Cafe de Nopal in English

"La cocina tiene siesta"

On a very cold Monday evening we decided to visit in a Mexican restaurant called Cafe de Nopal. Cafe de Nopal opened a few months ago, in the beginning of December. The owner told us that Cafe de Nopal is the only authentic Mexican bar in Helsinki. The decor was colourful and very Mexican with plastic tablecloths and handmade bowls.

Ambience
Cafe de Nopal is a small (only about six tables) and very cozy place. The ambience was relaxed and warm. We felt ourselves really welcome.

Food
The menu was very compact: two appetizers and three different main courses. For the very beginning we got two different sauces with nachos. Both sauces were good. The Green Sauce (Salsa Verde) included avocado and had a great taste of coriander. The red Sauce (Salsa Roja) was spicy, it contained chili called Chipotle.  

Salsa Roja ja Salsa Verde

For the Starters we shared a dish Sopesitos, which means Mexican pizza or Mexican pies. Sopesitos looked a little bit like Karelian pastry (finnish "national" pastry). Sopesitos contained bean sauce, cream cheese and vegetables. 

Sopesitos

For the main course Juhana chose Tacos de Birria & Consome and Pauliina took Enfrijoladas. In Juhanas dish there was lamb, tacos and  consomme. Consomme was good and it was ment to be eaten with the lamb (wich was really tender). Enfrijoladas included corn tortillas, chicken, fresh vegetables and bean sauce. Bean sauce was the best part of it. Both of these dishes were simple and delicious. 

Tacos de Birria & Consome

After the huge dishes we weren't hungry at all, but we were craving for something sweet. We decided to share one piece of Flan de Cajeta, which means burnt goat's milk. We loved the taste of caramel! Juhana also ordered Latte with the flan. 

Coffee

The Food in Cafe de Nopal is fresh and tasty. It is well made but simple. Cafe de Nopal is the only place in Helsinki where you can enjoy real Mexican food and athmosphere.

Service
Service in Cafe de Nopal was excellent. The staff were incredibly friendly and thoughtful. They really took care of us throughout the dinner. The service was fast and everything worked in Cafe de Nopal very well. We especially appreciated exceptionally good service! 

Quality compared to price
The Food was reasonably-priced and quality was great. Appetizer, two main courses, desert, coca-cola and coffee cost 44 euros, not bad at all. The food was excellent and authentic, fresh ingredients and well cooked. Staff were friendly and helpful. We can truly recommend Cafe de Nopal, it really was worth of visiting. Hopefully we will soon have a possibility to visit there for Lunch - the dinner in Cafe de Nopal was a refreshing experience.  

Note
They don't have a license for alcohol beverages yet.


Ambience                         9
Food                                8,5
Service                            10
Quality compared to price 9


Lönnrotinkatu 9, Helsinki
Kartta