El Catrin is a trendy and stylish Mexican restaurant in the Distillery District. Does El Catrin serve the best Mexican food in Toronto? No. But the atmosphere of the restaurant is so impressive that it is worth a visit.
The drama and scale of the main dining room is impressive. It is the reason why I bring my out-of-town friends here. The dramatic mural fills the dinning room is by black lights brings vibrant colours to the dining room and sets the tone. There's skulls peaking out of various corners. It looks like a upscale Mexican funhouse.
During the summer, the El Catrin patio is the place to be. I would highly recommend enjoying a few cocktails on the patio when it is opened. However, you have to plan accordingly as the patio is almost always full and there's a line to get.
As for the food, the tacos are delicious but not the best tacos I had in Toronto especially for the price. The two items that I routinely order when I visit El Catrin are the guacamole en la mesa and the churros. The servers make the guacamole fresh in front of you in a stone bowl. The churros are also freshly made and served with cajeta, chocolate and strawberry sauce. (A close runner up to the churros is the tres leches cake which I would also recommend.)