Considering the city's size, the roster of upscale Mexican restaurants in metro Phoenix is surprisingly small. Barrio Café Gran Reserva is a pleasant outlier, a small, intimate spot with fine-dining airs and a multicourse menu de degustación, with optional wine pairings. Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza's refined and distinctive take on regional Mexican cooking is more interesting than the Mexican fare you'll find at most of the city's high-end resort restaurants. The intimacy of the space also adds to its general allure. With only 22 seats, and walls adorned with original murals, Barrio Café Gran Reserva feels at once casually intimate and elegant.