Guide of cantinas in CDMX: La Dominica, a seriously classic cantina
The folding doors call to us, as if in the swing of their hinges they uttered the mantra that allows us to access a space frozen in time or, perhaps, a place where time becomes the turtle we need it to be.
By Jajo Crespo / Photos: Casasola and FoodPolice
In a chaotic city where it seems that this turtle was given wheels and an engine, it is a relief to find La Dominica resisting the dizzying change with its 121 years, completed on March 8.
We don't like to lie for the sake of coexistence: Dominica's food is not going to change your life nor are its drinks the elixir of eternal youth, even though they make you feel that way because of how well served they arrive. The day we went the snack was entomatado, liver taco and vegetable soup. The truth is that La Dominica is a traditional cantina that delivers what it promises: to be a living document of the Mexico City bar experience. Only upon entering, the mechanical cash register, more than one hundred years old, will begin the journey towards that tradition. And the journey continues with the bar that displays the bottles behind it, the terrace coffee mosaic that adorns the floor and the arrangement of the chairs against the legs of the wooden tables: classic canteen. But even more classic are the glass holders on the table legs, just right for cleaning the table and playing a game of dominoes.
The magic of La Dominica lies in the fact that it is not an established aesthetic, but rather it is a cantina full of history that, according to the bartenders, has belonged to the same family since its founding. It receives its name from its proximity to the Plaza de Santo Domingo, one of the oldest spaces in the City, where — it is said — the house of the tlatoani Cuauhtémoc was located.
No one can beat time and the passing of the years is felt in the bathrooms and some details of the canteen, but who could blame them? In the end, the tortoise always beats Achilles, right? But, as long as La Dominica is standing and resisting, being a testimony to a foreign era, crossing through those doors will be a historical pleasure, a privilege of temporary tourism.
What we didn't like so much
They could put a little more effort into cleaning the bathrooms, although it may be part of the aura of the place. It is up to the reader's discretion.
- Address: Belisario Domínguez 61 ground floor, Centro, 06010 Cuahutémoc, CDMX.
- Telephone: 5555127977
- Hours and days of operation: Monday to Sunday from 1:00pm to 10:00pm
- Ideal for: lunch and dinner.
- Kind of food: Homemade Mexican food and the occasional surprise.
- Pay: cash and cards
- Accessibility: The entrance is not a problem, as it is at street level; however, interior space could be reduced for wheelchairs.
- Parking lot: no
- Reservations: there's no need
- Nearby public transportation: metrobus Republic of Chile
- Pet friendly: no
- Suitable to go with children: no.
- Vegan options: no.
- Beer price: $55.00
