With its inviting façade and proximity to the Arcos, La Ocho promises great and inspired Mexican food with strong drink and a great atmosphere. While the last two are promptly delivered by the Spanish-owned restaurant, the food can be shaky at times, with hits and misses throughout the menu.
The restaurant, along with its menu, follows the blueprint for high-end Mexican restaurants: a grandiosely stocked bar, fancy chairs, luxuriously contemporary decor, a dining room more fitted for one to see and be seen, and a menu of interesting starters that moves on to a more quotidian menu of typical soups, salads, meats, and platitudinous desserts.
The food has a good presentation that is very attractive in the plate but not so flavorful in the mouth. Escamoles were bland, a travesty, soup greasy and plain, and the salad acceptable. The one highlight were the bone marrow tacos with steak. The service was good and attentive, which made our experience a more enjoyable one.
A beautiful place filled with beautiful people, this restaurant and cantina may have one component down, but consider the other to be a work in progress that might as well never come to fruition. An OK place to try at least once. read more
