Ombú, Cabinet, and Sotobosque are three restaurants in Tepoztlán that combine contemporary cuisine, local ingredients, and nature for a gastronomic getaway from Mexico City.
The world of gastronomy has taken a sharp turn back toward its roots. The pace of industrialization and mass production was no longer enough for chefs and projects seeking to elevate their offerings through technique, but above all, through the quality of their ingredients. Thus began a pilgrimage toward the countryside and places closer to nature.
It was a change in direction that, however, could not completely distance itself from major cities, which constitute half of a good culinary experience. The answer was found halfway between both worlds: in those perfect destinations for disconnecting, while still embracing all the magnetism of urban life. For many people from Mexico City, that place has been Tepoztlán.
Its proximity to the capital has made it one of the favorite destinations for a weekend getaway for years. But this relationship with the land has also made its way to the table and has become the answer to the crossroads faced by many chefs.
The traditional cuisine of Tepoztlán features corn, mushrooms, quelites, flowers, and other seasonal ingredients as some of its main protagonists, while a new generation of restaurants has found in local producers and nearby gardens a way to build contemporary culinary offerings.
The result is a gastronomic scene that can range from market antojitos to projects where the origin of the ingredient matters just as much as the technique. If you’re going to visit the town, these are three projects you need to know to understand the new culinary direction of Tepoztlán.
Cabinet
Nearby is also CABINET Restaurant & Bar, a project that makes its terrace and view of the Tepozteco an essential part of the experience. Its concept is defined as a slow kitchen, offering international cuisine that incorporates organic products from local gardens and a selection of artisanal preparations.
Cabinet also has a story closely connected to its hostess, Marcela, a painter and gastronomy enthusiast. The result is a space where art, conversation, and food come together without too much formality. Internationally inspired dishes and artisanally made bread arrive at the table, while the mountain becomes the constant backdrop. It is a good option for starting the day slowly, extending a brunch, or simply sitting down for a meal while looking at the Tepozteco.
Ombú
In the Valle de Atongo, surrounded by a forest of ahuehuete trees, Ombú offers a pause that combines nature and cuisine. Its menu moves between Mediterranean and Argentine influences, with particular attention to grilled dishes and products prepared to order. It is a place that works both for a leisurely meal and for extending the afternoon with a drink.
Its location, away from downtown Tepo and surrounded by vegetation, completes the experience.
Sotobosque
If there is one restaurant that captures where Tepoztlán’s farm-to-table cuisine is heading, it is Sotobosque. The project was born within Solar Centro Agroecológico and placed ingredients at the center from the beginning: much of the produce is grown in the garden surrounding the restaurant, following principles of regenerative agriculture and agroforestry.
The garden can be explored to see the crops and understand where some of the ingredients that later appear on the plates come from. The cuisine changes with the seasons and also works with local producers and farmers, making the menu function as a kind of edible record of the landscape.
Facing the Tepozteco, Sotobosque offers a particularly contemporary version of a getaway to Tepoztlán: walking among crops, sitting down to eat, and discovering that the distance between the countryside and the plate can be measured in just a few meters.
Source: chilango
