Inspired by their travels across Mexico and the United States, Wahaca co-founders Thomasina Miers and Mark Selby have reunited to create DF Mexico in London's East End. Named after the shorthand for Distrito Federal, the local term for Mexico City, the space was designed by London-based architecture and design firm Softroom, who have created a sleek modern diner with liberal use of industrial materials such as blackened steel, concrete, worn leather and formica. Green planters and graphic stripes liven up the predominantly monochrome room, which serves up modern Mexican and American diner food from ancho mushroom or steak and cheese DIY tacos to NYC-style tortas with hearty brioche buns and smashed avocado. Beers are, of course, a mixture of imported Mexican brews and varieties from London's burgeoning craft beer scene, and while the official line is that the restaurant is an experimental 18-month residency, we wouldn't be surprised if this blueprint's success paves the way for future editions.
ADDRESS
Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane London
E1 6QL
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Click to buy: how will we buy watches in 2026?Time was when a watch was bought only in a shop - the trying on was all part of the 'white glove' sales experience. But can the watch industry really put off the digital world any longer?
-
Don't miss these art exhibitions to see in JanuaryStart the year with an inspiring dose of culture - here are the best things to see in January
-
Unmissable fashion exhibitions to add to your calendar in 2026From a trip back to the 1990s at Tate Britain to retrospectives on Schiaparelli, Madame Grès and Vivienne Westwood, 2026 looks set to continue the renaissance of the fashion exhibition
-
The most stylish hotel debuts of 2025A Wallpaper* edit of this year’s defining hotel openings. Design-led stays to shape your next escape
-
Neo-Gothic grandeur and decadent martinis await at Hawksmoor St PancrasThe dining room at the St Pancras London hotel has proved to be a revolving door for big-name chefs; now, it's Hawksmoor’s time to shine
-
Form... and flavour? The best design-led restaurant debuts of 2025A Wallpaper* edit of the restaurant interiors that shaped how we ate, gathered and lingered this year
-
The Wallpaper* team’s travel highlights of the yearA year of travel distilled. Discover the destinations that inspired our editors on and off assignment
-
At last: a London hotel that’s great for groups and extended staysThe July London Victoria, a new aparthotel concept just steps away from one of the city's busiest rail stations, is perfect for weekends and long-term visits alike
-
French bistro restaurant Maset channels the ease of the Mediterranean in LondonThis Marylebone restaurant is shaped by the coastal flavours, materials and rhythms of southern France
-
Sir Devonshire Square is a new kind of hotel for the City of LondonA Dutch hospitality group makes its London debut with a design-forward hotel offering a lighter, more playful take on the City’s usual formality
-
This sculptural London seafood restaurant was shaped by ‘the emotions of the sea’In Hanover Square, Mazarine pairs a bold, pearlescent interior with modern coastal cuisine led by ‘bistronomy’ pioneer chef Thierry Laborde