My love for spending time in Mexico City is well-documented on this blog. Rounding up our week on the Riviera Maya, our return flight out of Mexico City meant we could tag on an extra night staying in the city. All the better for a re-visit to the fabulous St. Regis Hotel, and an opportunity to catch-up with how the foodie scene concentrated in the well-to-do Polanco district had moved on since our last visit three years ago. The idea was to have a leisurely lunch prior to making our way to the airport for our evening departure. Ignoring the usual hyperbole around established players like Pujol, and wanting to avoid a repeat of my less than satisfying visit to Dulce Patria, this time we chose somewhere we felt was a little under the radar despite having won many accolades.
Describing the menu as a ‘collision between Mexican flavours and Basque cooking techniques‘ part of the team behind Biko trained at that infamous temple to gastronomy – El Bulli, and have aimed to stamp their own contemporary vision on the molecular gastronomy movement. Located on Avenida Presidente Maseryk, the main drag running through central Polanco, the entrance to the restaurant can be found discreetly tucked between a row of designer stores. Taking the stairs up to the restaurant, the space opens up into a fairly large dining room, sporting warm wood panelling and suede upholstery in neutral earth tones. The ambience is classy, modern and airy.
With the choice of a degustation menu or a la carte, the menu needs a little bit of explanation to help navigate, so some Spanish skills will come in handy. Going for the degustation menu, we had all sorts of tasty bits; from fish croquettes, to smoked salmon with baby corn and black olive pesto, baby squid with black ink rice and mariscos reduction, parcels of crab meat wrapped in tomato skin with olive citrus reduction and the lovely sea bass with shrimp and mussels on potato gratin. The food here is the main highlight of the experience, which can only be described as bold, exciting and confident. It’s also a bargain by London standards.
The Verdict
I can’t rave enough about the lunch we had at Biko – that rare combination of unique tastes and textures delivered in bite-sized morsels, while still making you feel like you’ve had a proper meal. With all the foodie hype that’s doing the rounds, they definitely get my vote for one of the best in Mexico City. Make this part of your to-do list when in the well-heeled Polanco district.
Restaurant – 8/10
Experience – 10/10