Award-winning London chefs to bring Tia Chela Mexican to Edinburgh for month-long pop-up
The duo will be bringing a taste of Mexico to Edinburgh for all of August.
Female duo Celia D’ortiz - chef-owner of Cantinera, Hot Dinners Best New London Restaurant Openings of 2026 - and Cesca Eastment from Carousel are launching a month-long Mexican pop-up in Edinburgh.
After meeting on the line at Carousel, one of London’s top restaurants, Celia and Cesca quickly became friends, bonding over busy services and good food. Now, they’re bringing that energy to their month-long Mexican pop-up at wine bar Margot, inspired by Celia’s Spanish-Mexican heritage and Cesca’s time living and working all over Mexico.
Menu highlights will include: Oysters with a Scottish clamato mix (fermented wild strawberry and tomato, lime, fresh celery); Taco raja made with handmade tortillas, fresh corn, peppers and Scottish cream (vegetarian); Tostada ceviche with a lemon mayo base, gusano salt
Quesadilla con frijol made with handmade tortillas, refried pinto beans, and melted cheese (vegetarian); and Taco birria with handmade tortillas, salsa tatemada, adobo paste, coriander and onion Carlota cake, fresh lime with whipped Scottish cream.
The drinks offered will include delicious wine from Margot’s list, local artisanal beer and – of course – mezcal.
Londoners got a sneak peek of the menu at a one-off event held at London’s Good As Gold, with wine selection by Mel’s.
For an early taste of Tia Chela’s, diners can head down to the warm-up events, taking place on Saturday 1 August at Margot and Sunday 2nd August at Cardinal. The Cardinal team and Cesca previously collaborated during last year’s Fringe at Coop and are reuniting to kick off this year’s Festival season.
In the evening of Saturday 1 August, the pop-up will be at Margot from 5-10pm serving tacos, oysters and wine, with music from Greenhouse Records and margaritas from Pelo del Perro.
On Sunday 2 August, Tia Chela heads back to Cardinal, reuniting with old friend and former colleague Tomás Gormley for a Mexican brunch from 11am-3pm. The brunch menu will feature dishes including oysters, tacos, enfrijoladas, totopos and dessert, alongside Mexican-inspired cocktails.
Tia Chela’s culinary philosophy is grounded in two principles: that authentic Mexican cooking should be celebrated in the UK; and that quality ingredients are the cornerstone of great dishes.
They are proud to work with suppliers who share this vision. They have linked up with the all-female team at Masafina in London, producers of outstanding Mexican masa and tortillas. Vegetables, fish and oysters will be sourced from Scottish suppliers, while Mexican specialty ingredients will come from trusted importers.
Tomás Gormley, chef-patron of Michelin-recommended Stockbridge restaurant Cardinal, said: “I can’t put into words how excited I am that Tia Chela’s are coming to town. It’s great to see a team using the best of Scotland’s ingredients to bring authentic, delicious Mexican tacos, quesadillas and more to Edinburgh. Having worked with them previously, I know the skill, experience and dedication that they put into creating quality dishes.”
Poppy Chisholm White, co-owner of family-owned local favourite wine café Margot added: “We're so excited to have Tia Chela's join us this August. We've always loved creating a space for guest chefs and creative collaborations. Welcoming talented chefs into the café keeps things fresh and gives our community something new to discover.”
Walk-ins are available, though reservations at Cardinal and Margot are recommended to avoid disappointment.
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