Quintonil
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | March 9, 2012 in Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico |
| Founder | Jorge Vallejo, Alejandra Flores |
| Headquarters | Polanco, Mexico City , Mexico |
Key people | Jorge Vallejo (chef), Alejandra Flores (manager) |
| Products | Mexican cuisine, tasting menu, à la carte dishes |
Number of employees | 60 (2025) |
| Website | quintonil |
Quintonil () is a modern Mexican dining establishment located in Polanco, Mexico City, owned by chef Jorge Vallejo and manager Alejandra Flores, who first crossed paths at Pujol in 2009. They launched Quintonil in 2012, embracing a concept centered on "welcoming guests and saying goodbye to friends."
Originally conceived as a casual spot with a daily-changing menu and secondhand decor, Quintonil has since transformed into a fine-dining venue. Its name derives from a Mexican variety of amaranth, and the restaurant presents both à la carte dishes and a seasonal tasting menu that highlights heirloom vegetables, indigenous herbs, and insects gathered from across the country.
Quintonil has gained widespread critical recognition along with numerous accolades. Since 2016, William Reed Ltd has consistently included it in the World's 50 Best Restaurants, ranking it third worldwide and the highest in North America by 2025. In 2024, when Mexico was first featured in the Michelin Guide, Quintonil earned two Michelin stars, sharing the distinction of top-rated Mexican restaurant with Pujol.
Description
The restaurant offers both à la carte options and a nine-course tasting menu that changes seasonally;[1][2] for instance, the July 2025 menu emphasized asparagus, carrots, and mushrooms.[3] Wine pairings can be added for an additional fee.[4][1] Ingredients are procured from Mexico City’s Milpa Alta, Xochimilco, neighboring states such as Hidalgo, and regions including Michoacán, Yucatán, Durango, and Baja California.[5][6][7] Chef Vallejo notes that approximately "98% of the menu is Mexican," with only select items like caviar, certain seafood, and olive oil imported.[3]
The culinary offerings blend familiar staples such as beans, squash, chiles, and mushrooms with rarer components like , heirloom produce, native herbs, and edible insects. Most recipes are plant-forward; however, some incorporate beef.[8][2][9] Signature dishes include preparations featuring huauzontle and chilacayote mole.[10] The menu also includes a reinterpretation of from Pujol.[1] Beverage selections encompass European wines alongside Mexican mezcal, local wines, and craft beers.[2] In 2024, Quintonil organized an Entomophagy Festival dedicated to insect-based cuisine.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
The understated exterior hides two intimate windowless dining rooms plus a bar area overlooking the kitchen, accommodating roughly 42 patrons.[3]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The interior design incorporates volcanic stone flooring with walls clad in wood and mirrors.[7] Dinnerware was sourced from Austin, Texas; chairs were acquired from Pujol; tables were custom-crafted along Mexico’s Federal Highway 15.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Reservations are mandatory; no formal dress code is enforced.[4][10] By 2025, the establishment employed a team of 60 staff members.[9]
History
Jorge Vallejo left high school early before pursuing formal culinary education at Centro Culinario Ambrosía and gaining experience at Copenhagen's renowned Noma.[11] In 2009, while working at Pujol in Mexico City, he met Alejandra Flores, who managed the restaurant.[5] The pair departed Pujol in 2011 to establish their own eatery built around a "family concept," intending to "welcome customers and say farewell to friends."[5]<ref> Named after , a species of amaranth,<ref> Quintonil opened its doors on Newton Street in Polanco on March 9, 2012, financed initially through a small loan.[5] It began as an affordable casual dining option but gradually evolved into a fine dining institution.[11]
To mark their tenth anniversary in 2022, Vallejo and Flores invited esteemed international chefs including Dominique Crenn and Julien Royer to collaborate on reimagining classic dishes alongside new creations.[12]<ref>
Reception and recognition
Tiffany Yannetta from The Infatuation described the tasting menu as "engaging," particularly noting the Entomophagy Festival and inventive dishes such as bluefin tuna paired with frozen wasabi powder. Adrián Duchateau, writing for Afar, emphasized Quintonil's incorporation of indigenous vegetables and herbs within its innovative and sustainable culinary philosophy. Scarlett Lindeman referred to the establishment as part of the emerging trend in Mexican cuisine, labeling it a "venue to impress that is distinct from Pujol."
An author at Bon Appétit recommended sampling distinctive offerings like cactus, tamales, mole, and escamoles. Leslie Yeh of Lifestyle Asia commended both the quality of ingredients and the restaurant’s atmosphere. César Calderón, contributing to Gourmond, expressed some dissatisfaction with particular dishes; he found the mango iced ceviche starter excessively chilled and mismatched with his tequila, while the salbute featuring nixtamalized huitlacoche failed to impress. He summarized Quintonil as providing "a pleasant, intriguing, and frequently flavorful experience—nothing beyond that." In its ranking of Mexico City's top 23 dining spots, Time Out placed Quintonil at ninth position.
Awards
William Reed Ltd has consistently included Quintonil in its World's 50 Best Restaurants rankings: 3rd place (2025), 7th (2024), 9th (2022 and 2023), 11th (2018), 12th (2016), 22nd (2017), 24th (2019), and 27th (2021). No list was issued in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food industry. In 2023, the organization spotlighted Quintonil as "the stage for chef Jorge Vallejo’s innovative Mexican cuisine alongside his wife Alejandra Flores’ exceptional hospitality," underscoring its dedication to fresh, local ingredients and contemporary interpretations of traditional flavors.
With the debut of the Michelin Guide in Mexico in 2024, eighteen establishments earned stars, including Quintonil and Pujol, each awarded two stars—the highest distinction nationally—signifying "superb cooking, worth a special journey." The guide lauded Quintonil’s "refined cuisine" for its combination of regional produce, expert technique, and imaginative sophistication.
Quintonil was among seven Michelin-starred Mexico City restaurants honored by Martí Batres, head of the city government, who presented chefs with an onyx statuette recognizing their contribution to tourism. This accolade, inspired by the pre-Hispanic sculpture The Young Woman of Amajac, celebrates Indigenous women’s influence on gastronomy.
In 2025, Quintonil earned the Best Wine and Spirits Program award from the México Gastronómico guide issued by Larousse Cocina.
Gallery
Illustration of a nine-course menu offered in November 2013.
See also
External links
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