On the ground floor of the historic mansion on Xinle Lu is La Diosa, a vibrant Mexican bar and restaurant serving crave-worthy comfort food, top-shelf mezcal and tequila, and colorful, Instagram-worthy interiors – complete with a huge terrace and lively late-night energy.
It’s backed by the Bottega Group, which also operates Atica on the fifth floor of the same building.
Click here to book your table.
Let’s start with the terrace, because holy guacamole, this thing is massive. It spans the breadth of the mansion, and is practically a venue unto itself. It gives off more cafe vibes rather than Mexican cantina.
Step inside and the energy shifts to a kaleidoscope of colors and an upbeat energy. The walls are splashed with Frida Kahlo pop-art, Mexican symbolism, bright tiles, and sassy neon signage, setting the tone for their main objective: unbridled fun.
It’s a split level space. The ground floor is flanked by a long bar while the second floor provides a balcony seating area overlooking the action. Above it all is a space for a DJ, perched across the atrium.
It just opened, but their playlist and overall persona is sure to draw a late night party crowd seeking to dance the night away.
The Food
The menu features all the greatest hits — tacos, cheesy and meaty mains, and shareable bites designed to soak up tequila.
The best bite? The Birria (¥79).
Tender braised beef shank gets sandwiched between a corn tortilla with mozzarella and cheese, then griddled to molten perfection with lacy, crisped edges. Accompanying is a smoked chili beef broth, meant for alternating between dipping and sipping in the traditional style.
Equally matched for enjoyment is the Chicharrón (¥78), cubes of pork belly fried to a crackling finish, dusted with savory Tajín spice. The obligatory lime squeeze is essential for cutting through the richness. Sinful!
The Tostada de Atún (¥38) offers bright, clean flavors with its crunchy corn tortilla base. Topped with citrus-marinated tuna tartare, creamy guacamole, and a subtle kick of chipotle mayonnaise, this two-biter the ideal palate opener.
The ultimate Mexican comfort food is the Enchiladas de Pollo (¥88), shredded chicken wrapped in corn tortillas and smothered in both red and green pepper sauces before being baked into a glorious, messy dish that demands to be eaten with a spoon. I totally see myself ordering this on a lazy weekend the moment La Diosa gets their delivery ready.
Other tacos see the classic El Pastor “Trompito” (¥69) paying homage to Mexican street food with its skewered achiote-marinated pork. Its served with all the classic accompaniments: fresh pineapple, spicy salsa verde, and fresh cilantro.
For cheese lovers, the Gringa (¥59) takes that same flavorful al pastor pork and folds it into a tortilla with melted mozzarella. Between the two, I’m for the Gringa.
And behold, the Chile Relleno (¥68). This dish is a whole green pepper fritter stuffed with an oozy blend of mozzarella and Colby Jack, corn, smoked tomato sauce, and queso fresco. A dish of cheesy excess.
And of course, there’s Guacamole (¥68), garnished with pickled chili, red onions, and cherry tomatoes, served with a massive bowl of corn tortilla chips.
For dessert, the Pastel de Tres Leches (¥58) delivers a vanilla milk soaked sponge cake served with whipped cream, fresh citrus zest, and candied pistachios. It tastes like carnaval.
To Drink
The bar program walks the line between crowd-pleasing and connoisseur. Margaritas are anchor drinks, joined by micheladas, classics, house signatures, and a spotlight on mezcal and tequila.
Agave spirits range from accessible pours (Derrumbes) to bottles so rare and luxe they should be kept in glass cases, the latter of which is Clase Azul, the priciest of which is inlayed with 24k gold and goes for a five-digit figure.
First, some of the house signatures. The Hollywood Sour (¥90) twists the classic with red wine, adding to it smoky mezcal, tequila blanco, blood orange, and orange bitters. On the low-ABV end, there’s the Diosa Del Viento (¥80). Tequila blanco is combined with floral notes of lavender and hibiscus, sweetened with honey and elderflower, and balanced with lemon.
Mezcal’s smokiness gets grounded by raspberry and honey in the Diosa De La Tierra (¥88), perked up with ginger and lemon, and chili salt rim. As for the Diosa Del Fuego (¥90) aka “Goddess of Fire,” its a tropical, fruity drink that’s bordering on tiki, at least in taste, made with Mezcal infused with coriander, Cointreau, pineapple, jalapeño, lime, and a chili salt rim.
Michaeladas (¥55) are solid, but the one you can’t put down is the Clamato Michelada (¥68), a savory, spicy umami bomb where tomato-clam brine adds a salty, tangy slap. As for margaritas, the house Margarita (¥70) comes frozen or straight — no frills. Plenty of classics available too, including a solid Paloma (¥80).
La Diosa is also dog-friendly.
Nomfluence Readers Deals
Get a complimentary frozen margarita at La Diosa! Scan the QR code below via WeChat for the voucher, available for grabs until July 31.
The voucher is valid for 30 days after redemption; minimum order of ¥50 required.
