Cool Spaces: Chilo Taqueria

WORDS Amelia Brown

This colourful taqueria in Cape Town has been designed to echo an authentic Mexican street food experience in a modern way that works with its gritty urban location.

The family behind much-loved Mexican restaurant San Julian, opened in 2010 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup, have consolidated the business and moved to a busy inner-city street near Parliament. Architects Alma Ruiz and Daniela Gonzalez from in-betweens were responsible for the design and renovation. “The contrasting civic character of the area demanded a bright and colourful escape in the busy street,” explains Daniela.

In Mexico the connection to food is still visible – the “taqueros” not only cook the tacos, but also serve them and interact with customers. The family wanted to recreate this social atmosphere, serving slow-cooked fast-food.

A central visible, open kitchen is part of the space, with a bar counter overlooking it, aiming to create transparency and a connection to the food and production of the hand-crafted tacos. A series of industrial looking screens configure the space without obstructing it. Folding tables provide flexibility.

“The strong identity of Chilo is meant to be easily identifiable and replicable,” says Daniela. A limited colour palette was used creatively to combine traditional and contemporary approaches. The Rosa Mexicano, a latin shade of pink very present in Mexican architect Luis Barragán’s architecture, has been reinterpreted with motives and graphics, hints of turquoise and a dominant black background to suit an urban Capetonian context. “The result is a rather rich composition of various elements, just like the family’s own history,” she says.

Chilo is located at 97 Plein Street in Cape Town and is open from Monday to Friday 12pm to 4pm and Tuesday to Saturday 6:30pm to 10pm.