The Food Police Guide to old money restaurantes in Mexico city / Arturo´s, a french bistro classic.

By Anna Lagos / Photos courtesy of Arturo's

Wicker-woven chairs, the day's menu chalked onto folding blackboards, white tablecloths, gleaming glassware, Burgundy snails, eggplant pâté, onion soup, champagne.

Since its founding in 2008, Arturo’s has been a bastion of French cuisine in Mexico: a place where old-school culinary techniques are preserved with almost reverential respect.

Led by its owner, Chef Arturo Cervantes, who worked for 29 years at the now-defunct Champs Elysees restaurant—perhaps the most famous luxury restaurant of the then Federal District, located on Paseo de la Reforma in Polanco and founded in 1965 by the Bouteille family—he greets his customers with the pleasure of an old friend.

At Arturo’s, traditional French dishes are cooked. No reinterpretations, fusions, mixes, or Avant-Garde inventions. Duck confit cooked in its own fat, traditional from Périgord, and snail-stuffed potatoes, original from Burgundy, are prepared. Also, pepper steak or Collioure anchovies with red peppers in olive oil and a touch of garlic, using high-quality raw materials with the timeless elegance of classics to enjoy on comfortable terraces, perfect for a sunny afternoon or in an intimate dining room that invites you to linger after meals.

It is the school of Monsieur and Madame Bouteille and their daughter Françoise, who brought the emblematic Champs Elysées restaurant to Mexico, serving a fixed menu in three courses for a modest price: 25 pesos at the time. The first major change the business underwent was in 1968 when the young French chef François Avernin arrived in Mexico, and it was only a matter of time before Françoise, better known as Paquita, and François met, fell in love, got married, and the latter joined the Champs team as executive chef. They are Chef Arturo Cervantes' masters.

They have a suggestion list that changes from five to six dishes a day. Another well-known dish is the quail stuffed with foie gras, veal kidneys in red wine, or goat cheese salad, which wouldn’t be a complete French experience without wine. Their careful selection of affordably priced French wines allows diners to pair their herb-finished rib steak, their red snapper meuniere with clams, or the carré d´agneau gratin dauphinois, a classic lamb rib rack. To finish, don't miss the citrus tart with coconut or the crème brûlée.

Arturo’s has become the preferred setting for business meals, meetings between businessmen and politicians, as well as for family celebrations or romantic dinners during weekends. Here, tradition sets the course, and the old school of French cuisine, one of the four gastronomies included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is its talisman.

• Address: Emilio Castelar 213 Polanco, Av. Emilio Castelar 213, Polanco III Secc, 11540 Mexico City.
• Phone: +525555530403
• Hours: 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Ideal for: French cuisine enthusiasts looking to enjoy traditional dishes.
• Type of food: Traditional French gastronomy with influences from Italy, Spain, and Asia
• Payment: Credit cards, debit cards, cash
• Accessibility: Wheelchair access.
• Parking: Parking service available
• Reservations: Recommended, especially for dinners and weekends.
• Nearby public transport: Between Metro Polanco and Auditorio