Pujol ([puˈʒɔl]) is a Mexican restaurant in Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City. It is owned and headed by chef Enrique Olvera. Pujol's dishes are rooted in traditional Mexican cuisine, including maize-based food, seafood, and tacos, served in a sophisticated presentation through tasting menus or a taco omakase bar. Founded in 2000, Pujol initially focused on Asian and American cuisine with only a few Mexican elements. After facing financial difficulties, the restaurant shifted its focus to traditional Mexican fare. The British company William Reed Ltd has consistently ranked Pujol on its list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants since the 2010s. Food critics have given the restaurant mostly favorable reviews; its most iconic dish is mole madre, mole nuevo—a black mole sauce that, by 2022, had been reheated over 2,800 times, with fresh moles regularly added to develop its evolving flavor. The restaurant has also faced complaints regarding workplace harassment. Pujol was awarded two Michelin stars in 2024, in the first Michelin Guide covering restaurants in Mexico, tying with Quintonil—also located in Polanco—for the highest rating in the country.
Description Pujol offers two constantly updated tasting menu options: one focused on maize-based dishes and the other on seafood. Additionally, the restaurant has a taco omakase bar, where chefs choose the courses for the diner. The tasting menu consists of seven dishes served at regular tables, while the omakase experience offers a nine- to ten-course meal that changes daily and is served at the bar. There are no à la carte options, and beverages are sold separately. For groups, table reservations are scheduled to last between two and a half to three hours; if additional time is required, guests may continue their meal on the terrace. There is no formal dress code and reservations are required; the restaurant recommends booking five to seven weeks in advance. The oldest plate on Pujol's menu is the appetizer: baby corn cobs served inside a gourd and dipped in chicatana sauce, a blend of coffee mayonnaise, costeño chili, and chicatana ants. The restaurant's most iconic dish is mole madre, mole nuevo, a mole sauce prepared with more than 100 ingredients—including tomatoes, dried fruits, fruits, and cocoa—which, as of 23 July 2022, had been aged for 2,852 days. It is plated in a circular presentation with a layer of fresh mole sauce poured over the aged mole. Other offerings served include tlayudas, lobsters, fish, aguachile, and puchero. The restaurant also incorporates techniques from molecular gastronomy into some of its preparations.
Gallery
History
Twenty-four-year-old chef Enrique Olvera opened Pujol on 6 May 2000 after studying at the Culinary Institute of America. At its inception, the restaurant offered a contemporary cuisine menu focused primarily on foreign dishes, encompassing Eastern Asian and American cuisine. Olvera described the food served as having more foie gras elements than Mexican ones. During this period, the restaurant experienced financial problems, with multiple associates leaving the project. In 2006, the restaurant underwent a renovation and the menu was reoriented toward Mexican cuisine. According to Olvera, they improved "the aesthetics on the plate" and focused on the ingredients to enhance the flavor. In 2017, Pujol relocated from Francisco Petrarca Street to a 1950s-built house on Tennyson Street, both located in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City. Following the move, the restaurant expanded its menu to include a wider variety of tacos. The renovation was led by architect Javier Sánchez, with interior design by Micaela de Bernardi and furniture by Eduardo Prieto, inspired by the works of Clara Porset. Inside the house, walls were removed to open up the space and connect its two sections. A sunlit atrium, which also functions as a small garden, links the areas and brings the outdoors into the refined interior. The design incorporates gray granite and parquet flooring, timber-slatted ceilings, and low-profile mid-century furniture. Following the relocation, the restaurant reduced its use of meat and increased the incorporation of Mexican vegetables and ingredients. By 2019, Pujol ceased using meat due to its environmental impact, reserving it only for special events. The restaurant collects rainwater for orchard irrigation, has minimized its use of single-use plastics and gathers leftovers for composting. For its sustainability actions, the United Nations recognized the restaurant in the same year. In 2018, Olvera opened a gourmet tortilleria in the Condesa neighborhood called Molino Pujol. It sells handmade tortillas produced with a variety of maize, along with maize-based dishes such as esquites, tacos, and quesadillas. In 2025, Pujol closed for repairs and to remodel the restaurant's terrace. Sánchez was commissioned to oversee the project for a second time, with assistance from Aisha Ballesteros and Benedikt Fahlbusch, who had also collaborated with him in 2017. According to Olvera, the renovation aimed to make customers "feel like home". At the entrance, a volcanic stone bar was installed alongside wooden latticework and a fountain. Landscape architect Hugo Sánchez sourced plants from the plant nursery Dealer de Plantas, including agaves, cacti, and nopals. On the terrace, a pigmented concrete bar with tezontle was added. For the interior, the restaurant incorporated a monumental textile piece created by women from Aguacatenango, Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas, depicting the nearby volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl as well as Mexican flora. The artisans spent over 2,000 hours embroidering the fabric.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
