Paseo

Superb elevated Mexican cuisine became harder to find locally with the closure of Orange County’s best high-end Mexican restaurants, Maizano and Taco Maria, in different parts of Costa Mesa: The former was unparalleled in its mastery of corn as a conceptual base and myriad Mexican ingredients ranging from individual spices and herbs to complex moles and tasting menu-caliber presentations; the latter won a Michelin star for its combination of premium recipes and plating. If you’re visiting Disneyland and want the closest approximation to these experiences one can get without leaving the Anaheim campus or traveling significantly north or south of Orange County, Paseo should be your choice.

Opened as the flagship in a trio of commonly owned Mexican restaurants (also Céntrico and Tiendita) at Downtown Disneyland, Paseo has an ambitious menu loaded with beautifully plated seafood, intriguing cocktails, and some land-based favorites. As appetizers, there’s roasted octopus with salsa, a crispy tlayuda with sausage, pork belly, cured meat, vegetables, and cheese, and mussels in a saffron white cream sauce. Fish, shrimp, pork shanks, lamb barbacoa, and steak are available as entrees.