Best International Restaurant Is Maximo Bistrot in MXC
"The design of Máximo Bistrot, the Mexico City restaurant by Eduardo "Lalo" García that's been feverishly adored by locals, out-of-towners, and food media since 2011, might initially perplex you with its seemingly disparate elements. Huge, colorful tapestries depicting mountains billow from the walls. Tiny candles illuminate the spindly branches of a "tree of life" bas-relief. The stark wooden chairs and tables are all clean lines and hard angles, contrasted against the flooring, a bold check pattern of green and white tiles. Though not visible to the naked eye, every detail, down to the hand-woven napkins, is Mexican-made. The menu also honors García's home country by sourcing as many native ingredients as possible to flex Mexico's lesser-known biodiversity. Prepared with classic French techniques, the imaginative and ever-changing dishes include plenty of twists, like a crunchy Caesar salad draped with silky headcheese slices and dribbled with peppery basil oil. "We are a European-style restaurant with a Mexican feel," says García of his approach." - Katie Chang
