Condesa
Mexican restaurant · Rittenhouse ·
Exceptional margaritas, tacos, and zero-proof cocktails
Exceptional margaritas, tacos, and zero-proof cocktails
"The Deal: $6 Beers, $7 Wines, $8-$9 Cocktails, And $6 Small Plates A meal inside Center City's Condesa feels like you’ve left Philly and walked into someone's party mansion in Tijuana. The massive front patio of the Mexican spot has the music blasting, and it's filled with dates and friends drinking cheaper-than-usual margaritas and sharing plates of chicken tinga tamales, elote, and beef empanadas with chipotle crema." - candis mclean
"After 13 years serving food inside Crescent Ballroom as Cocina 10, the team has rebranded and moved just five minutes away to a space above Valley Bar at Central and Monroe. The new name — Spanish for "countess" — nods to the restaurant's female leadership. The menu sticks to familiar taco and burrito fillings while adding items like jackfruit al pastor, a Sonoran dog, and an asado platter, alongside staples such as elote and molletes." - McConnell Quinn
"While food and drink service is available year round, this time of year cozy up with happy hour bites around the iconic chimenea on the enclosed patio at Condesa, located in the Motto Philly hotel. Brought to life by the Defined Hospitality team, this vibrant concept offers a solid menu of dishes inspired by all 7 regions of Mexico paired with an impressive selection of agave spirits." - Ernest Owens
"Condesa is the best Mexican place to open in Philadelphia in a long time - which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how great the food is at their other restaurant Suraya. Almost all of the dishes on the menu are made with masa that they grind in-house, and you can taste the difference in everything from the tortillas that come with the goat birria stew to a chocolate “tamale” that tastes like brownie batter. Although it’s a little more expensive than it should be, we wouldn’t be surprised if this place is a household name in Philly a year from now." - sydney mcelwee
"It’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of Condesa, a Mexican spot in Rittenhouse from the same team behind Kalaya and Beddia. There’s hanging chandeliers and multiple lounge areas full of people hot enough to be on Love Island. It’s also the entry point to El Techo (one of the city's top rooftops), so it’s constantly crowded with people wanting to be transported to Miami for a few hours. But after a watery margarita and $38 mediocre carne asada, you’ll realize the food here is much more forgettable than the scene. There’s some quality aspects—tamarind-glazed ribs you’ll eat down to the bone and corn imported from Mexico that they mill themselves. But the tacos, flautas, and tlayudas using the exceptional masa can’t be saved when the fillings taste just average. Although the margaritas are skippable, the other specialty cocktails—our favorite is the passionfruit-heavy Doce—are worth a stop at the long bar with friends or the gorgeous patio before heading to Mission Taqueria or anywhere else for your taco fix. photo credit: Kerry McIntyre photo credit: Kerry McIntyre Pause Unmute" - Candis R. McLean
