Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) at Mestizo Mexican Restaurant
Celebrate Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in a traditional Mexican way! Between 18 October and 2 November Mexican restaurant, Mestizo is serving limited-edition cocktails and Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead bread). They also have traditional Mexican altars, and a message wall.
@urbanadventurerldn [BLOG POST IN BIO] Celebrate Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in a traditional Mexican way! 💀🌺 Between 18 October and 2 November Mexican restaurant, Mestizo is serving limited-edition cocktail and Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead bread) They also have traditional Mexican altars, and a message wall 📍 103 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3EL 📍 392 King’s Rd, London SW3 5UZ #diademuertos #dayofthedead #mexicanfood #mexicanrestaurants #lallorona #cocktailtime #CapCut
♬ Un Poco Loco – Luis Ángel Gómez Jaramillo & Gael García Bernal
Día de Muertos
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Día de Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is an important and deeply cherished Mexican holiday.
Celebrated from the 31st October to 2nd November, Día de Muertos honours the memories of the loved ones who have passed away.
As part of the tradition, Mexican people set up altars at home as well as at the graves of their loved ones. They decorate the altars with marigolds, incense, candles and their loved ones’ favourite food and drink to welcome their souls back to the World of the Living for a night.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Mexicans believe that for a brief period of time the border between the real world and the spiritual world dissolves allowing the dead to return to the living world and reunite with their loved ones, and feast, drink, dance and play music with them.
The most prominent symbols of the Day of the Dead are skeletons, and skulls adorned with makeup and fancy clothes.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
During the Day of the Dead festivals are held and people wear skull masks and eat skull-shaped candy and a traditional sweet pastry, called Pan de Muerto. On this day, people traditionally drink corn-based drinks.
Día de Muertos at Mestizo Mexican Restaurant
Photo: Urban Adventurer
To celebrate the Day of the Dead, Mexican restaurant, Mestizo is offering a limited-edition cocktail, called ‘La Llorona’, inspired by a haunting legend.
The legend of La Llorona, the Weeping Woman, is a popular ghost story, best known in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
According to the legend, La Llorona was a beautiful woman, named Maria. In many variations of the story, Maria’s husband was an unfaithful man who left her for another woman. Other retelling say that her husband was abusive who treated his sons better than his wife.
As a result, Maria lured her two sons to the river to drown them. After realising what she had done, she killed herself too. In other versions of the story, Maria’s sons died by accident.
According to the legend, Maria’s ghost, now La Llorona, is banned from going to the other world and forced to wander on Earth constantly searching for her sons, wailing and crying loud.
Pan de Muerto
Image Source: @mestizo_camden
Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead bread) is a key offering (‘ofrendas’) of the Day of the Dead altar, along with chocolate, tamales and other dishes.
While it is the family members who eat Pan de Muerto physically, it is believed that the essence of the bread can nourish the returning spirit on the Day of the Dead.
Pan de Muerto can be made in many different shapes and flavours depending on the area you are visiting. In some areas, Pan de Muerto is shaped like figures of people, while in other regions, it’s shaped like animals, crescent moon or crossed bones.
The bread is usually covered with white sugar, red sugar, sprinkles, sesame seeds or egg wash.
The Altar Road
During October, visitors can experience ‘The Altar Road’, a traditional Mexican altar within the restaurant and Mestizo Market in Camden.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Mestizo Market, Camden is featuring a separate altar dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II.
Book your table on Mestizo’s official website to either their Camden or Chelsie venue.
Ready for your next adventure? World-famous café, EL&N Café is serving a limited-edition special Halloween dessert and drinks menu, called ‘School of Spells’. The menu is featuring witch’s hat-shaped cake, pumpkin-shaped cake and three enchanting drinks.