DF Mexico — London, UK

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
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
It was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Peugeot brings back a classic performance badge for the electric era: meet the E-208 GTi
Peugeot has unveiled the new E-208 GTi, a performance EV designed to hark back to a golden age of compact sports cars
-
This 18th-century Puglian villa has been restored with contemporary touches
The updated stonemason's workshop is a haven of centuries-old brick and sophisticated made-in-Italy design
-
This Hackney bar is reviving London’s legacy of lesbian spaces
Designed by Studio Popelo, La Camionera emerges as a vital sanctuary for London’s FLINTA* community, honouring it right down to the details
-
Time-travel to the golden age of the cruise ship at Sea Containers London
The South Bank hotel celebrates its tenth anniversary with four new suites inspired by period cabin design, from Edwardian elegance to 1980s glamour
-
Head to Puerto Escondido, a hot spot of eco-friendly hotels for the architecturally adventurous
As a bucolic cluster of beach towns evolves on Mexico’s Oaxacan coast, there’s hope that Puerto Escondido can prove a guiding light in responsible tourism; Eric Millman went to find out more
-
Twin Peaks’ Double R Diner is coming to London (for a day)
Mubi marks Twin Peaks’ 35th anniversary with pop-up diner and streaming release
-
Ukrainian restaurant Sino adds to London's diverse food culture with warming traditions that feel familiar yet new
Pronounced see-no, the new Ukrainian restaurant in Notting Hill, by Polina Sychova and chef Eugene Korolev, is built on the intimate relationship between people and nature – offering beauty in simplicity
-
Art, pasta and maritozzi: this is Locatelli at the National Gallery
Chef Giorgio Locatelli is the National Gallery’s new Italian master with the latest chapter of his beloved London restaurant
-
A local’s guide to London – Climax Books founder Isabella Burley’s favourite haunts
Creative consultant Isabella Burley credits growing up in the English capital with shaping who she is today. She takes us on a tour of some significant spots
-
This new London restaurant is a Greek island idyll on a plate
Myrtos by Asimakis is a flavoursome ode to Kefalonia, conceptualised by Vernon Viljoen and Block1:Design