Possibly the finest place in town for a traditional meal, El Cardenal occupies three floors of a Parisian-style mansion and has a pianist playing sweetly in the background. Mexican breakfast is a must, like zucchini flower and cottage cheese croquettes, pastries and a pitcher of frothy, semisweet chocolate. For lunch the house specialty is the pecho de ternera (oven-roasted veal breast).
Another branch, El Cardenal San Ángel, is in the south.