El Chirunguito de Fran Makes MB100

Troncones beachside restaurant named one of Mexico’s best

When he opened El Chiruguito de Fran in early 2024, Fran López was looking to do something different, both for himself and for Troncones, bringing a touch of the Mediterranean to the Pacific. He never imagined “his beach place” would be named one of Mexico’s best 100 restaurants—its delicacies presented in a stylish oceanfront restaurant, offering elegance in the sand.

Published on

November 27, 2025

In Troncones, Chef Fran López enriches and refines the iconic Spanish beach bar concept by using the finest fresh products from the Mexican Pacific in signature Mediterranean recipes: rice dishes, tapas, fish, and seafood. His seafood paella is perfect for enjoying the beach bar experience: dining by the sea and sipping on a good drink. His fresh and relaxed Spanish cuisine is paired with an inventive cocktail menu and a superb selection of traditional beach drinks to enhance the pleasure of the beautiful surroundings. Recommendations: Black Rice, Grilled Catch of the Day, Iberian Ham Croquettes

So reads the entry describing El Chirunguito de Fran in the newly released Gastronomic Guide 2026, which lists the 100 best restaurants in Mexico. Better known in international culinary circles as MB100, the list is an essential point of reference for fine dining enthusiasts and restaurateurs world-wide. It’s compiled through a voting process by a “council” of anonymous food lovers, who pay for their meals to ensure independence.

Each nominated restaurant is evaluated on a base-line criteria that includes ingredient quality, culinary presentation, customer service, architectural ambiance and overall experience. The selection and validation of the restaurants are overseen by Deloitte, the multi-national accounting consultancy, ensuring a transparency and impartiality to the process.

The “MB” are the initials of the guide’s founder, Marco Beteta, a Mexico City-based food critic, entrepreneur and culinary expert, who has dedicated much of his career to discovering, evaluating and recommending exceptional dining experiences. He launched his first Gastronomic Guide over 20 years ago, and its reliability, methodology and authenticity have earned it a remarkable prestige and its quick-to-say MB100 nickname.

A congratulatory email to Ángela Vilches, Fran’s wife and the owner of Troncones’ Hotel Pomelo, went out with a bunch of questions—Was this honor unexpected? Does Marco Beteta come to Troncones? How did this news make you feel?

Her reply covered all that and more, saying, “Having El Chiringuito de Fran included in the list this year was a true surprise. La Barra de Fran, one of Fran’s restaurants in Mexico City, was selected in a previous year, but putting a restaurant located in a remote destination like Troncones on Marco Beteta’s radar is a huge achievement for us. It reflects the effort and passion we’ve poured into this project. We don’t know if Marco Beteta has ever been here, but we’d be delighted to host him.”

Ángela excitement came through even further when she added, “We feel incredibly proud. It’s always more challenging to gain visibility when you’re located outside the major food cities. This recognition speaks to the strength of our team. Troncones has always been our vacation spot, a place to escape with family and friends. The idea behind El Chiringuito de Fran was to share that experience. Being recognized by someone with Marco Beteta’s reach and credibility will help us develop our vision and will motivate us to continue investing in Troncones as a culinary destination.”

A few days later, Fran sent a note echoing Ángela sentiments, stating, “From day one, I dreamed of El Chiringuito in Troncones becoming a culinary destination in its own right. This recognition is the first sign that we are on the right path, and it truly fills me with pride and excitement. It motivates us to keep pushing, to keep investing in this beach and this community. My goal now is not only to remain on the MB100 list year after year, but also to pursue new recognitions—both national and international—that will continue to keep Troncones on the map.”