Dolores brings a Mexico City-inspired Cantina to Brooklyn

A new way to enjoy the tastes of Mexico City has opened in Brooklyn.

Dolores, a cantina and cocktail bar from the husband-and-wife team behind Winona’s in Williamsburg, recently opened in Bed-Stuy at 397 Tompkins Ave.

Inspired by co-founder Emir Dupeyron’s upbringing in Mexico City, Dolores serves Mexican fare like tacos and botana (small bites) to pair with agave-spirit cocktails by partner and beverage director Leanne Favre of Clover Club and Legend. The restaurant has 30 seats, plus 10 bar seats, 8 outdoor seats.

Dupeyron and his wife, co-owner, Cressida Greening, felt there was an underrepresentation of chilango food in New York. The restaurant is named after Dupeyron’s great-grandmother, who was known as an excellent cook.

“We wanted to bring a slice of chilango cantina culture to Brooklyn in the form of a neighborhood spot in Bed Stuy. With Mexico City being such a popular destination for folks these days, we felt as though people would be open to something that was very specific in that way, rather than another generic Mexican restaurant that has to do everything and please everyone,” Greening said. “The idea to do a restaurant-bar in the style of a classic cantina just felt like a fun idea, and again, something new for Brooklyn. In cantinas, the drinking is as important as the eating, if not more so, but moreover, it’s a place for people from all walks of life to catch up, convive, toast to successes or drown their sorrows.”

What to eat at Dolores

Dolores menu centers around botanas. Familiar shareables include guacamole with fresh, hot totopos fried to order, chicharrones, and pressed seafood aguachile made in-house by pressing thinly sliced octopus, shrimp, squid with fresh lime juice and red onion. Additional snacks include the tlacoyo de haba, a traditional Mexican stuffed-corn tortilla topped with a nopal salad and fava bean puree and sopes con picadillo served with housemade salsa.

Dolores’ menu also features tacos like such as the Cochinita Pibil Turix, inspired by the El Turix Taqueria in Mexico City’s Polanco neighborhood, made with Yucatán-style, braised pork marinated and rubbed with homemade achiote and citrus, topped with pickled red onions and a habanero salsa. The Lengua El Bosque is an homage to Bar El Bosque, which famously serves tacos wrapped in cloth napkins to soften the tortilla and preserve the moisture.

“Personally, I think the cochinita pibil tacos are where it’s at,” said Greening. “The pork is just so juicy and flavorful. The dish is messy, but I implore you to please resist the urge to use a knife and fork to eat it. As with all tacos, these are best enjoyed when eaten with your hands.”

Larger, daily specials include albondigas al chipotle, Mexican-style meatballs served in a chipotle sauce; mojarra frita, a whole-fried red snapper served with rice, tortillas, and housemade salsa, and chicken enchiladas.

For late-night dining, Dolores offers $2 tacos de canasta from 11 p.m. until sold out on Fridays and Saturday.

“Also go for the taco del dia, which is usually a guisado (a traditional stew) topped with rice and beans,” said Greening. “If you are looking for a more hearty dinner, the plato del dia is the way to go. On Fridays, that means fajitas, which are of course sizzling. They’re just very fun and also really hit, flavor-wise. We also have a few tasty platos that we are working on, so watch this space.”

What to drink at Dolores

Dolores’ bar program is designed with fun, approachable cocktails in mind, including some creative twists on classics.

“There is really something to satisfy every kind of drinker,” said Greening. “The Tepache White Negroni is a really interesting and complex option for something more spirits-forward, but on a hot summer day, nothing tastes better right off the bat than our frozen Mata Dolores.”

The drink menu features cantina staples, like a house margarita (of course made with house-made sour mix and available on draft; the paloma featuring a blend of grapefruit and sumac, carbonated “a minute”, and the Mexican espresso martini inspired by a classic Carajillo and featuring a Mexican-made coffee rum and amaro.

Additional beverages include the Midnight Cowboy, a martini variation served with cotija-stuffed olives; Jerk Batanga made with a house-blend of jerk spices, banana, lime, and topped with Mexican Coke; Arroz con Leche made with Mexican-made rum, guava, and a rice wash; One Trick Pony with tomato, strawberry, guajillo chili, and black pepper, served with a tiny Modelito and their frozen Mata Dolores, a take on a classic Painkiller made with pineapple, orange cordial,coconut and a hint of ancho chili and cocoa.

“All the cocktails are super food-friendly. We really want everyone to be able to choose their own adventure when it comes to pairing—there are no wrong answers, so just do what feels right for you in the moment.”