Where to eat MEXICO 🇲🇽 Bern: Bigote Verde

Bigote Verde

Laupenstrasse 57, Bern

Published March 18, 2025 · by Amanda Rivkin Häsler

What we ordered: For two people, two tacos al pastor, two Negra Modelo beers and one tall mezcal long drink.

Cost: 78 CHF / €81 / $88

Let’s start with the essential fact that these were the best tacos of any kind and especially of al pastor I have ever had in Europe, a continent where it is damn near impossible to find quality Mexican food. This is no small statement given the best Mexican food in Europe is usually made by Americans of all stripes given that the European palate is generally too sensitive to permit any kind of spice or really anything too amalgamated, whether Indian or Mexican. Both countries’ cuisines have flavor palettes far vaster than anything in continental Europe, generally speaking.

This is not to say Europeans cannot handle quality spice and flavor, it is rather that it is not something they would tackle without prompt or permission, and generally in restaurants the rule is cater to who you serve. At Bigote Verde, however, they seem to have found an audience for quality, authentic Mexican food as the place was packed the Friday night we visited. Reservations are not only recommended but should be made if one actually intends to get a table and eat.

Located in a cellar in a residential building on the side of the train station away from the old city, it is not a place one casually stumbles into. It is dark, a bit cramped, warm with the fire going and zero signage at the street level encouraging you to come in for some house-made drinks (not frozen, they were clear to inform us).

Inside this small space is a world of appreciative customers who are also trending under 40 (which might be due to the acoustics which make it a bit rough for those hard of hearing as well as the less adventurous tastes of the older generations). It was an attractive crowd as well, a community of people who knew damn well they were in for great Mexican food from the moment they walked in.

Ordering is quite simple. There is a piece of paper and they ask you to mark off your selections. The owner came to our table and I made several inquiries in Spanish about what his favorites were and within minutes, we had our tacos al pastor in front of us. Three juicy, porkalicious pineapple-tricked-out beauties combining savory and sweet. Our beers and mezcal long drink followed, only because I could be persuaded based on the descriptions and the friendliness into one. It did not disappoint either. 

As soon as I took one bite, I determined I could have had ten but settled for the one order I had. In all seriousness, though, I could have ordered all the tacos on the menu and likely consumed half of them. And it would not have been an error judgment no matter how full I would feel.

While this is not just a case of missing home, I also know it would be hard to get American friends to enjoy Mexican food outside of North America. However, my battle plan now is to try heartily when they visit and definitely bring other friends that live in Europe but have a deep longing for quality Mexican food. This might be a slightly harder mission though given what passes for Mexican food on this continent.

At the end, I paid my compliments to the owner and the chef, who is very much from Mexico. Authenticity is hard to come by and the city of Bern owes a debt to the team behind Bigote Verde. Certainly, the diplomatic community of the Americas in Bern should be aware of this spot if it is not already (though I strongly suspect it must be). But really anyone with an affinity for all things on the other side of the pond should make a reservation and indulge in this sweet Mexican spot. And yes, they also offer tortas and other non-taco items—but why go there? It’s a taqueria, after all. 

¡Viva México!

How to get to Mexico from Switzerland:

Swiss Air offers a route to Mexico City via Washington’s Dulles Airport that is a codeshare with United that takes roughly 16 hours and another option via Montreal at around 18 hours. Code share flights with Lufthansa to Mexico City via Frankfurt are also possible, with flight and transfer times that take a little more than 14 hours. Other possibilities exist with Air Canada, Iberia and United without transferring airlines via Toronto, Madrid and Dulles or Newark airports. KLM also offers a possibility via Amsterdam that involves a transfer to an Aeromexico flight. Flight times vary on these routes due to layovers and travel times, with most options falling below 20 hours total of travel time.

From Geneva, the options are very similar though Air France and British Airways offer additional possibilities via Paris and London’s Heathrow airport.

How many Mexicans are in Switzerland: Approximately 4,000

Distance between Bern and Mexico City: 9,623 km

Distance from Bigote Verde and Mexico City: 9,623 km

Learn how to make Mexico's national dish, tacos birria, and about its origins.

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