About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

When you've had your fill of traditional Parisian brasseries and cafes and are looking for a place with colorful ambiance and spicy fare, Mexi and Co. is a good choice. If you're out to try authentic Mexican cuisine, though, you may be disappointed: while this restaurant offers tasty dishes, they didn't strike this native Californian as particularly authentic.

Pros

• Colorful Mexican decor and warm ambiance

• Good selection of Mexican and South American beers available
• Fare is a change of pace when you've had one too many Paris brasserie meals
• Good choices for vegetarians and vegans
• Restaurant includes a Mexican grocery where you can stock up on favorites

Cons

• Dishes did not strike me as especially authentic
• Prices are on the steep side
• Credit and debit cards not accepted

Description

• Address: 10 Rue Dante, 5th arrondissement
• Metro: Maubert-Mutualité
• Phone: +33 (0)1 46 34 14 12
• Serving: Lunch and dinner; drinks. Dishes include nachos, quesadillas, burritos, and combination plates.
• Price range: 4-8 Euros for drinks; 10-25 Euros a la carte
• Payment options: Cash or personal (French) checks only. No credit or debit cards accepted.
• Ambiance: Laid-back and cheerful. Latin music and rock plays from the kitchen.
• Dress code: Casual/none
• Nearby sights and attractions:
   
  • The Latin Quarter
  • Notre Dame Cathedral
  • Paris boat tours
• Outside seating: available in spring and summer

 

My full review

After years of searching for a place in Paris where I could enjoy the kind of Mexican cuisine I had come to love growing up in California, Mexi and Co.

seemed a promising exception to Paris' puzzling abundance of terrible "Tex-Mex" restaurants. These are places where any dish can be magically dubbed Mexican by adding canned corned or avocado; needless to say, I have since sworn them off.

I set out to dinner at the restaurant with hopes of feasting on some of the hearty, spicy Mexican dishes I so often crave. Prospects seemed good as I walked into the tiny, Mexican-grocery style dining room. Walls painted in bright colors evoke the work of Mexican painter Diego Rivera; cheerful red lanterns, woven baskets, and other traditional decorations hang from the ceiling; picnic-bench style tables are tucked around the grocery. Black beans, mole sauce, and tortillas stock the shelves.

The open kitchen at the back of the store is small and staffed by just a few people. I was dismayed to notice that the dishes appeared to be reheated in microwaves, but still looked forward to the meal ahead.

A friend and I split a quesadilla and both ordered vegetarian burritos. Beer (Corona, Dos Equis, and South American varieties) was self-service, and small bottles were a bit steep at 5 Euros.

The quesadillas were decent enough, served with salsa, guacamole, and chips. They were a little chewy and dry, though, perhaps from reheating in the microwave.

The burritos, pricey at 10 Euros, were generally hearty and tasty, but the ingredients weren't in the right proportions, making the burrito very different from traditional ones. They were too dry, overstuffed with rice and uncustomary vegetables like zucchini, and had too little sauce and beans. I kept adding hot sauce to compensate.

In short, despite a pleasant meal, my search for an authentic Mexican eatery in Paris goes on.

Please note: The prices and menu descriptions were accurate at the time this review was published, but may have changed at any time.