Housed in a landmark, heritage estate in Mexico City’s Roma Norte, Rayo Cocktail Bar and Fónico Restaurant blend dynamic, spirit-forward cocktails with exceptional, contemporary Mexican cuisine. The two unique experiences are seamlessly complimentary, both pushing the envelope by fusing traditional flavors with inventive techniques. the Finest Mexican Cuisine
The bar and restaurant is split across a striking, multi-level mansion, which has been lovingly restored to incorporate both modern and antique elements. Sitting on the top level, Rayo Cocktail Bar takes its inspiration from the legend of Mayahuel, a Mexican goddess who descended to earth in the form of an agave plant. The menu, created by Alvaro García Arroyo, Victor Garibay and Tito Pin-Perez, showcases three cocktail categories (Signatures, Classics with a Twist and Mocktails), all inspired by different Mexican tales and legends.
Rayo’s airy, blue-hued room is accentuated by angular, neon lights fixtures, intended to resemble the lightning bolts that brought Mayahuel down to earth. A sleek, marble-topped bar is punctuated with high-stool seating, while an outdoor terrace, lined with eye-catching agave and cacti, brings an indoor-outdoor feel.
Signature cocktails from Rayo include Pepe The Bull, a combination of Whiskey Chivas 13, Nixta, lemon, pineapple and cooked agave mix topped with soda; while Classics with a Twist lists creations such as the Marzipan Old Fashioned, a robust mixture of fat-washed whiskey, Amaro Averna, Drambuie and orange bitters. Those looking for something non-alcoholic can try the And Here, a concoction of coconut milk, black tea, red fruits, lemon and natural syrup.
“The world is witnessing a second Golden Age of cocktails, and Mexico is at the heart of it,” says Rayo’s Creative Director, Tito Pin-Perez. “At Rayo, we reinterpret tradition while paying homage to the legends and stories of Mexico. Each of our 33 cocktails is inspired by a different myth or historical tale, not just in the names, but in the ingredients, too.”
The cocktail menu is accompanied by an extensive list of spirits, including multiple categories of tequila, such as white, rested, aged, extra aged and crystal. There is also an enticing menu of bar bites, offering elevated and refined Mexican classics designed to be shared amongst friends.
Downstairs, which guests can access from the top floor via one of the oldest working elevators in the country, is Fónico. The relaxed-yet-elevated contemporary restaurant is helmed by Executive Chef Billy Maldonado, who offers an innovative take on Mexico’s Sonora and Baja California regions. The seasonally changing menu heroes sustainably-caught seafood and local produce, showcasing traditional flavors through a modern lens. Think elegant cuts of raw fish tricked up with fermented fruits and fragrant vinaigrettes; wild and wonderful soups, such as a green-tinted pozole made with local chocolate clams; and a lineup of main dishes cooked on the grill, including Sonoran short ribs glazed with ancho chili and ginger, and served with green apple, jalapeño puree and sweet baby corn.
There’s also a variety of delicate tostadas, which guests can top with Pacific abalone, Bluefin tuna, Enamorado style octopus or raw shrimp.
“The word Fónico is an abstraction of the word aphotic, meaning no light,” says Maldonado. “It is also the name of the deepest, darkest part of the ocean, of which more than 95% has never been explored by man,” he says. “While there is of course light in Fónico, the name represents our constant culinary search toward the unknown and the unexplored.” the Finest Mexican Cuisine
The space, designed by internationally renowned Mexican architect Francisco González Pulido, is modern and elegant, with an antiquarian touch; original timepieces and old-school furnishings, curated by notable antiquarian Daniel Liebsohn, are dotted around the house. “These two interventions laid the foundation for the Fónico concept,” says Maldonado. “They seek to create a symbiosis between the ancient and the contemporary, using the study of history and traditions to explore the idea of an unknown future. This is mirrored in our delicious, reinterpreted Northwestern Mexican menu.”
Rayo Cocktail Bar and Fónico Restaurant are located at C. Salamanca 85, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico.
