El Barrio: The Bottega Team Set Their Sights on Mexican Comfort Food
Rising above an otherwise tepid 2018 Beijing dining scene, the Bottega team has added a little heat to the capital’s few south-of-the-border options with their new culinary endeavor, El Barrio. Far removed from the hearty Neapolitan pizzas that put Bottega on the map, this new Mexican endeavor is a sprawling three-tiered space that occupies the entire west side of Nali Patio. Two terraces – one that lies in wait for tequila-fueled summer parties, the other an outdoor dining area fashioned with Mexican baroque and ornamental arches – surround the bustling main dining hall.
Inside, colorful tiles and tasteful street art flourishes give the venue a modern touch while the semi-open kitchen shows off what El Barrio’s all about: homestyle Mexican grub served with care. Designed by Shanghai-based Peruvian celebrity chef Eduardo Vargas, the opening menu is a smattering of starters (go for the Iberico chorizo nachos) and plates to share as well as half a dozen tacos. Of those, the chargrilled Wagyu flank variety are the priciest but a standout, the beef tender and juicy, complemented by a pico de gallo (the use of mildly spicy guajillo chilies doesn’t go unnoticed) and chunks of queso fresco cheese. The lamb birria eschews its usual stew form but is equally succulent, the meat of the lamb shank resting on a bed of blended white beans and falling off the bone in a way that sees it devoured in no time. Unfortunately, the desserts don’t quite match up to the mains and the chocolate Kahlua flan proves too sweet to satisfy, a sentiment seemingly shared by most, given the numerous half-eaten plates dotted around.
As with Q Mex’s Taqueria – probably El Barrio’s closest competition – the drinks menu is carefully composed, with an extensive imported tequila section. The piquant Paloma, mixed with blue agave tequila, pink grapefruit, and lime makes for a suitably refreshing accomplice to most anything you’ll eat, whereas the Aztec Chocolate Negroni oozes both booze and rich cocoa notes on account of a sprinkling of chocolate chips that crunch between the teeth.
These smart details have not gone unnoticed, and if you head to El Barrio on any day of the week you’ll find it teeming with Chinese and foreigners diners letting loose and on the hunt for an authentic taste of Mexico. In all, El Barrio’s success serves as a testament to Bottega’s growing capital in the city and we look forward to seeing its inviting terrace light up come spring.
El Barrio
Daily 5.30pm-2am. 2/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang District (6416 1716)
朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里花园2楼
To keep up to date with all the latest openings and closings in the city, click here.
Photos courtesy of El Barrio
