Santa Brings Tasty Tacos, Salads, and Bowls to North Sanlitun

Another day in Beijing, another Mexican restaurant trying its luck. And this time around, they're getting closer to getting it right. In the last few months I've reviewed plenty of newly-opened Mexican restaurants: Habanero, which wasn't too bad, Fiesta, which was good but overpriced, and Mex Max, which unfortunately didn't even come close to hitting the mark.
 

Santa, which confused the entire office with its name so closely after Christmas (it means saint, if you didn't know), is conveniently located next to Jenny Lou's just behind the German Embassy and serves up decent tacos, bowls, and salads. They also have an impressive range of Italian sodas on this cute drinks menu someone spent ages drawing up.
 

We had the homemade tortilla chips with fresh salsa and guacamole (RMB 18), which came in a decent portion for the money. The guacamole was very fresh, and the spicy dips had a good kick. 
 

Ordering tacos, you have the option between white flour tortillas and soft corn tortillas. We went with soft corn tortillas for the homemade carnitas tacos (RMB 35 for two, RMB 45 for three), which tasted good but we felt the filling could've used a little bit more seasoning or spice.
 

The grilled chicken with chipotle seasoning bowl (RMB 42) came with seasoned chicken, fresh cilantro, fresh salsa, tomatillo red chili salsa, black beans, avocado, and fresh lemon. Although the rice-to-goodies ratio could've been better, the bowl made for a hearty, filling, and guilt-free lunch as it comes with a healthy portion of vegetables.
 

And finally, the classic Mediterranean salad (RMB 40) was simple but exactly what it set out of be: mixed lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomato, avocado, feta, and mixed beans with a tangy dressing. Nothing too special, but hey, that's what you get for ordering a salad (just kidding). 

The menu also boasts plenty of steak options for those who prefer red meat. We really hope that this establishment pulls through the remaining Beijing winter as it seems like the perfect little lunch spot and have conquered the basics, which few rarely manage to do.

Santa
Daily 11am-7pm. 6 Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District (6461 6928)
朝阳区三里屯北小街6号

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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Margaux Schreurs