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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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HEALTH

Perrier problems: What’s going on with French mineral water?

Perrier has halted production of 1-litre bottles of its famous carbonated water because of a contamination problem - the latest in a series of problems with some of France's most famous mineral water brands.

Perrier problems: What’s going on with French mineral water?

The French love bottled water. They spent an estimated €2.5 billion and drank an average of 145 bottles each of the stuff in 2023.

The country is both the world’s biggest exporter of bottled water and the home of its most famous brands from Volvic to Evian, Vittel to Perrier.

But all is far from well in the highly lucrative bottled water market.

In January, it was reported that a third of French mineral water brands received treatments which are banned for the supposedly ‘natural’ products and, in April, France’s health watchdog demanded a clampdown at Nestlé water sites after traces of “faecal” contamination were found.

Meanwhile drought conditions last year raised concerns about overproduction of bottled water in France, with companies exempted from water restrictions that everyone else faced.

Perrier problems

Now, it has emerged that Nestlé has halted production of one-litre bottles of Perrier water at its facility in Vergèze, in the Gard département in south-west France, according to Le Monde and Radio France.

After learning in April that one of the plant’s wells had been shut down following a ‘contamination episode’ after flooding caused by Storm Monica, the investigation has found that two more wells have recently undergone disinfection operations – which the Nestlé group said was a ‘regular maintenance operation’.

Following the April contamination warning, State authorities ordered the destruction of a batch of at least two million bottles of Perrier. The final number of destroyed bottles was around 2.9 million, according to Nestlé group’s own estimates.

Officials, including members of the Occitanie regional health authority, visited the Vergèze facility on May 30th to inspect the plant, boreholes and water quality monitoring laboratory. The findings of this inspection have not yet been made public.

But of seven wells used to produce Perrier brand fizzy mineral water, most are currently out of service, the investigation found – prompting production of the famous one-litre green bottles of Perrier water to be halted until at least the end of summer.

A préfectural decree means the company can draw water from two boreholes to produce a drink called Maison Perrier, which will not have ‘natural mineral water’ status.

Water conditions

The risk to water quality is not confined to the Vergèze operation. Safety concerns have been known by health authorities for years in the Vosges region where the Hépar, Contrex and Vittel brands are drawn, the investigation found, citing a confidential report in which officials expressed concern about the withdrawal of illicit treatments, which could “expose consumers to a health risk, as the treatments were put in place to compensate for a quality defect in the resource”.

In June 2023, in a letter sent to food safety watchdog the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire alimentaire nationale (Anses), the director of Occitanie’s regional health authority referred to “regular bacteriological contamination of raw water in at least five of the seven drilling”. 

In October of the same year, Anses alerted the government of an “insufficient level of confidence” to ensure “the health quality of finished products”.

Nestlé’s response

Nestlé said that it had initiated a plan to transform its factories, in agreement with authorities. “We have invested significantly, and will continue to do so, to protect this unique heritage and ensure its future,” the group told journalists from Le Monde and Radio France.

But unions are concerned about the future of the plant and its 1,000 employees and have triggered a clause in the Code du travail meaning they will be alerted of “facts likely to affect the economic situation of the company”, amid concerns authorities could order the shutdown of the plant for safety reasons.

So, is bottled water in France safe to drink?

There are two main types of bottled water in France – spring water and mineral water. 

Spring water is subject to the same safety regulations as tap water. But it cannot undergo disinfection treatment. Be aware, a single brand of spring water can in fact come from several sources located in different regions, and the composition can change bottle-by-bottle, depending on the origin.

Mineral waters are not subject to the same safety rules as tap water – in fact, some mineral waters would not be allowed in the public drinking water system because they would not meet strict criteria. For example, fluoride levels are limited at 1.5 mg/l for tap water; mineral waters, however, can contain up to 5 mg/l.

Like spring water, mineral water should not be subject to disinfection treatments.

But, on the whole, and despite recent concerns, bottled water in France is safe to drink.

And which one is the cheapest?

Tap water. According to consumer watchdog UFC-Que Choisir it costs €0.003 per litre, on average, or less than €2 per year for a consumption of 1.5 litres of tap water every day.

And it is subjected to all kinds of routine checks – 54 different parameters are monitored pretty much all the time.

6 things to know about tap water in France

If you’re not a fan of the taste, you could always run it through a water filter. It will be more expensive, but still cheaper than bottled water – and still subject to the same number of safety checks, plus it has been filtered.

It’s also better for the planet because tap water doesn’t involve plastic bottles – the city of Paris is currently running a campaign to encourage people to drink tap water in order to reduce waste in the form of plastic bottles. The city has hundreds of drinking water fountains and businesses that display the L’Eau de Paris’ label will refill your water bottle for free.

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