Classy Mexican at Del Mar

19 Nov 2015

Classy Mexican sounds like a bit of an oxymoron; however Del Mar, as part of the Bukhara group, in Camps Bay has perfected this unique and hard-to-achieve mix.

Entering the first-floor restaurant with views along Camps Bay's iconic strip, one is immediately struck by the slick dark palette décor and clean modern lines, not a sombrero or piñata in sight. The food follows suit: elegant and refined it's the furthest thing you can imagine from giant plates of Tex-Mex nachos and cheese-smothered enchiladas. That's not to say their menu isn't authentically Mexican and peppered with all those traditional punchy Mexican flavours. In fact my admittedly fussy dining partner and I sang the praises of each and every dish placed before us. And there were many.

Margarita fever

The menu is a little overwhelming at first glance (lots of Spanish with English translation) and is split into four different sections: tapas and starter portions, main courses, desserts, and then the side and salsa options. However, with the help of our waiter, we decided on a selection of tapas from the Ceviches (fresh, raw seafood cured in citrus) and the Antojitos (Street Food). But not before sampling quite possibly the best margarita I have ever been acquainted with: a pomegranate version with just the right balance of pomegranate, tequila, lime and triple sec. Between the two of us, we consumed no less than eight! I will definitely be returning to Del Mar if only to drink many more of them.

Pretty much on the same par in taste-bud excitement to the margaritas were the oysters. If you are oyster fans, my dear amigos, you will be in salty seafood heaven. So plump, so juicy - they were either served straight with a squeeze of of lemon or with diced fresh tomato, onion, coriander and lime. Both equally amazing. We accompanied these with tequila poached salmon tartare mixed with guacamole and Gaujillio Oil atop a blue corn tostado. Two thumbs up. Three little cigar-sized rolls of Taquitto Pollo, which are crispy fried tortillas stuffed with Chicken Tinga and smothered in a smokey tomato ranchero sauce came next. Then the Pancita De Puerco, perfectly cooked pork belly with Chipotle sauce and, lastly, a little pot of a mildly spicy and fragrant chilli con carne. This all came with a generous portion of guacamole and crispy taco chips. It felt like our taste buds had died and gone to heaven.

Deep-fried happiness

I believe we shared just the right amount of tapas as there remained a little space to sample the desserts. On the recommendation of our waiter, we ordered the perfectly crisped and sugared churros (deep-fried choux pastry) with a Dolce de Leche (creamy caramel) and chocolate dipping sauce. So tasty I didn't mind that they were practically two days worth of calories on one plate. As well as the incredibly gooey chocolate fondant complemented with home-made orange ice cream. The orange ice cream was amazing and added some much-needed freshness to this otherwise rich and decadent dessert. We ended the night off in style with yet another pomegranate margarita at the bar.