Every time I travel to the US, I find myself gorging on Mexican food. And that’s probably because, in the almost two decades that I’ve lived in Amsterdam, Mexico has been sorely underrepresented in the city’s food scene. Long-term readers of this blog will know that I first started my search for tacos and tequila in Amsterdam back in 2013. My quest led me to plenty of disappointments as well as a few gems. But many of the best taquerias were either pop-ups to begin with or have since closed down. It’s taken me ten years just to come up with a list of half a dozen decent places to eat Mexican food. In fact, I was almost ready to publish this in summer 2020, but then the second wave of the pandemic hit and restaurants closed down again. And we all know that takeaway tacos just turn into a soggy mess.
So before anything else goes wrong, here it is: the definitive list.
The search for tacos in Amsterdam is finally over…. (For now!)
6 of the Best Places to Eat Tacos in Amsterdam (+1 Bonus!)
Coba
Hipster, industrial Amsterdam Noord has become the unofficial capital of Mexican food in the city, housing not one but two great taquerias. At Coba, you’ll find a fiercely strong margarita as well as a range of off-the-beaten-path tacos, tostadas and more. The veal tongue tacos were my favourite, while Mr Foodie’s favourites were the black pudding on blue corn tortillas. But the carnitas tacos were fantastic too, with melt-in-the-mouth tender pork belly. While all the dishes were perfectly seasoned and sauced, we also received three salsas in little jars on the table, all of which were also excellent and deliciously different – plus, Coba’s chefs were blissfully unafraid of chilli heat! For some reason, no one would bring us any cutlery, which made it rather difficult to eat the tostadas and tetelas (corn masa stuffed pockets), both of which fell apart almost as soon as I touched them. But messy hands were a small price to pay for what was undoubtedly some of the city’s best Mexican food.
Veal tongue tacos at Coba
Bacalar
At Bacalar, the sunny, expansive terrace is a big draw on warm days. Despite our visit falling on a hungover Sunday lunchtime, it seemed rude not to try a couple of cocktails, so we started with the fruity pink rhubarb Paloma and the smoky Bucha Maracuja. The menu looked suspiciously similar to Coba’s, and there’s apparently some history there that I won’t go into, but luckily for us the food was just as good. Bacalar’s tostada with crawfish, avocado, pickled cucumber and leche de tigre was fresh and zingy with a big citrus hit. But the tacos de moronga with black pudding, pickled red onion and mango habanero salsa got my final vote: spicy and meaty in equal measure. A firm favourite.
Black pudding tacos at Bacalar
Cabrón
Located along the Albert Cuypmarkt in De Pijp, Cabrón is better for sultry nights inside than al fresco dining. And what better way to start any such night than with a margarita? Cabrón’s used top-quality tequila, came shaken (not frozen or anything silly like that) and sported a salt rim that only went halfway around the glass. Just the way I like it. As for the tacos, they were pretty good as well. I tried three varieties: the carnitas (because who can resist pork on anything?) with sweet potato purée and queso fresco, which came in a delicious blue-corn tortilla; the softshell crab with sweet mango salsa and shredded cabbage; and a vegan number with battered cauliflower instead of fish. All of them were Lekker with a capital L.
Local Dealer has a helpfully large and sunny terrace on the Dapperplein, which makes it a great spot for the summer. The interior is funky, as are the drinks, and the tacos are pretty top notch too. My favourites were the Cordero de Oaxaca: freshly pressed, blue corn tortillas filled with pulled barbacoa lamb and pickled vegetables – yield meets bite, sweet meets sour, undercut with a satisfying umami base. I also loved the special: chicken hearts with rich molé sauce. Everything had a healthy hit of chilli, which I adored (as always).
Taco time at Local Dealer Food Inc.
Cantina Caliente
A student haunt in the Plantage, Cantina Caliente is a gezellig little place for tasty tacos, quesadillas, nachos, ceviche and more. We tried the barbacoa tacos, in which the beef pulled apart well and the sauce was nicely spicy, and the berenjena (aubergine) tacos with feta and chillies – both were delicious, as was the seabass ceviche with sweet potato and crispy corn. The cocktails were good too, though the house wine left a little to be desired. Service was slightly sloppy the night we visited, but mistakes were fixed quickly and with a smile so all was forgiven.
Cantina Caliente – hot hot hot!
MADRE
Touting modern Mexican dining, MADRE makes no mention of its vegan credentials on the menu – only that it aims to be sustainable, inclusive and respectful. Which is probably why I didn’t even realise I’d eaten a fully vegan Mexican meal until I came to pay the bill at the end. We ordered the Chef’s Choice: a good-value selection of six dishes to share, although all dishes are available a la carte if you’d prefer your own thing. From the spicy beetroot tostadas to the earthy ancho-tahini-ponzu green beans, everything was full of Mexican-fusion flavour. On the taco front, I couldn’t get enough of the artichoke barbacoa – grilled artichokes, spiced with mojo de ajo, topped with guasacaca salsa, served on blue corn tortillas (pictured). I was also mesmerised by the “3D printed pork” tacos with a smoky dipping broth. I have absolutely no idea how they did it, but the texture was pure pulled pork. I even loved Madre’s funk-free natural orange wine – a Grüner Veltliner from Austria’s Niederösterreich region. The meal was magic – almost literally.
Artichoke barbacoa tacos at Madre
Putting the tequila into taco night
As you’ve probably gathered, I like a margarita as much as anyone with a penchant for strong liquor, citrus fruit and spicy salt possibly could. And they’re really easy to make at home, too: just mix 50 ml of tequila with 35 ml of Cointreau and the juice of a lime (plus lots of ice!). Rim your glass with salt (I use Tony Chachere’s) and voila! My favourite brands of tequila are Don Julio and Olmeca Altos Plata (reposado if I’m feeling fancy) but you can buy pretty much every brand of tequila under the sun (plus your Cointreau) from online liquor store Topdrinks.
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