Review: Azul Historico

Tell us about your first impressions when you arrived.
In the open-air courtyard of the 17th-century Downtown Mexico Hotel sits the charming Azul Historico, potentially the best of Ricardo Muñoz Zurita's Mexico City restaurants. With tall spindly trees, rough-hewn tables, and women making tortillas by hand in the corner, it's a pleasant place for a relaxing late lunch while in the Historic Center.

What was the crowd like?
Business meetings, tourists, upper-class Mexican families, and shoppers taking a break from the boutiques on the second floor.

What should we be drinking?
Sippable tequilas and mezcals are the strongest options on the list, though there are also conventional wines and sweet cocktails.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
Muñoz is a gastronomic historian who is precise and dogmatic when it comes to time-honored recipes. His spicy and chile-laden mole negro de oaxaca is legendary, and the cochinita pibil is a classic. There are no wild flourishes here, just well-executed, elegant plates. Try the enchiladas in a mild chipotle sauce filled with hibiscus flowers—the same ones used to make the tangy Jamaica drink.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
Rehearsed. They'll try to push margaritas and guacamole on tourists, especially if you look like one.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?
It's a likable spot for lunch in Centro when you're feeling overstimulated by the chaotic neighborhood. Have a drink!