The Citiblog

5 Festive Places to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in NYC
April 18, 2022, 10:35.20 pm ET

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Photo: Casa Carmen

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in1862. Each year on May 5th, the day is marked with traditional foods and drink.

Here are five NYC spots where you can join the celebration:

What better place to celebrate than with the matriarch of Mexican cooking at Casa Carmen in Tribeca. The newly opened space is a monument to authentic Mexican cuisine, including Tacos de Pulpo with sautéed octopus, Pollo con Mole Xivo made with a mole recipe rarely seen outside of Mexico, and Enchiladas Verdes with tomatillo salsa. For dessert, there is warm corn cake with hazelnut ice cream. Aside from several types of margaritas, there are more than 50 tequilas to choose from.

Photo: Tortazo by Rick Bayless

Tortazo by Rick Bayless is joining the festivities in NoMad with live outdoor music, games (think cornhole, giant dominoes, etc), and all day happy hour (11:30a-10p) which consists of $30 margarita pitchers (any flavor, serves 4), $4 Tecate canned beer, $4 shots of Cazadores Blanco Tequila, $2 Spicy Churro Bites, and $1 Chile Relleno Flautas. A Puebla Spritz (a Mexican version of the Aperol Spritz) is the specialty cocktail, which is only on the menu for Cinco de Mayo!


Photo: Bar Tulix/Brianna Balducci

Bar Tulix, from Michelin-starred restaurant by chef Justin Bazdarich (Oxomoco), is serving up festive dishes inspired by coastal regions of Mexico. Think shrimp cocktail todadas, manilla clam toast with garlic ancho butter broth and larger plates of Masa-Encrusted Red Branzino and Roast Duck with Mole Chichillo, along with tequila-infused cocktails.


Photo: Nina's Great Burrito Bar/Laura Jane Brett

Nina’s Great Burrito Bar on the Upper West Side is marking Cinco de Mayo with Esquites, corn off the cob with chipotle mayo, queso fresco, lime, and spiced with tajin, which is a street food that is offered whenever there is a festivie occasion. Burrito Ahogados filled with rice, refried beans, Monterey Jack cheese is also being offered. It's covered in red guajillo sauce, green tomatillo sauce, and topped with crema - colors representing the Mexican flag.


Photo: Bar Milagro/Melissa Hom

Bar Milagro a subterranean bar in Williamsburg is offering shareable plates like Guacamole, Chicharrones, Quesadillas and Chslupas. Signature drinks include Tropical Mezcalito made with mezcal, passion fruit, Campari, and Fuerte Como La Muerte withtequila, mezcal, lilet, and orange. Boozy shakes are also offered. The ceiling is decorated with 2,000 hand-painted Mexican charms, known as milagros, for good luck. on the ceiling.


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