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Quintonil

Mexico City

• Highest Climber Award 2023, sponsored by Alaska Seafood

Vegetable-forward Mexican powerhouse constantly on the rise

On the Pass

Jorge Vallejo

What’s in a name? Opened in 2012 by husband-and-wife team Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, Quintonil takes its title from the green Mexican herb that features in some of its dishes and drinks. It also reflects the team’s commitment to sourcing the best produce from small producers and their own urban garden, ensuring the freshest, most flavourful ingredients on the plate.

On the menu: Quintonil’s tasting changes with the seasons and always contains a variety of colourful Mexican produce served to best reflect their flavour. Dishes might include butternut squash and tomato salad with rice horchata and pumpkin seeds, charred avocado tartare with escamoles and herb chips, or stone crab in green pipián sauce with sunflower seeds, Thai basil and blue corn tostadas. Don’t miss the signature mamey panna cotta dessert.

Kitchen counter: Having had a redesign in 2020, the restaurant now features a counter where guests can enjoy a slightly longer tasting menu while interacting with the chefs as they cook from the open kitchen. The main dining room is divided into two distinct areas, with the intimate entrance room and a more open, bright section at the back.

Constant evolution: In its first 10 years, Quintonil won countless awards, with a regular spot in Latin America’s and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants lists and the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award 2022 for Vallejo. Now into its second decade, the restaurant is constantly improving and evolving, with the team engaging with, and learning from, the changing landscape around them. Where Vallejo was once a young protégé of Pujol chef Enrique Olvera, he is now a leader of Mexican cuisine in his own right – so much so that the restaurant jumped 31 places up the list from 2022 to 2023, earning the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Alaska Seafood.

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