Adriana Cavita

Adriana Cavita
Mexican-born Adriana grew up in Mexico City and often visited her grandparents in a small village called San Felipe Ixtacuixtla where food is an integral part of day-to-day life – fresh produce such as corn, tomatoes and avocados are staples of the region. Brought into this world of food from a young age – Adriana was inspired to enter the industry by her Grandma who owned a street food business selling Antojitos Mexicanos – quesadillas, huaraches, tacos and tamales, she also worked in restaurants around the city too, earning money to raise her eight children. Adriana’s first real memory in the kitchen is with her Grandma, milling nixtamal (soaked corn solution) and playing with the corn dough, cooking mini quesadillas and gorditas.
Her first role in cookery came at the age of 17 as an apprentice at Nicos in Mexico City. Here, she honed her skills on the bakery section before moving on to her first full-time paid job at Pujol – currently ranked at #9 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants – at just 19. Adriana’s commitment and skill pushed her to apply for roles in the best restaurants in Mexico – alongside Ferran Adria as Chef de Partie at El Bulli in 2011 and later with Eduardo Garcia at Lalo!. These restaurants are famed for their ongoing revolutionary approach to Mexican cooking, which Adriana cites as key in shaping her approach to food.
Adriana studied gastronomy at the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana whilst cooking in the evenings, but it was learning about Mexico’s food history that set her on the path she follows today, cooking over charcoal, using the ingredients of Mexico in their rawest form. To extend her knowledge, Adriana travelled away from the city; it was on this journey that she met the mother of NY based Mexican chef Ovidio Pérez Amaya, Juanita Amaya Hernández. She stayed with her for six months, learning much about the cooking of small towns. From that starting point she travelled to many more small towns around Mexico and learnt their food traditions, experienced the fire and the smell of wood in the small towns, on the coast, in the mountains, where people cook barbacoa, cook agaves for mezcal and tequila, and when they make cochinita. Adriana says “Fire and charcoal give a unique flavour, it takes practice to speak with the fire and understand the skill behind these ancient techniques.”
Adriana moved to the UK to work as Head Chef at Peyotito in London and Ibiza but has long dreamt of opening her own restaurant that serves Mexican food cooked in the traditional way, with the best ingredients. Adriana completed a residency on the rooftop of The Dorchester in June 2021, introducing her food to the capital.
Adriana’s debut restaurant Cavita opened in May 2022 to a host of outstanding reviews including The Financial Times, The Evening Standard and The Independent. Cavita is intrinsically inspired by tradition. A beautiful 90 cover Mexican restaurant in the heart of Marylebone Village, Cavita is built around the knowledge acquired from food heritage across Mexico; from the capital, where Adriana was born, across to Oaxaca and the Yucatan. Cavita is a love letter to Mexico, written with fire, smoke and the vibrant flavours of the land.
Her first cookbook ‘Cocina Mexicana: Fresh, vibrant recipes for authentic Mexican food’ was released in 2023. Now in its third year, Cavita remains as lively as ever, with Adriana staying busy as she continues to take part in events like Meatopia, Woodfired Canteen, and more.