LINA

My Mexico City with Máximo’s Chef Lalo García

"Cooking here is straightforward but skillful: a plate of beautifully charred squash comes with a smoky pine nut sauce, chicken with crispy skin is set alongside roasted peaches and a mushroom medley, and a rich mole coloradito gives one dish particular memorability; finish with a fruit-layered tres leches for a real treat." - David Shortell

"With a welcoming vibe and an open kitchen, this quaint spot in Roma bursts with contemporary charm. The service is all heart here, where Chef Mariana Villegas Martínez draws on her experiences and travels to inspire her contemporary Mexican cooking. From the seasonal products highlighted to the harmony of flavors, this is cooking that shows great care and thoughtfulness. Far from flashy, it's straightforward but skillful, perhaps best seen in a plate of beautifully charred squash sided by a smoky pine nut sauce. Chicken with crispy skin is set with roasted peaches and a mushroom medley, but it's the rich mole coloradito that makes the dish especially memorable. Close out with a fruit-layered tres leches for a real treat." - Michelin Inspector

The 38 Best Restaurants in Mexico City | Eater

"Lina is the first solo project of chef Mariana Villegas after spending time in world-renowned kitchens like Cosme in New York, Fulgurances L’Adresse in Paris, and Contramar in Mexico City. Lina’s dinner menu combines international flavors and local ingredients, with options like trout tartare with hibiscus creme fraiche, tuna sashimi with carrot aguachile, and wagyu with salsa borracha. For dessert, Villegas’s tres leches with guava cream is an elegant take on one of Mexico’s most beloved cakes, and the chocolate mousse with pataxtle (white cacao) is excellent. Lina’s open kitchen and dining room feel cozy, and the restaurant offers bar seating for diners to kick off dinner with a Sake Splitz (Mexican sake, Oaxacan poleo, prosecco) or a glass of biodynamic wine. Vibe check: Lina feels casual yet elevated for the quality of the menu, ideal for dinner parties among food-focused friends." - Natalia de la Rosa