El Califa de León: the world's first Michelin star tacos
Unassuming taqueria in business since 1968 joins fine-dining spots in guide's first Mexico edition

A tiny taqueria in Mexico City, in business since 1968, has become the first taco stand to be awarded a Michelin star.
El Califa de León's chef, Arturo Rivera Martínez, joined a rarefied company of culinary superstars including Alain Ducasse, Heston Blumenthal and Anne-Sophie Pic on Wednesday, when Michelin representatives presented him with the culinary guide's coveted white jacket.
The next day, "a motley array of tourists and trendsetters joined bemused local people" to form a queue that stretched down the block to taste the tacos for themselves, said The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A small and – from the outside – unremarkable taqueria in Mexico City's "scruffy-bohemian San Rafael neighbourhood", El Califa de León's entrance is surrounded by "street vendors hawking socks and batteries and cell phone accessories", said the Associated Press. Inside is a 10ft by 10ft storefront with no seating area, just a metal shelf where diners able to stand the heat can rest their plastic plates. Half of the floor space is taken up by "a solid steel plate grill that's hotter than the salsa".
Behind the grill stands chef Rivera Martínez, who churns out thousands of tacos a day. The menu makes for speedy reading: there are only four options, including the signature Gaonera taco. Created in tribute to the famed bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona – whose sobriquet, the Caliph of León, inspired the taqueria's name – the Gaonera is "exceptional", according to Michelin's review. Thin slices of tender beef fillet are seared on the grill, seasoned with a squeeze of lime and then nestled in a freshly made corn tortilla, and "the resulting combination is elemental and pure".
"The secret is the simplicity of our taco," Rivera Martínez told the AP. "It has only a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that's it. That, and the quality of the meat."
"My father said, 'Do you want me to tell you the secret of the meat?'" Mario Hernández Alonso, current owner and son of the original founders, said to reporters outside the taqueria. "'There is no secret, only love and effort'." Even so, Hernández Alonso declined to reveal the source of his beef, delivered by the bag-load throughout the day.
El Califa de León is among 16 restaurants honoured with a one-star rating in the Michelin Guide's first Mexico edition. Mexico City fine dining spots Quintonil and Pujol both received two stars in the rankings.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rebecca Messina is the deputy editor of The Week's UK digital team. She first joined The Week in 2015 as an editorial assistant, later becoming a staff writer and then deputy news editor, and was also a founding panellist on "The Week Unwrapped" podcast. In 2019, she became digital editor on lifestyle magazines in Bristol, in which role she oversaw the launch of interiors website YourHomeStyle.uk, before returning to The Week in 2024.
-
Kamala Harris steps back on center stage
IN THE SPOTLIGHT In her first major speech since Donald Trump took office, the former presidential candidate took solid aim at this administration as speculation grows about her future
-
Supreme Court may bless church-run charter schools
Speed Read The case is 'one of the biggest on church and state in a generation'
-
5 refreshing books to read this May to hop into spring
The Week Recommends A look at womanhood in the digital age, an ode to second chances and more
-
5 refreshing books to read this May as you hop your way across spring
The Week Recommends A look at womanhood in the digital age, an ode to second chances and more
-
Critics' choice: Variations on family values
Feature French cuisine gets a Vietnamese twist, a one-man Turkish kitchen, and a family-run Italian restaurant
-
Some film franchises keep cranking out sequels and reboots. These are the ones that do it best.
the week recommends 'Shrek 5' is upon us. What other movie series have deserved this many follow-ups?
-
Escape to the Scottish countryside at Dunkeld House Hotel
The Week Recommends Roam, revive and relax at this luxury hotel in a wooded riverside Perthshire estate
-
7 essentials to pack for your perfect sun-kissed beach day
The Week Recommends Leakproof coolers and comfy chairs are a must
-
5 films as rip-roaringly good as the books they are based on
The Week Recommends These movies stack up well against the source material
-
Fonab Castle: a regal stay in the Scottish Highlands
The Week Recommends Prepare for the royal treatment in Pitlochry
-
5 'slow TV' shows for overstimulated kids
The Week Recommends In an era of fast-paced content and short attention spans, the slow TV movement can be a boon to parents