I was so excited to get invited to the pre-opening launch party of El Catrin Restaurant where I got a teaser of some very authentic and modern Mexican food. Located in the Distillery District, El Catrin replaces where it used to be the Boiler House which was a surprise for me actually because I had been to the Boiler House a few times and quite enjoyed the space. So I had some kind of hope for the new restaurant that settles in this location. When I first walked into the restaurant, I was immediately wowed by the gorgeous decor and cool interior design. You can see glowing skull motives everywhere in the space, with a giant glow in the dark wall mural art that spanned across the entire back of the restaurant. I cannot stop admiring the thoughts behind the decor and furnishings, they compliment really well with the unpolished wood framework of the building.

The patio is beyond amazing. Absolutely one of the best  outdoor spots I've seen in Toronto for chilling and enjoying a drink or two with friends. We were served with their house margaritas throughout the night by some very friendly staffs who also took the time to introduce what kind of food they were serving. Although, the outdoor space is incredible, it is almost irresistible to not snap photos of how spectacular the interior space looks. Private dining is also available in a room or on the upper deck where you can overlook the entire restaurant and bar without feeling too concealed.





Here are a showcase of some of the food that I got to try out at the party:

{ Corn tortilla with chilli beef stew, Oyster with a mix of scallops, shrimp and octopus, pork quesadilla with pineapple and gouda cheese (my fave of the night!),  Baja tacos with crispy fried Haddock,  corn with chilli piqiun powder, jumbo shrimp with garlic butter sauce}

I enjoyed the food overall, they were well put together and good enough to taste the bits and pieces of Mexican spices and flavour.

I figured that having the restaurant in the Distillery District, their clientele and pricing are slightly geared towards the upper class and offer a less casual dining experience compared to La Carnita, whose main focus is on tacos - see post here. I'm not entirely sure how much each dish would cost and how big of a portion you will get at El Catrin's normal dining. But, judging by this experience I had, this place is promising and definitely worth a second return. At least, the ambience and environment will not let you down.