El Noctámbulo

A hipster taco bar with a no-frills approach. Can they make it work?

Dubai’s Mexican dining scene has been going through a shake up this year. While DIFC’s fine dining option Peyote and Loca 2.0 both closed their doors, cool Mexican restaurant La Carnita and homegrown Palm Jumeirah spot Luchador have both proved instant hits. So how will El Noctámbulo, a cool new taco bar in d3, fare among them?

The décor has a simple, industrial feel and rather than trying to reinvent the wheel with its interiors, El Noctámbulo has simply graffitied over the existing concrete walls and pillars with murals of an owl (their name translates to ‘the night owl’), abstract art and various versions of their logo in bright yellow and turquoise hues. It’s a long, narrow space, filled with mismatch furniture.