Taco Tasting Room

Taco Tasting Room flips the taquería format into a 14-seat omakase experience at a single counter on Avenida 5 de Mayo. There's no trompo, no salsa bottles on the table, no street noise — just a multi-course tasting menu (around 11 courses) that moves through regions of Mexico via tacos and other formats. Chef Pepe Salinas runs the kitchen, and the spot holds a Michelin Guide listing.

Standouts include the aguachile granizado, white mole, escamoles (ant larvae), rib-eye esquite, and slow-cooked pork in recado negro with purple onion foam. The national pairing adds three whites, a red, beer, mezcal, and a carajillo; the cocktail list leans on mezcal with creative takes like mezcalita de xoconostle. Expect to spend around two hours here and a bit of a splurge — the tasting menu with pairing runs in the higher range.

Reservations are required and service runs Wednesday through Monday at 1:30pm, 4:30pm, and 8:30pm. The space is tight — just 14 seats at the bar — so expect close quarters. The menu rotates every three months.