El Tajín is an award winning small independent restaurant, led by myself, chef Martha Doyle, that prides itself in bringing authentic and unique Mexican flavours to Scotland.
Hailing from Veracruz in Mexico, I moved to Scotland and opened El Tajín in 2017 in Montrose to promote the diversity and complexity of the Mexican cuisine. We offer a savoury tour of the delicious regional recipes from all over Mexico, complemented with our unique and extensive collections of Mexican wines, Tequilas and Mezcals in a relaxed Cantina-style environment. Tex-Mex we certainly are not!
At El Tajín, you will find a diverse offering of freshly prepared, artisanal dishes made with high quality locally sourced produce from the North East of Scotland and speciality ingredients imported from Mexico, all made with the upmost care and passion.
We are unique in that we actively source our ingredients from niche micro producers from Angus and Aberdeenshire and give them our own authentic Mexican twist. After hearing from my Scottish husband, Charles how great Scotland’s natural larder is, I made it my mission to get out and source the best local produce to showcase on my menus. I discovered quickly what an array of quality produce was available in Angus and surrounding regions by putting on my wellies and visiting local producers on their farms. Our local vegetable supplier sources fresh speciality Mexican ingredients such as fresh cactus, jicama, plantain, jalapeño and poblano chillies, too.
Using this excellent produce, I’ve created our most popular starters; Scallop Tostadas, Myreside Goat Empanadas, Stuffed Avocado with Arbroath Crab, Jalapeños with Arbroath Smokies, Crispy Sillyflatt Goose Tacos and Gorditas with Angus Pork.
Pan fried Aberdeenshire Prawns in Spicy Pineapple and Mango Sauce (Aguachile de Camarón), Steamed Cumin and Chilli Lunan Bay Goat (Barbacoa de Cabrito), Drunken Scallops, Mayan-style Sea Bream marinated in Citrus Annato, In House Smoked Sillyflatt Goose are just some of our favourite mains of our diners, accompanied by expertly prepared Margaritas, fine Mexican wines and of course, our legendary Tequila Trolley!
We are small, intimate restaurant which can cater for 35 dinner covers and 20 lunch covers. We change our menus with the seasons, and open for lunch and dinners service. We offer a full cocktail bar and Agave bar with the largest selection of Tequilas and Mezcals in the North East of Scotland. In the summer, we open our Alfresco area in the courtyard, where you can enjoy drinks and bocadillos outside.
Our current menus and opening times can be viewed on this website. We cater for both small and large groups and our restaurant can be hired, fully or partially, for private parties. Throughout the year, we run special events in the restaurant including Day of the Dead and Mexican Independence Day celebrations. We accommodate all dietary requirements and have an unique gluten-free and vegan offering. Unfortunately, due the location of our basement restaurant in a listing building we are unable to offer full disabled access. We accept children for lunch service.
Look forward to hosting you very soon.
Mi casa es tu casa!
Chef Patron Martha Doyle, El Tajín Restaurant