Spanish sit-down spot in T1 with a real wine list
Casa Avila sits airside in Terminal T1 and leans Spanish rather than generic bar food, with table service and a printed wine list instead of just drafts and tequila shots. It runs as a full-service restaurant, not a grab-and-go counter, so budget 45–60 minutes if you’re tight on a MEX connection. Recent ratings hover around 3.1 out of 5, so set expectations at “decent airport meal” rather than destination dining.
The menu centers on Spanish classics: think paella, croquetas, and meat-heavy mains, alongside a few pastas and salads, with mains typically landing in the MXN $250–$400 range. Wines skew Spanish and Mexican, often by the glass in the MXN $150–$250 band, plus the usual airport cocktails, beer, and soft drinks. Portions tend to be on the larger side, so one shared starter and a main works if you’re leaving within an hour of boarding from nearby T1 gates.
Hours generally track the Terminal 1 bank, opening around the first morning departures and running into late evening, so you can sit down for a proper meal before a 9 p.m. international flight. Being post-security in T1, it’s mainly useful for Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus, and other T1 carriers, not T2 long-haul; there’s no easy way to bounce terminals landside and re-clear in time for a close connection.
No consistent dish emerges as “the thing” here, but the safer bets, based on Spanish focus, are the paellas and grilled meats ordered medium, plus a glass of house red or a cold cerveza. Skip anything that feels like generic bar snacks if you’re paying sit-down prices; you can find nachos and wings cheaper at other T1 bars near the domestic gates.
Tip: if your gate in T1 is still “por asignar” and you have 90 minutes or more, eat at Casa Avila first, keep your boarding pass handy, and ask your server to check the screens so you don’t miss a late gate change.