Old Money Restaurants in Mexico city / Danubio, a Classic for Prawns.
Danubio is one of the oldest restaurants in the city and one of the few white-tablecloth establishments surviving in the Historic Center.
By Anna Lagos / Photos: Courtesy by Danubio
Founded in 1936 by two families from the Basque Country, it started as a small establishment and today is a CLASSIC, in capital letters. Here you can order à la carte or the five-course daily menu. Its prawns in garlic sauce are a legend of the capital's dining tables.
Danubio boasts its coat of arms everywhere, a heraldry divided into four images: a river, a lobster, a bunch of grapes, and a pheasant. The owner's grandfather created the coat of arms, representing the restaurant's pride: The river is for the name, Danubio, which is one of the most important rivers in Europe, running through the center west to east, passing through ten countries; the grapes refer to wine, they used to serve baked birds like pheasant, and their most iconic dish is the prawns.
In the early 20th century, a German woman founded El Danubio, in honor of the river. It was a brewery that offered sausages and other German classics. In the 30s, the Spanish Civil War caused exile, and Mexico was one of the countries that welcomed more republicans. Thus, José Arangüena and Víctor Amundarain boarded a ship to escape the disaster. Arangüena arrived in Mexico City and got a job as a waiter at El Danubio. Meanwhile, Víctor Amundarain settled in New York and began working at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. After some time, Arangüena saved enough money to take over the restaurant, and he called Víctor Amundarain to propose the idea of working together. Thus began the story of Danubio, which became a meeting point for exiled republicans. Many who came from Spain, including the current owner, Jon Mirena, were employed here.
The Mirena family has been in charge of Danubio since 1947, and now one of the sons is looking after the legacy. He is now the maitre, the man in a tailored suit who greets you on arrival. Located in a building that retains its Porfirian style, it is an island of peace amid the noise of the Historic Center, almost at the corner with Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas, Danubio's menu is a tribute to fish and seafood. Among its most emblematic dishes are the salt-baked fish, garlic shrimp, and paella. Additionally, the menu is constantly renewed. The Bilbao-style shrimp, fresh baby eels, marinated anchovies, and green soup are other must-tries.
In the seventies, El Danubio became the favored meeting point of figures like journalist Jacobo Zabludovsky, businessman Carlos Slim, and writers like Gabriel García Márquez and Octavio Paz. The latter inaugurated one of the place's most emblematic traditions. In Mexico, it was common for many restaurants to decorate their walls with photographs of celebrities alongside the owner. However, Mirena, during a visit from Octavio Paz, approached the poet with a special request: he asked him to sign a napkin. Paz agreed, starting a unique collection that welcomes everyone who visits El Danubio.
Over time, this gesture became a tradition, and Mirena accumulated signed napkins. These pieces became part of Danubio's decoration, totaling about 800 napkins, now almost an improvised museum with messages from celebrities.
- Address: República de Uruguay 3, Historic Center of Mexico City, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Mexico City.
- Phone: 55 5512 0912
- Hours: From 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Ideal for: Family celebrations, romantic dinners, business meetings, and anyone looking to enjoy a high-quality culinary experience focused on seafood and fish.
- Type of food: Fish and seafood.
- Payment: Credit cards, debit cards, cash
- Accessibility: Inconvenient for people in wheelchairs.
- Parking: No parking available.
- Reservations: Recommended, especially for dinners and weekends.
- Nearby public transport: San Juan de Letrán Metro
