This morning, the Royal Academy of Arts announced its exhibition programme for 2013. With such a remarkable year behind it, including the blockbuster David Hockney exhibition, expectations for the coming year’s exhibitions are high. So what can art lovers look forward to?

The 2013 programme will be a world tour of art, with exhibitions by artists from Japan, France, USA, Mexico  and Australia, as well as the UK. Upcoming exhibitions include:

• Constable, Gainsborough, Turner and the Making of Landscape: Explore the development of British landscape painting through work by three of the greatest British landscape painters. 8 Dec-17 Feb
• Mariko Mori: Rebirth: A solo exhibition of work by New York-based Japanese artist Mariko Mori, showing sequential work centred on the death and birth of a star. Includes photography, sound work, sculpture and immersive installations.13 Dec-17 Feb
• Manet: Portraying Life: A major exhibition of Edouard Manet’s portraiture, examining the relationship between his portrait painting and themes of modern life. 26 Jan-14 Apr
• George Bellows (1882-1925): The first ever retrospective of American realist painter George Bellows. Although not well known in the UK, at the time of his death he was considered to be one of the greatest American artists. 16 Mar- 9 Jun
• Mexico: A Revolution in Art, 1910-1940: An exhibition examining the intense 30 year period of artist creativity that took place in Mexico at the beginning of the 20th Century. 6 Jul-29 Sep
• Australia: A survey covering 200 years of Australian art, including more than 180 paintings, prints, drawings, watercolours, photographs and multimedia works. 21 Sep- 8 Dec

Find out more about the exhibitions

A short walk from Euston station, the Mexican restaurant Mestizo offers a great taste of Mexico without any need to leave NW1.

When I visited on Friday, I was greeted by an exquisite, colourful, intricately decorated altar. This Dia de los Muertos altar (an altar for the Mexican Day of the Dead, our Halloween) contains all the traditional elements required for such a display: candles, salt, earth, sugar skulls, marigolds, water, tequila, and photos and favourite foods of the “dear departed” are all presented on the traditional seven steps, and swathed in a bright orange cut paper backcloth.

Our host, Brian, had created the altar that day, along with Luz Elena Ruesga (the wife of Sr Ignacio Duran, the Minister of Culture at the Mexican Embassy), her friend Alejandro Guajardo, and UK-based Mexican artist Javier Calderon.

Over a delicious frozen margarita, Brian explained Mestizo’s position as one of London’s most authentic Mexican restaurants. As well as being owned by Mexicans, and having a female head chef from Mexico (Dalcy Aguilera), Mestizo’s staff are also from Mexico. When the Mexican Embassy hosts events, they’ll often use Mestizo as caterers. When Mexican sports teams are in town, they choose Mestizo for their post-match celebrations. And with more than 200 varieties of tequila, surely more than any other restaurant / bar in London, Mestizo’s unique credentials are there for everyone to see, taste, and knock back in a variety of simple shot glasses.

Pop in, and you can take your pick from traditional dishes like Guajolote en Mole Poblano, Crepas de Cuitlacoche and authentic Tacos in soft flour or corn tortillas loaded with your choice of delicious fillings. You won’t be disappointed.

Aside from the fantastic food and drink on offer, Mestizo also hosts cultural events. From tomorrow, there’ll be a fantastic exhibition of original photos from the famous Casasola Archive of the Mexican revolution, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the revolution. And on 20 November, the Dia de la Revolucion itself, don’t miss Mestizo’s special commemoration party, in the event space downstairs from the restaurant.

Do you have any more tips for finding a taste of Mexico in London? Let us know in the comments below.

This morning, Visit London was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the British Museum’s latest blockbuster, Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler.

As curator Colin McEwan explained to a large assembled crowd of press (Charlotte Higgins from the Guardian was there; so was Newsnight Review’s Natalie Haynes) it’s the latest (fourth, and last) show in the British Museum’s ruler series. (You’ll remember the hype over the First Emperor from 2007 and Hadrian from last year.) With Moctezuma, the museum has moved westwards and forwards from Shah ‘Abbas, taking a look at one of the principle protagonists in the history of the Americas.

If, like us, you know little about the history of Mexico from the 1500s, we’re sure you’ll find it a fascinating exhibition. Moctezuma was a contemporary of our own Henry VIII; but you’ll find little in the early stages of this exhibition to suggest any comparison with the English king whose 500th anniversary attracted so much attention earlier this year.

Inside the British Museum’s stunning Reading Room, evoking, Colin McEwan tells us, the basin of New Mexico, are several spaces dedicated to a balanced biography of this famous leader.

Moctezuma was the 9th elected ruler of the Aztec people. The British Museum has decided against using the term Aztec, favouring instead the term Mexica, beautifully pronounced “Mesheeka” by the lovely softly Spanish-accented guy on the audio guide. Part deity, full-on warrior, commissioner of public sculpture and buildings, orator, husband, father (he had 19 kids), Moctezuma’s world steadily comes to light in the early part of the exhibition.

Many of the objects on display - intricately carved stone vessels for putting the hearts of your human sacrifices into, stone skulls to adorn a temple with – appear to be from a much older period. Inside the central room dedicated to warfare (directly below the apex of the Reading Room’s beautiful ceiling) stands a stone pyramid that looks more like something from Roman times than just last century.

The masks that dominate the Moctezuma publicity materials are also on show, in a space covering details of the many Mexica gods. Yes, you might’ve been thinking that the blue-faced, big-toothed guy on the posters was Mr Moctezuma himself: in fact, it’s the mosaic mask of the god Tezcatlipoca.

Our favourite pieces include a gorgeous deep terracotta coloured Pulque jug laced with swirling linear designs, said to evoke liquid; to us, it looks more like an extremely modernist doodle. We liked the details about Moctezuma’s diva-ish eating habits: he ate alone, behind a screen, served on new plates that were smashed once he was done. And we loved the bright turquoise double-headed serpent, especially the idea that it was probably worn as a necklace.

Then suddenly, we round another corner of the exhibition and are plunged into 16th century Europe; more specifically Spain. It’s like stepping out of the British Museum and into the Thyssen Bornemisza. And so the tragedy of Moctezuma unfolds. When he saw the Spanish strangers arriving on the Gulf Coast in 1519, he offered them presents and hosted them in his palace… Moctezuma died soon after. Whether he was killed by the Spanish, or stoned to death by his own people ashamed of his “surrender” remains unclear.

The British Museum’s new exhibition allows you to make up your own mind.