El Cardenal: A Taste of Mexican Culture

El Cardenal is one of the most traditional Mexican restaurants in Mexico City; it is a gathering place for businessmen, politicians, families, and friends, as well as a widely popular place to have breakfast on the weekends. El Cardenal was founded in 1969 by Mrs. Oliva Garizurieta and Mr. Jesús Briz, who were looking to build up a legacy for their seven children. Nowadays, El Cardenal has four locations in Mexico City: one in Calle Palma, one in the Historic Center (at the Hilton Hotel), one in Las Lomas de Chapultepec, and one in San Ángel.

At El Cardenal, traditional Mexican cuisine is the house specialty, and the culinary team is proud to contribute to the preservation of the main techniques that are used in the making of authentic Mexican food in order to guarantee the excellence and the quality of their dishes. Tortillas are prepared the old-fashioned way using the nixtamal method. The hot chocolate, which is an integral part of the breakfast experience they offer, is homemade, and has recently begun to be sold to the public under the brand “Doña Oliva”®. The natas (which is the cream that thickens and congeals from boiling raw milk) are made daily using fresh milk of the highest quality so that they can be served with the deliciously fresh-baked pan dulce, or sweet bread, which is also baked on-site every morning. And finally, El Cardenal produces their own cheese, in order to ensure the quality of their product.

Here are some mouthwatering menu suggestions from the culinary team at El Cardenal, so that on your next trip to Mexico City you don’t miss out on this authentic culinary experience.

For breakfast…