Oh Mayahuel

Description:

• Forget tacos and margaritas. If you want a true "authentic" Mexican meal -- one worthy of the gods -- it ought to be accompanied with chapulines (dried grasshoppers) and mezcal (fermented agave drink). Luckily, Oh Mayahuel's atmosphere makes the idea of washing down a handful of dead insects with a glass of firewater a bit more palatable. The lively restaurant and bar, named after Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of agave, soul medicine, and the human heart, is located just off Coyoacán's artsy main square. The molote de platano, an appetizer of puréed plantains and a potent tomato sauce, is worth the trip to the south of the city. In a feat of mixologic genius, the bartenders have created an impressive menu of mezcal-based cocktails, including the Caipirinha Mezcalera, which features mezcal, salt of the worm, lime, orange, and grapefruit juices. A hand-painted sign over the upstairs bar proclaims, "Cheers to Honesty."

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010