Nieves - Seasonal ice creams, sorbets and ices in uniquely Mexican flavors such as cactus fruit, mamey, and chico zapote (called sapodilla in English). Great for sharing and during the warm weather months, as it usually comes with 2-3 scoops served in an edible caramel lattice bowl.
- Chongos Zamoranos - A traditional dessert made of milk, sugar, cinnamon and rennet that's used to curdle the milk. This dessert isn't pretty, and has a texture similar to soft cheese curds. But it's the kind of dessert you'd eat at your grandma's house, evoking nostalgia and simple, old-timey desserts.
- Calabaza en Tacha - Traditional candied pumpkin in piloncillo syrup, topped with pepitas (Seasonal: October-November).
Planning Your Visit
Tips for Dining at El Cardenal
- Make Reservations - Due to its popularity, reservations are strongly recommended at all locations.
- Try Breakfast - While any meal at El Cardenal is excellent, their breakfast service is particularly special with the fresh pan dulce, artisanal nata made daily with fresh, raw milk, and their signature frothy hot chocolate.
- Seasonal Specialties - Plan ahead to visit during fiestas patrias for seasonal dishes like chile en nogada (August-September).
- Take Home a Souvenir - There are several items they sell that are listed at the back of the menu with current prices, including: queso manchego, queso fresco, mole negro, mole poblano, chocolate de mesa for making their hot chocolate, coffee, a wooden molinillo for frothing your hot chocolate, one of their traditional ceramic pitchers, and their iconic blue and white talavera molcajete.
Restaurant Locations
Check each location's detail page on the restaurant's website (linked below) for hours of service and phone number.
The original location: El Cardenal Tacuba in the Centro Histórico
Marconi No. 2, Local 1, Centro Histórico, Ciudad de México
Bonus: This building has a stunning French-Porfirian facade and stained-glass windows bearing the restaurant's namesake bird, the red cardinal.
My preferred location: El Cardenal San Ángel
Avenida de la Paz 32, Col. San Ángel, Ciudad de México
Convenient location for tourists visiting neighborhoods near La Condesa, La Roma, and Roma Norte: El Cardenal Nápoles
Dakota No. 95, behind the World Trade Center, Colonia Nápoles, Ciudad de México
Out of the way for most people visiting Mexico City, but is the most modern of the locations: El Cardenal Lomas
Av. Paseo de Las Palmas No. 215, at the corner of Monte Camerún, Lomas de Chapultepec, Ciudad de México
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