Hola friends,
It’s been a busy few weeks here at Mexzine, and we’re really excited for you to see what’s coming next: new stories, new ideas, and new writers to make our Mexico adventures even more fun. But while that’s cooking, we’re excited to share this week’s Culture Edit, featuring one of the most enjoyable food tours in Mexico City, a new rooftop bar in San Miguel de Allende pouring fantastic cocktails, and soulful Mexican crafts in Guadalajara.
–Cristina Alonso, Managing Editor
Let’s Chat: Avidan Lebenthal, Founder of Taco Mensch
Out of the many, many food-centric experiences available in Mexico City, food tours can be some of the most fun. Cristina Alonso embarked on a particularly good one a few weeks ago, hopping around the city through bites of quesabirrias, tacos al pastor, and tlacoyos with Avidan Lebenthal of Taco Mensch. She chatted with Avidan to learn more about the inspiration behind the business and how the beauty of hospitality can be expressed through a simple taco.
Cristina: Taco Mensch was born of your love of hospitality. Tell us your origin story.
Avidan: I was very fortunate, because both my parents were amazing cooks and hosts, so I was exposed to that from a very young age, mostly living in Venezuela when I was a teenager. And I have family here in Mexico who own one of the biggest kosher catering businesses. My uncle also exposed me to incredible food. We used to go to restaurants, and he would explain how things were prepared, and we took photos with his film camera – before taking food photos was a thing.
Years later, I worked as a dishwasher and a cook, and I opened a bar in Tel Aviv. I came back to Mexico, where I was born, in 2016, and I worked for my cousin who had one of the first businesses at Mercado Roma. I later worked for the people who run Tori Tori and for El Sargazo, one of the biggest fish distributors in Mexico. That was a huge challenge, very hard. At some point, I understood it was time to do my own thing, and I came up with Taco Mensch – essentially, the thing I love to do the most, which is hosting. I just like being with people and making sure they have a good time.
Cristina: How did the idea (and the name) come to be?
Avidan: I saw an influx of visitors coming into Mexico City around 2018. Obviously not as much as today, but it was starting. I thought maybe I could do a taco tour and bring my personality into it. My brother suggested the name because “mensch” in Yiddish means good human, good person. My mom always used to say, “It doesn’t cost you anything to be a mensch.”
I started hosting guests and building relationships with places like Cintli, which focuses on corn and nixtamal. And then COVID hit. At that point, I understood that the world is very volatile and that you always need a Plan B. I took a break, and I opened Bar Pita, a hole-in-the-wall serving pitas filled with delicious things. It’s also where I met my wife – she came to the restaurant one day, and that’s how we met. That was a lot of fun, but at some point it became too much, so I closed Bar Pita to focus on the tours. We onboarded more guides, and we created more tours. In the middle of all of it, I had cancer and a bone marrow transplant, but I was very lucky because the business kept going. 2026 is the first year that I’m fully back, and I love it.
Cristina: The tour we took a few weeks ago was so much fun, not just because of the food, but I loved that each place we went to has a story behind it.
Avidan: Definitely. One of the best things is the relationship that we have developed with our purveyors –the taco spots, the people at the market–, and the way people can learn about them. The ladies who sell tlacoyos outside Mercado Medellín, for example, they travel like two hours every day to be there. I think it’s important for us to share all of that with our guests. It’s a big responsibility. And I also think that while, yes, the city has gentrified, we have to evolve, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Like, the tlacoyo ladies were on Netflix, and that’s amazing. They can provide for their families. If we’re going to be a part of this, we might as well benefit the community and go beyond the top 10 list of restaurants that are everywhere else.
Cristina: Why do you think people choose Taco Mensch?
Avidan: There are many amazing companies in Mexico City, and I think competition is healthy and it’s good. Honestly, I think people choose us because of our reviews. We have really good reviews, and I think people trust that we can deliver.
Cristina: I’m going to end on a bit of an emotional note. Taco Mensch has survived huge challenges, between COVID and your time in treatment, so there’s obviously something special there. What do you think that is?
Avidan: I’m very fortunate to have surrounded myself with incredible people who share the same values. It starts with Angie, my wife, who always pushes me and makes sure I step out of my comfort zone, along with all our amazing hosts who keep the business alive.
I know there are a lot of hot topics in Mexico and around the world these days, but I feel like hospitality is the vessel that bridges all the differences. When we’re all around the table eating tacos, we’re equals. It’s such a beautiful way to connect.
Bar Spotlight: Tonana at Casa Hoyos, in San Miguel de Allende
Packed with color and personality, Casa Hoyos is one of our favorite boutique hotels in San Miguel de Allende. Now, we have a new excuse to visit it: Tonana, its rooftop bar. Imagined by hotel founder Vianey Torres and Oscar Valle, of Limantour and Despacho Margarita fame, the bar is a tribute to Mexico’s heritage and the goddess Tonantzin, through a seasonally rotating menu that puts endemic ingredients at the forefront. As creative as they are delicious, creations include the Nana Tonana (mezcal, cacao, white vermouth, coconut, chocolate bitters, and Colima salt) and the Fronterizo (sotol, dry vermouth, and Lillet Blanc). –CA
Design We Love: Chamula Hecho a Mano in Guadalajara
Founded by Esteban Leñero and Bertín Sánchez in 2019, this enchanting art gallery-meets-boutique in Guadalajara’s Ladrón de Guevara neighborhood opens every day with a mission: to promote Mexican popular art and the artisans who bring it to life, building lasting, sustainable relationships with them. From ceramic plates and intricate textiles to whimsical clay figurines, each piece tells the story of the rich cultural heritage of regions like Michoacán, Jalisco, Puebla, and Colima, while bringing a fresh, contemporary touch. –CA
Where do you want us to feature next? Have a story for us? Shoot an email over to Cristina@Mexzine.com or Brandon@Mexzine.com.
Mexzine is a Hotels Above Par media brand that’s edited in Mexico City. Support independent media and real journalism via a paid subscription.
Love the rooftop at Casa Hoyos! I was a big fan of it when Bekeb was there, but seems like now I have an excuse to go back and try Tonana. Loving these edits <3
Love Taco Mensch! I send people their way on a near-weekly basis, and they always get rave reviews. :)