Rosetta (restaurant)

Rosetta is a restaurant in Colonia Roma, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, that has served Mexican cuisine with Mediterranean influences (mainly Italian) since 2010. It serves seasonal à la carte options. It is owned by chef Elena Reygadas, who studied at the International Culinary Center and worked at Locanda Locatelli in London. Food experts have given the restaurant favorable reviews, with plates of pasta and bread receiving the greatest attention. The British magazine Restaurant has ranked the restaurant twice on its list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants and Reygadas received their Best Female Chef of 2023 award. Rosetta was awarded one Michelin star in 2024 in the first Michelin Guide covering restaurants in Mexico.

Description
Rosetta offers à la carte selections that change seasonally. The restaurant serves Mexican dishes prepared with local ingredients; the plates have Mediterranean influence, mainly Italian. For example, the olive oil comes from the state of Baja California and the burrata from Atlixco, Puebla; vegetables are brought from Xochimilco, Mexico City, and Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico. The restaurant's bread and pasta are handmade; according to Reygadas, the dough had been fermented for nine years as of 2018. Menu options have included veal sweetbreads served with yogurt, plum and za'atar, ricotta and lemon ravioli, kale tacos with pipian and romeritos, sweet potato tamale with salsa macha and buttermilk, and honey jelly with hazelnut butter ice cream and vanilla sauce.

History
Elena Reygadas (es) studied gastronomy at the International Culinary Center, in New York City. She worked at Giorgio Locatelli's restaurant Locanda Locatelli in London. After her first daughter's birth, she returned to Mexico and opened a pop-up restaurant at Tonalá Street 20, in Colonia Roma, Mexico City.

She opened Rosetta in February 2010 at a Porfirian historic mansion on Colima Street, also in Colonia Roma. She purchased furniture obtained at markets and second-hand; the interior decorations resemble outdoor spaces. The original mosaic floor was replaced by wood flooring and the walls were painted pastel colors.

The restaurant began to gain popularity and her baking earned a positive response from diners, so Reygadas opened two bakeries, one at Colima Street 179 and the other at Havre Street 73, in Colonia Juárez.

Reception
On their selection of the top twenty-three restaurants in Mexico City, Time Out ranked Rosetta at number three. In her review for the same magazine, Beatriz Vernon rated the restaurant with five out of five stars, adding that "[a]lthough the menu is constantly changing, Rosetta is always full because everyone can rest easy knowing that whatever they order, it'll be simple and delicious. The vibe here is friendly in the evening and full-on romantic at night".

For the magazine Chilango, Miguel Rivera recommended bread and pasta because of their cooking style; a reviewer from Bon Appétit shared the opinion and approved the pasta. Leslie Yeh from Lifestyle Asia described the restaurant as intimate and the plates as "exciting". A Fodor's reviewer praised the Italian influence. A writer from The Economic Times lauded the guava rolls. The editorial team of Travel + Leisure En Español considered that Reygadas and Rosetta has "deep respect" for the ingredients and it makes creative dishes. Additionally, they lauded the location.

Restaurant has ranked Rosetta on its World's 50 Best Restaurants lists twice: at number 34 (2024) and 49 (2023). When the Michelin Guide debuted in 2024 in Mexico, it awarded 18 eateries with Michelin stars. Rosetta received one star—meaning "high-quality cooking, worth a stop". The guide added that Reygadas' cooking style was influenced by global cuisines and her "[d]ishes are designed for sharing, ideal for those who want to sample more of her ingenious creations".

Moreover, Reygadas received the 2014 Business Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot and Restaurant named her 2023's best female chef.