Underwhelming Mexican dinner at Mercado Kitchen and Bar

The closest I have come to trying out Mexican cuisine was eating quesadillas at CJ’s restaurant, and I was not impressed. I decided to stick to supermarket nachos with homemade guacamole.

Recently, I decided to try out one of Nairobi’s renowned Mexican restaurants (Mercado) to revive my hope of finding authentic Mexican delicacies. I tagged along two of my foodie friends. Our welcome was not as warm as we expected but that did not deter our determination to proceed with the plan.

Mercado Kitchen and Bar is located on the terrace floor at Kenrail Towers building, Ring Road Parklands, and is one of the several restaurants managed by “The Food Library”. They are known for aesthetically pleasing restaurants such as Meso, Slate, Botanica, Inti Nikkei, and Bambino. Mercado was no exception. The interior is well thought out and curated with wooden benches suspended from the ceiling, bottle-like light fixtures, and vintage car models decorating the walls while the outdoor area has beautiful aerial views of Westlands.

Our table was presented with fancy ceramic plates embellished with unique Mexican designs and glasses to match. The waitress was knowledgeable and she helped us get the right orders according to what we wanted to try out. I gave quesadillas the last chance and ordered the Chicken Tinga quesadilla which is layered with toasted wheat tortillas, grilled with cheese, and pulled chicken breast cooked in chipotle chili for Sh1,100. My friends ordered Rib Eye tequila steak served with French fries and sautéed vegetables for Sh2900 and pork pibil tacos for Sh900. We also ordered different mojito cocktails which were worth Sh700.

As we waited for our orders to be prepared, the waiter brought us complimentary tortilla chips served with three tiny pots of dip, salsa, and guacamole. Soon after, our meals were served. The presentation was below par. It was like somebody just tossed the quesadillas on the plate and added the dips. The tacos were two very tiny pieces with a dash of garnish on top. The taste was absent and they were not flavourful at all. I officially gave up on quesadillas and vowed to stick to chapatis and shawarmas. At least the tequila rib-eye steak saved the night. It was huge, well-presented, flavourful, and done to our liking. 

The bill was very confusing more so if each of you is paying for only what you consumed. Each meal is billed without VAT and catering levy so you have to ask for the original menu to confirm the total amount. Honestly, I would only go back here for the cocktails.