The Sello M is an official seal from the Mexican government. It's awarded to restaurants outside Mexico that cook Mexican food properly, and we're the first in Wellington to hold one.
How we got it. We applied through the Embassy of Mexico in New Zealand, sending our menu, our recipes and the story of the people who cook them. The embassy visited the restaurant, and a panel from the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy made the final decision.
What it means for you. Anyone can call themselves a Mexican restaurant. The Sello M is Mexico's way of separating the real thing from the rest. It means the birria, tacos and sauces here are made the way they're made in Mexico, and it's checked again every two years to keep it honest.
Embassy of Mexico in New Zealand Verified the restaurant and presented the distinction 
Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Mexican Academy of Gastronomy Its committee evaluates every application 
2 Beef Birria Tacos, melted cheese, diced beef, pico de gallo (fresh salsa), the most amazing broth. Add fresh delicious extras.
2 Corn Tacos, Rice, Beans, Melted Cheese, Salad, Protein, Sauce. Add fresh delicious extras.
Rice, Beans, Melted Cheese, Salad, Protein, Sauce in a flour tortilla. Add fresh delicious extras.
Flour tortilla, melted cheese, beans, rice, protein, salad, sauce. Add fresh delicious extras.
Tortilla chips fried in coconut oil, cheese, beans, salad, protein, a bit of guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream.
Best taco in my life
A Mexican staff was very friendly and food was amazing!! Best taco in my life 🫶
Hands down the best Mexican I’ve had in Wellington
Hands down the best Mexican I’ve had in Wellington. The Birria tacos are out of this world! The food tastes so authentic and it is run by a lovely Mexican crew. This is our go to date night…
hands down the best tacos I’ve ever tasted
I ordered the birria combo and the tacos were hands down the best tacos I’ve ever tasted. For 2 tacos they were also very filling! The meat in the tacos was smoky and succulent and the…
when I tasted the birria tacos I cried
Most amazing and only real Mexican food in Wellington. Everything tastes like is made with love and when I tasted the birria tacos I cried!
It’s like the owner brought Mexico to Willis Lane
The staff are amazing, the food is amazing, very flavourful. The mango juice is fresh and tasty. We don’t know any big words to describe how awesome the service is here. It’s like the…
Single handedly the best tacos ive ever had
Single handedly the best tacos ive ever had. Amazingly spicy and flavorful. Tortillas were perfect and the consume was full of depth and flavour!! Highly highly recommend the birria tacos…
Yes. On 23 September 2026 we received the Sello M, the Mexican government's official distinction for authentic Mexican cuisine abroad, granted by Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy. We are the first restaurant in Wellington to hold it, and among the first in New Zealand.
In Willis Lane, the food lane at 1 Willis Street in the Wellington CBD, at the Lambton Quay end of Willis Street. We are open every day from 11am: until 9pm Monday to Thursday, 10pm Friday and Saturday, and 8pm on Sunday.
Yes. The kitchen is run by Mexicans and the food is what we eat at home. Corn tortillas are pressed and cooked in house, and the sauces, the birria and the tortilla chips are all made from scratch.
Birria tacos: beef slow cooked for hours in a mild chilli broth, folded into a tortilla with melted cheese, and dipped back into the broth. After that, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos, each with your choice of filling and one of three sauces. We are rated 4.9 from 3,073 Google reviews.
Yes. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and the salad bowl can all be made vegetarian or vegan. Corn tortillas, rice, beans, the fillings and our tortilla chips are gluten free; the burrito and the quesadilla use a flour tortilla, so those two are not. Our kitchen handles gluten and dairy, so traces may be present.
Yes. Delivery apps charge restaurants a commission on every order, and the prices you see there include it. The prices on our menu page are what you pay at the counter.
We do not take bookings. Willis Lane is a food court: order at our counter, then find a table in the shared seating. It moves quickly, even at lunch.
In Wellington, through Uber Eats and DoorDash. Anywhere else in New Zealand, our hot sauces, mole, birria cooking sauce and tortilla chips ship from our online shop.
