Pujol has a new mid-century modern home!

Architect Javier Sánchez and interior designer Micaela de Bernardi reinvent Enrique Olvera's Mexico restaurant

What ingredients would you add to a world-class restaurant? Good food, a pleasant setting and wonderful service, of course, but how about mid-century furniture, terrazzo flooring, a wood-burning oven, and a private room with its own record player and vinyl collection? These will all feature at the new incarnation of Pujol, Enrique Olvera’s Mexico City restaurant.

 

The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district
The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district

Olvera opened his acclaimed restaurant, currently ranked 25 on the World’s 50 Best list, back in 2000, in the well-to-do Polanco neighbourhood. Then fine dining was more formal and Pujol reflected this, by serving Olvera’s innovative reinterpretations of national dishes in a decorous setting.


The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district
The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district

However, in 2014, Olvera launched his successful New York restaurant, Cosme, in 2014 and learned to love less-reserved eating arrangements.

“I realised with Cosme that I like restaurants that are fun,” the chef told the New York Times. “I like restaurants that are not special occasion restaurants, and where people can just come in and relax and have a beautiful time.”

 

The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district
The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district

With this in mind he has closed Pujol at its original location, and is moving the restaurant to a bungalow a few streets across town. The new venue, overseen by Javier Sánchez and interior designer Micaela de Bernardi, is beautifully conceived, with a considered, relaxed, mid-century design treatment ranging from the garden, overseen by the agro-ecologist Lily Foster, through to the art, supplied by Mexico City’s Galería Arróniz.

 

The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district
The new Pujol - 133 Tennyson in Mexico City’s Polanco district

Natural materials and neutral shades predominate, conceived as part of an experience that goes hand-in-hand with Pujol’s culinary philosophy: contemporary, harmonic and comfortable.

 

Enrique Olvera's Mexico From The inside Out
Enrique Olvera's Mexico From The inside Out

When it reopens in the next few weeks we're confident it will still be one of the best restaurants in Latin America - even if you no longer have to stand on ceremony to get a table. 

For greater insight into Enrique’s food and outlook order a copy of his book Mexico From The Inside Out here; for more on Mexican food order Mexico The Cookbook here;  and for greater insight into contemporary design get Room.