Mexican food has captured many Parisian hearts, with Mexican restaurants popping up everywhere like so many cacti in the desert. Distrito Francés or DF is another 2015 newcomer, sprouting near the opening of the bustling Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin. And very welcome it is too.
Inside is another world – all warm wood, plants, pink and blue walls and a staircase lined with Mexican ceramics. At this upmarket taqueria (taco house), you can choose between various spaces – a large communal table with wooden benches, a side room perfect for tête-à-têtes, or upstairs an azure-painted room with sofas for chilling out on. There are also a few spaces on an outside terrace, but the noise from the street isn’t ideal.
Cocktails come by the litre (around €20), bottled beers are around €7, South American wines €3-€6 a glass, shots of Mezcal and Tequila €6-€9. If you’re in danger of overdoing the booze, break it up with a traditional horchata – a rice-based drink scented with mint and hibiscus, or agave honey and lime (€4.50 a litre).
Finally, to the food, which really delivers – from the traditional cochinita pibil tacos with pork cooked in banana leaf (€11 for three), to the more familiar guacamole with corn and cactus crisps (€7.60). Only the burritos let us down slightly, being on the sludgy side – which is just another reason to avoid the Americanised recipes and stick to the more traditional dishes, which are lovely things prepared by an attentive staff.