DOLORES
Restaurant · Bedford-Stuyvesant ·
Mexico City-inspired tacos, botanas, and cocktails
Mexico City-inspired tacos, botanas, and cocktails
"Expect to wait for a table as customers spill onto the street, but the dialed-in cocktails, botanas (Mexican bar snacks), and rotating specials make it worth the hype at this new bar. Start with the aguachile verde campechano ($18), a bright and punchy mix of squid, octopus, and shrimp with a kick of heat. The taco changes by the day; recently, albondigas al chipotle—smoky, saucy, tender meatballs—were a highlight ($8 to $20; mains run $22 to $32). A few dishes nod to Mexico City icons: the cochinita pibil tacos, starring citrusy shredded pork, take inspiration from famed taqueria El Turix, while the enchiladas are modeled after those from the CDMX cantina El Sella. Mexican spirits get the spotlight: for a crushable drink, try the spice-infused highballs—sumac in the draft Paloma adds another layer of tartness, while the tropical-leaning Batanga infuses Jerk spices into its reposado tequila base—and ingredients like sotol, Mexican rum, and tepache that can be hard to find at other New York bars (cocktails are $16). The vibe is playful, with literal bar games and cheeky touches like that cactus-stemmed glass; outdoor seating is pleasant and lively, but snagging a booth indoors is superior for the Art Deco design and the din of a new spot already hitting its stride." - Mary Anne Porto
"In New York Dolores explicitly draws from Mexico City in design and menu and focuses on meaty tacos paired with cocktails heavy on tequila and mezcal." - Jaya Saxena
"At Dolores in Bed-Stuy, there's strawberries in your michelada, and the refried beans are so cheesy they could easily pass as queso. It's a fun, funky place that nails the whole we're-a-restaurant-but-also-a-bar thing. You could easily come to this Mexico City-inspired restaurant for just a drink and a snack at the bar. But the food here—like those refried beans, or the El Rey taco with short rib asada and guacamole swaddled in a flour tortilla—is best enjoyed in a dark green booth in the dining room. Come for a full meal on your first visit, try whatever daily special is available, and then return late-night to play some Mexican bar games and work your way through the rest of the cocktail menu." - Bryan Kim, Molly Fitzpatrick, Willa Moore, Will Hartman, Sonal Shah
"It’s been a big year for Mexican food in New York (see: Santo Taco, Cariñito Tacos, Olmo, Comal). Next up is Dolores, a Mexico City-inspired restaurant in Bed-Stuy from the team behind nearby Winona’s. The cocktail menu has classic margaritas, but also the Devil At The Disco, with both vodka and rum. The food menu is made up of botanas (like aguachile verde), tacos, and large plates that rotate daily—think Thursday fajitas and Sunday enchiladas." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, bryan kim
"At Dolores in Bed-Stuy, there's strawberries in your michelada, and the refried beans are so cheesy they could easily pass as queso. It's a fun, funky place that nails the whole we're-a-restaurant-but-also-a-bar thing. You could easily come to this Mexico City-inspired restaurant for just a drink and a snack at the bar. But the food here—like those refried beans, or the El Rey taco with short rib asada and guacamole swaddled in a flour tortilla—is best enjoyed in a dark green booth in the dining room. Come for a full meal on your first visit, try whatever daily special is available, and then return late-night to play some Mexican bar games and work your way through the rest of the cocktail menu." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, sonal shah