Bellinghausen

Bellinghausen Restaurant Review:

The front room of Bellinghausen, with its cream walls, wood varnished in a butterscotch tone, and equestrian paintings, suggests a men’s club from 1915. Which is fitting, as the restaurant first opened its doors in that year. The garden in the back, with its fountain and display of blue and white talavera tile plates, has a more luxuriant and less formal feel. Every afternoon, male bureaucrats of a certain age, wearing suits and ties, fill both spaces. Bellinghausen offers a few Mexican specialties, such as huachinango a la veracruzana (red snapper in a sauce of tomato, capers, onion and olives) or arrachera (a tender marinated flank steak). Most of the menu, however, is made of traditional Central European fare: chamorro con chucrut (pork shank with sauerkraut), milanesa con papas (a breaded pork cutlet served with french fries), and sesos en mantequilla negra (brains sautéed in black butter, laden with capers). For the more adventurous eater, there are various preparations of criadillas (bull’s testicles). Bellinghausen is a pleasant place to eat, and the service is professional. However, it is worth noting that the kitchen’s offerings rarely surpass the ordinary. Bellinghausen is best enjoyed by those wanting a formal, Continental experience in Mexico City, but without high expectations.