There are three golden rules for a terrace: fresh air, good view, great ambiance. There are three requirements for a great atmosphere: good food, good drinks and good conversation. For conversation, while there are no rules, there are elements that generate chaos when they do not exist. In this ever-growing city, full of everything and everyone, there are few places to enjoy the delight of free space. No one will argue that the Chapultepec forest lacks hectares, but many restaurants lack square meters. Small is charming, but those of us who immerse ourselves daily in the crowd are grateful from time to time to stretch our legs without hitting the chair at the next table, spend hours at the table without guilt and talk without listening to the conversation next door. There is the Cha Cha Chá Terrace, which opened just a month ago.
The three golden rules of generous terraces come together in Terraza Cha Cha Chá, a hidden piece on the sixth floor of an art deco building in the Tabacalera, which in itself is a respite of small streets that amalgamate the grandiose and the simple. With a main view of the Monumento a la Revolución, this terrace was built to highlight the view and the spaciousness, so instead of adding walls they surrounded it with large windows that remain open and allow you to see, from any table, a fragment of the city. They opened in May with a menu as simple as it is well thought out, as short as it is substantial.
Social cuisine -the chef tells us- that designed a menu that favors generous portions and the gesture of sharing. His rib-eye or catch of the day is served with 400 grams. Nothing on the menu seeks to be overdone Mexican cuisine, but rather substantial, well served and tasty. All the ingredients, from the cocktails to the desserts are Mexican: tuna from Ensenada, white fish from Oaxaca, soft crab from Veracruz.
Chicharrón "del parque" with fresh tuna fish
Tacos of duck suadero and cape cauliflower stuffed with ricotta cheese
The menu has many nods to street snacks, such as the chicharrón "del parque" (pork rinds), which instead of having little horns has tuna, or the duck suadero tacos, prepared in their fat like those of any other "changarro laminero"; the marlin for the empanadas is prepared like machaca norteña and on weekends they have a splendid cold bar with chocolata clams, shaved or grilled oysters and shrimp for shucking. A tropical botanero is advertised on the sign at the entrance and the dishes are the ideal mix of home cooking and street snacks, all the way to dessert. We recommend the Merengón, 3 layers of meringue slices with lemon-tea pastry cream and tanned strawberries marinated in raspberry vinegar.
Naked crab taco with chili garlic mayonnaise, cucumber mix, orange peel, onion and jicama.
Meringue with lemon tea custard and tanned strawberries marinated in raspberry vinegar
For days with less time for lunch, a cocktail, a glass of wine or a beer from their menu is always an option, especially in the evenings, around 7:30 when the sun sets just behind the monument that combines the orange of the sunset and the violet of the lights that illuminate it. For weekends we recommend you reserve in advance, although no matter which table you get, you can see the city from all sides.
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