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FOOD AND DRINK

Readers recommend: The best Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in France

Looking for a place to enjoy authentic guacamole, well-spiced tacos or burritos with black beans? Readers of The Local have given their favourite Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in France.

Readers recommend: The best Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in France
Traditional Mexican food at the Fonda Mexicana restaurant in Mexico City, Mexico in 2016 (Photo by OMAR TORRES / AFP)

At first glance, you might assume France is a haven for Mexican food, given advertisements for ‘tacos’ all over the place. But beware – ‘French tacos’ are a different thing entirely. 

READ MORE: France’s national fast food: What exactly are ‘French tacos’?

Home to a smaller Mexican diaspora, France has far less Mexican and Tex-Mex style restaurants when compared with North American countries, leaving foreigners from the US, Canada and Mexico itching for some mole or tamales. 

That’s before we get to restaurants that have set their spice levels for the average French palate (ie not so hot).

We asked readers for their recommendations, and here’s what they said;

In Paris

Unsurprisingly, the French capital – with a burgeoning international food scene – has the greatest choice of Mexican places including the American chain Chipotle and the French BocaMexa which has several Paris sites. 

El Nopal (75010 and 75009)

With sites at Canal Saint Martin and Pigalle, El Nopal is a favourite of many Mexican-food lovers in Paris.

Four different readers of The Local recommended it as either their first or second-place pick for a go-to Mexican restaurant in Paris.

David Sturman in Paris wrote: “It’s a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a small but delicious menu,” and reader Jonah Church, also based in Paris, called it an “authentic Mexican taqueria like in Mexico, So Cal and Baja California”.

Itacate (75001)

Tina M. Lowrey recommended Itacate, near the Louvre-Rivoli Metro stop.  

She chose it as her preferred place to eat Mexican food in France because of the “very good tacos and salsas!” Lowrey did have one complaint, she said she “[wishes] they had real margaritas (on the rocks, not frozen)”.

The restaurant does not only serve tacos and tortas, it also lists the classic Mexican dish Alambre on its menu as well.

El Cartel del Taco (75010)

Reader Esteban Garcia said this restaurant, not far from the Jaurès Metro station, has the “best salsas”. He also listed it as his favourite thanks to the “authentic tacos”.

Owned by a Franco-Mexican couple, the restaurant says on its site that it is “committed to using fresh, authentic ingredients, imported directly from Mexico, to bring to life dishes rich in flavour and diversity.”

Mamacita Taqueria (75009)

Popular not only for its tacos, but also its cocktails, Mamacita Taqueria can be a lively spot for nightlife in Paris. According to the restaurant’s website, if you visit in the evenings between Thursday and Saturday you’ll see it “come alive with DJ Sets, impromptu live performances and other sorpresas!”

Reader Rebecca Brite said she picked it as her favourite because Mamacita Taqueria has “some of the more authentic Mexican flavours I’ve found in Paris.”

Nomás Tacos (75002 and 75010)

The popular Mexican street food joint has three locations – two of which are in Paris, plus a popular Instagram page. You can also test out their new ‘Pink Taco’.

 
 
 
 
 
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According to Kevin Kessler, who lives in the suburbs of Paris, this restaurant ranked at the top of his list for its “authentic flavour, great guacamole, good pico, and choices of meats.”

They do not take reservations. 

Acà (75010 and 75018)

With two locations in some of Paris’ busiest neighbourhoods: Pigalle and Republique, Acà was also a favourite of readers of The Local. 

The restaurant has also been known to offer ‘Taco Tuesday’ deals, with tacos for just €1. Reservations can be made here.

El Guacamole (75010)

Californian reader Nobie Kawasaki recommended this restaurant because of its “authentic Mexican food.”

She said she “[loves] the taco trio with multiple hot sauces served on the side.”

On their website, El Guacamole describes their food as “100 percent homemade” with “spices imported directly from Mexico.”

READ MORE: Readers recommend: The best Indian restaurants in France

Anahuacalli (75005)

Unlike some of the fast-casual options listed above, Anahuacalli offers a more refined menu. You can make reservations ahead of time online.

One recent TripAdviser reviewer called it “Wildly, uniquely great Mexican food” saying that it was “the only restaurant we dined at twice in February while in Paris for eight days.”

Reader of The Local, Abhijeet Dev, called it a “close contender” for best Mexican restaurant in France.

Burritos Hermanos (75015)

Boasting vegan and vegetarian-friendly options, Burritos Hermanos is owned and operated by reader of The Local Joanne Carter and her husband. 

Joanne told The Local: “we opened in mid-June after being delivery only during the lockdown. We have great feedback and the food is truly delicious. 

“Many people from Latin America, California, Mexico, have dined with us and said they love the food too. My husband is a really talented chef and we’ve created a really warm, relaxed atmosphere too.”

Outside of Paris

El Sol Azteca, Saint-Germain-en-Laye

This restaurant was a favourite for multiple survey respondents.

According to reader Abhijeet Dev, who lives the same area as the El Sol Azteca, the restaurant “[delivers] authentic Mexican taste in everything they serve, spiced up as much as you can handle in authentic Mexican way”.

READ MORE: Do the French really hate all spicy food?

You can make a reservation online here.

Alebrije, Lyon

Another top pick among readers, Alebrije, located in Lyon’s 4th arrondissement, continues to be listed in the French press and review magazines as a restaurant worth visiting.

While it was temporarily closed as of November 2023, according to the website the reopening is scheduled for January 2024.

One reader of The Local, Erica, who currently lives in Versailles but used to live in Lyon, chose it as her favourite. She said “it is run by chef Carla Kirsch who is a Mexican chef! Cannot get more authentic than that! The atmosphere is great and so is the food.”

Another reader, Patrick, who lives in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, said: “It’s delicious and the chefs consistently achieve an intriguing fusion of traditional Mexican flavours and French culinary practices.”

La Santa Cruz, Villiers-sur-Marne

There are also Mexican options in the Paris suburbs, like La Santa Cruz in Villiers-sur-Marne along the RER E. 

Reader Toby Parker told The Local: “I grew up in Texas and the Mexican food here is good enough to be good in Texas.” High praise.

Chipotle, Lyon – the American chain also has a presence in the Westfield shopping mall at Part Dieu railway station. 

Nomás Tacos, Lille

And finally, Nomás Tacos (listed above) also has a location in Lille. More information here.

TACO&CO, Nice

Reader Sue Holloway, who lives in Nice but is from California said called this restaurant “the closest to CA Mexican food that we’ve found so far.”

The restaurant also offers an ‘Épicerie Méxicaine”, with plenty of grocery items including spices, sauces and peppers.

Best tips for enjoying delicious Mexican food 

Several readers also shared their tips for finding decent Mexican restaurants in France. Esteban Garcia said “avoid places with nachos on the menu”, other readers, like Abhijeet Dev advised avoiding the word “fusion”.

Erica in Versailles also advised checking out the staff. “Mexican chef = good Mexican food!” she said.

For Rebecca Brite, it was important to temper expectations. She advised patience, telling The Local that “you have to eat a lot of inauthentic crap to find the good ones.”

Jonah Church had similar advise, saying that it comes down to “trial and error.”

“You can tell pretty quickly by the ingredients they use and the spices if it’s authentic. Actually a lot of it comes down to the spices used. And of course always look for fresh tortillas!” Church said.

Joanne Carter recommended checking out the list of Mexican restaurants provided by the Mexican Embassy’s website (found here).

The Embassy also noted that anyone is welcome to send recommendations for restaurants that are not already on the list – you can send them to “[email protected]”.

Some readers, recognising the small pool of options for Mexican restaurants, advised cooking the food yourself. 

In order to do so, you might want to visit any nearby Mexican grocery stores or Épiceries. For Paris, Jonah Church advised going to “Mexicœur” because “it has a good selection of Mexican products. There is also a really good Mexican Bakery called Gourmandises Mexicaines in Paris as well servicing traditional Mexican baked goods and desserts.”

Patrick in the south of France also recommended learning to make the food yourself. “There are a number of French online shops run by Mexican immigrants where you can order authentic ingredients to make tacos, moles, pozole, etc,” he advised.

For those trying to keep spice levels hot, reader Kevin Kessler said “If you’re looking for good peppers/tomatillos, try Westland Peppers. It’s a farm to table (yes they deliver) for all things spicy and glorious.”

Do you have a favourite Mexican restaurant in France? Tell us about your experiences finding (or struggling to find) decent Mexican food in the comments below.

Member comments

  1. El Pueblo, 4 rue de Candolle, in Montpellier. Chef Aviles, from Mexico City brings authentic and traditional recipes from his hometown. He and his wife run this charming restaurant in the historic center of Montpellier.

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For members

AMERICANS IN FRANCE

Is there really a 1949 treaty that allows Americans an extra three months in France?

You might have heard rumours about an old but never-repealed treaty between France and the USA that allows Americans an extra three-month stay in France without requiring a visa. But is it still valid?

Is there really a 1949 treaty that allows Americans an extra three months in France?

It sounds almost too good to be true – an obscure treaty that would potentially allow Americans to stay up to six months in Europe without needing a visa . . .

The agreement exists, it was one of several bilateral travel agreements that France made in 1949.

It states: “From April 1st 1949, citizens of the US can enter the following countries on the simple presentation of a valid passport, without a visa, and stay between one day and three months; France, Andorra, Algeria, Morocco, Gaudeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion (or Tunisia for two months).”

First things first, we would strongly advise against turning up at the border of Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco and claiming your right to free entry based on an agreement that France made for them back in the days when they were colonised. Awkward.

The Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the Indian ocean island of La Réunion and the South-American territory of French Guiana remain French. For administrative purposes they are part of France, but they are not part of the Schengen zone so have slightly different travel rules. Andorra is different again.

Schengen rules

These days France is part of the EU’s Schengen zone and that has its own rules for travel.

Americans are one of several nationalities covered by the ’90-day rule’ – this allows for stays of up to 90 days in every 180 in the Schengen zone, without the requirement for a visa. In total over a year you can spend 180 days visa free, but they cannot be consecutive – within any 180-day period you must not stay for more than 90 days.

READ ALSO How does the 90-day rule work?

The 90-day limit covers time spent in any of the Schengen zone countries – so for example if you are travelling around France, Italy, Spain and Austria you get 90 days total, not 90 days in each country.

The 1949 agreement allows three months visa-free in France, while the Schengen zone agreement allows 90-days visa free in France – basically the same amount.

However where the 1949 agreement could potentially be an advantage is for Americans who want to travel around Europe for several months – essentially giving them three months in France plus 90 days in the rest of the Schengen zone countries, allowing for a six-month visa-free stay in Europe.

Neither rule allows for more than 90 days in France without getting a visa – if you want to stay longer than that in France, you will need a visa (unless you have dual nationality with an EU country).

Schengen rules versus pre-existing bilateral agreements

But is the 1949 agreement still valid? It’s true that the agreement was never specifically cancelled, but since then something big has happened – the creation of the Schengen free travel area which came into force in 1990.

The Schengen agreement creates a free travel zone (expanded several times since 1990 and now encompassing 29 countries and about 420 million people).

Countries that are part of the Schengen area;

  • do not carry out checks at their internal borders, except in cases of specific threats
  • carry out harmonised controls at their external borders, based on clearly defined criteria

The rules are covered by the Schengen Borders Code, which involves countries adopting a common visas policy – in brief this means that countries are free to set their own visa policy (eg types of visa offered, visa costs/duration) but must agree on who needs a visa and who does not.

The European Council explains: “An EU common visa policy is necessary for the effective functioning of the border-free Schengen area as it facilitates the entry of visitors into the EU, while strengthening internal security.

“The EU has established a visa policy for: intended short stays in or transit through the territory of a Schengen state; transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen states; short stays are stays of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period.”

So the EU is clear that it operates a common visas policy – limiting visa-free stays to no more than 90 days in every 180.

French policy 

Part of the confusion over this historic agreement seems to be that over the years several French consulates have provided contradictory or confusing advice suggesting that the 1949 agreement is still in force.

You may be lucky and find a border guard who agrees with their interpretation – but if you find someone who interprets the Schengen rules as superseding the 1949 treaty, they will be able to provide a lot of more up-to-date and clearer statements of the rules specifying that non-EU citizens such as Americans are limited to 90 days in every 180 within the Schengen zone.

If you lose your argument at the border, you are liable to end up with an ‘over-stayer’ stamp in your passport which may make it difficult for you to re-enter any EU country, or to get a visa for any EU country.

Is it really worth taking that risk?

EES

Starting later in 2024 – probably October although it could be delayed again – is the EU’s new Entry & Exit System.

You can find a full explanation of it here, but it basically automates the counting of the 90-day allowance – passports will be scanned on entry and exit of the Schengen zone and dates automatically tallied.

There are exemptions for people who have residency permits or visas, but there is no provision built into the system to show old treaties at the border.

French citizens

The 1949 agreement is a bilateral one, so it also includes a provision for French people wanting to go the USA.

It states: “French citizens wishing to travel to the United States for stays not exceeding three consecutive months may, if they wish, receive free visas valid for two years and for an unlimited number of trips during that period.”

Sadly, this is no longer valid either – the US does not allow visa-free travel and French citizens wishing to go even for a short holiday will need to complete the ESTA visa-waiver online before travelling. Anyone who has failed to complete this form (which is not free) will be denied boarding by their airline.

Once completed, the ESTA visa waiver covers multiple trips for two years (unless your passport is renewed in that time, in which case you have to do it again).

The ESTA visa allows trips of up to 90 days per visit, French people wishing to stay for longer will need to apply for a visa.

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