Xokol Restaurant / ODAmx + Rubén Valdez

Located in the neighborhood of Santa Tere in

, Xokol is a restaurant in which the act of eating becomes a collective ritual. The architecture of the space acts as a catalyst for the reinterpretation of Mexican culinary traditions and a communal dining experience in which the boundaries between diners, staff, and food preparation are non-existent.

Founded in 2017 in a small space that housed only four tables and 16 diners, Xokol moved in 2020 to the site of a former mechanic’s workshop. The aim was to embrace the larger site while maintaining the intimacy of the original location. A single open space houses a kitchen and dining room in which diners share a 15-meter-long table and are both witnesses and actors in the ritual of preparing their dishes.

The exterior of the building was modified as little as possible with the original facade left intact and raw steel plates acting as a filter between inside and out. The interior employs ash-colored stucco on the walls and ceilings while the kitchen’s comal ovens are lined in black clay. These muted tones foreground the naturally rich color palettes of the dishes. All materials are locally sourced and all fixtures, such as the large oak dining table and metalwork for lamps and fermenting shelves, are handcrafted by local artisans.