Bicla, the Mexican restaurant introducing Saint-Germain-des-Prés to tacos de canasta

At Bicla in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, there’s no spectacular décor or over-the-top Mexican folklore. The place is small and unpretentious, with a long counter running opposite the open kitchen and two large communal high tables, where diners share space with their group or with other guests as they arrive. The welcome, meanwhile, is immediately warm.

The duo of Mexican chef Othoniel Alvarez Castaneda and Christian are enthusiastically driving the project forward, above all with a desire to introduce diners to a cuisine that goes far beyond burritos and bastardized Tex-Mex. In Paris, truly convincing Mexican restaurants are still few and far between. Bicla offers a most delightful answer.

The House specialty is tacos de canasta, literally “basket tacos.” In Mexico, these small filled tortillas are prepared in advance, stacked in a basket (traditionally carried on a bicycle, hence the restaurant’s name!), then kept warm before being sold on the street.

Unlike grilled or fried tacos, these ones are steamed until they become soft and tender. A rare find in the capital, and above all a very fun way to fill your own taco by hand, adding raw red onions, pickles and delicious homemade sauces to taste.

Bicla’s menu features five fillings: frijol al epazote with red beans (€4), papas et paprika with potato (€4), tinga de pollo with chicken (€5.50), birria with beef (€5.50) and cochinita pibil with pork (€5.50). The meats, slow-cooked for a long time, are especially fragrant. The birria, for example, has remarkable depth, with notes of spice and cinnamon !

The house-made pickles have plenty of punch, too. A word of advice: it’s best to tuck them into the tacos to balance the toppings, as the owners recommend, rather than eating them on their own, lest their fiery kick catch you off guard!

The standout arrives right from the start with the sopa de tortilla (€7.50). In a thick tomato broth, white cabbage, fried tortillas, cream, fresh cheese, red onions and cilantro come together in a dish full of texture—a hug-in-a-bowl with plenty of character.

To sample the full spread at lunch, the Clasica set menu (€24) includes the dish of the day, three tacos (frijol, papa and pollo), the dessert of the day and a drink: either horchata (a drink made with condensed milk, rice, cinnamon and vanilla) or agua de Jamaica, made with steeped hibiscus flowers. The Mexicana set menu (€29) adds a fourth taco with birria and lets you choose your starter, dessert and drink. In the evening, the menu expands to include reimagined traditional dishes, in an atmosphere that’s cosier than at lunchtime. 

• To be read
• Mexican restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
• Latin and South American street food restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
• Mexican heritage and places in Paris

And to finish on a high note (and a sweet one!), the tres leches cake (€7.50), a soft cake like a chiffon cake soaked in milk syrup, continues the Mexican journey in delicious style!

Mexican restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
Looking for a taste of Mexican cuisine? Here are the best addresses for Mexican restaurants in Paris! [Read more]

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.