Guadalajara Restaurants

1. La Chata

At high meal times, travelers will find lines of locals and tourists alike extending out the door of this traditional Mexican restaurant in...Read More

At high meal times, travelers will find lines of locals and tourists alike extending out the door of this traditional Mexican restaurant in El Centro. While the decor is plain, the food is the best in the city. Items worth testing include the queso fundido (cheese fondue) and the enchiladas. If you're staying in West Guadalajara, there's a second restaurant at 405 Terranova in Providencia.

2. La Fonda de San Miguel

La Fonda, in a former convent, is perhaps the Centro's most exceptional eatery. Innovative, high-end Mexican dishes are presented in a soaring...Read More

La Fonda, in a former convent, is perhaps the Centro's most exceptional eatery. Innovative, high-end Mexican dishes are presented in a soaring courtyard, the middle of which is dominated by a stone fountain and hung with a spectacular array of shining tin stars and folk art from Tlaquepaque and Tonalá. Relish the freshly made tortillas with the molcajete, a steaming stew of chicken, seafood, or beef that comes in a three-legged volcanic stone bowl. Camarones en mole (shrimp in mole) is another good dish. There's piano or saxophone music every evening except Monday. Piano music accompanies a breakfast buffet 8:30–noon on Saturday and Sunday.

3. Ajijic Tango

Considered one of the top, if not the top, restaurants in Ajijic, this Argentine favorite sees locals and tourists waiting in a line down the...Read More

Considered one of the top, if not the top, restaurants in Ajijic, this Argentine favorite sees locals and tourists waiting in a line down the block to get inside. Many go for the arrachera (flank steak), lamb, or carpaccio. Reservations are a must on weekdays—but the eatery doesn't take them on weekends, so get there early.

4. Casa Fuerte

Relax with tasty Mexican dishes at the tables along the sidewalk or under the palms and by the fountain on the patio. You'll be tempted by the...Read More

Relax with tasty Mexican dishes at the tables along the sidewalk or under the palms and by the fountain on the patio. You'll be tempted by the tables scattered around the sidewalk, but before you decide, take a peek at those in the oversize garden patio surrounding a magnificent old tree. Try the house specialty: chicken stuffed with huitlacoche (a corn fungus that's Mexico's answer to the truffle) and shrimp in tamarind sauce. Live musicians accompany comida (2:30 to 6 pm, approximately) every day except Monday.

5. El Parián de Tlaquepaque

If you are looking for a traditional Mexican experience, there's no better place to go in Tlaquepaque than El Parián. This is not actually a...Read More

If you are looking for a traditional Mexican experience, there's no better place to go in Tlaquepaque than El Parián. This is not actually a restaurant but a large squared building with a central patio shared by 18 different restaurants and bars. Here, everyday is a Mexican fiesta and that's what you come for. Mariachis perform all day long and tequila flows easily. The cuisine might not be the best in town, but it's quite good. Founded in 1905, El Parián is as Mexican as it gets!

6. El Rincón del Sol

A covered patio invites you to sip margaritas while listening to live trova (romantic ballads). Musicians play Tuesday to Friday evenings between...Read More

A covered patio invites you to sip margaritas while listening to live trova (romantic ballads). Musicians play Tuesday to Friday evenings between 7 and 9, and on weekends during the leisurely lunch hour (roughly 3 to 5")". Try one of the steak or chicken dishes, the burrito, or the classic chiles en nogada in the colors of the Mexican flag. The staff is friendly and helpful.

7. Fonda Cholula

This typical Mexican restaurant owned by José Cuervo serves up decent quesadillas and other local favorites without leaving your wallet empty...Read More

This typical Mexican restaurant owned by José Cuervo serves up decent quesadillas and other local favorites without leaving your wallet empty. The margaritas are not bad, either.

8. Johanna's

Come to this intimate bit of Bavaria on the lake for German cuisine like sausages and goose or duck pâté. Main dishes come with soup or salad...Read More

Come to this intimate bit of Bavaria on the lake for German cuisine like sausages and goose or duck pâté. Main dishes come with soup or salad, applesauce, and cooked red cabbage. For dessert indulge in plum strudel or blackberry-topped torte. Come on the early side, though; this restaurant closes at 8 pm.

9. Karne Garibaldi

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10. Karne Garibaldi

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11. Karne Garibaldi

In the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records, this Tapatío institution held the record for world's fastest service: 13.5 seconds for a table...Read More

In the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records, this Tapatío institution held the record for world's fastest service: 13.5 seconds for a table of six. Lightning service is made possible by the menu's single item: carne en su jugo, a combination of finely diced beef and bacon simmered in rich beef broth and served with grilled onions, tortillas, and refried beans mixed with corn. Don't be put off by the somewhat gritty area surrounding the restaurant at the original location on Calle Garibaldi. There also are three other locations in Zapopan.

12. La Bodega de Ajijic

Eat on a covered patio overlooking a grassy lawn and a small pool at this low-key restaurant. In addition to Mexican standards, the menu has...Read More

Eat on a covered patio overlooking a grassy lawn and a small pool at this low-key restaurant. In addition to Mexican standards, the menu has Italian dishes such as pastas; the food here is a bit meager and overpriced. Still, service is friendly, and there's live music—ranging from Mexican pop and rock to blues, jazz, guitar, and harp—most nights. It opens at 8 am, in time for breakfast, every day but Thursday, when it opens later.

13. La Estancia Gaucha

Have you been for a while in Mexico and you or your stomach are starting to get a bit fed up with the spicy Mexican food? It happens, nothing...Read More

Have you been for a while in Mexico and you or your stomach are starting to get a bit fed up with the spicy Mexican food? It happens, nothing to feel ashamed of. Been there, done that! Fortunately, Guadalajara gastronomic scene is one of the best in the country and there are many non-Mexican options. One of the best is definitely La Estancia Gaucha, a delicious Argentinian restaurant with decades of success in the city. The steaks are their specialty, but they offer a wide array of dishes including fishes, pasta and salads. An outstanding cava will also delight wine lovers.

14. La Moresca

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15. La Moresca

While this modern Italian restaurant comes alive at night when it turns into a hip martini bar, don't pass up a meal before partaking in the...Read More

While this modern Italian restaurant comes alive at night when it turns into a hip martini bar, don't pass up a meal before partaking in the revelry. It has the best Italian food in town. The twentysomething Tapatíos like to take their dates here for delicious pasta and pizza dinners and stick around for the scene that follows. Birthday gatherings are common, too, as are simple be-seen excursions. However you do it, this place is Guadalajara at its trendiest, including music played at decibel levels that can sometimes make conversation difficult. Luckily, the Italian kitchen is up to the task.

16. Number 4

This trendy two-level outdoor restaurant on one of Ajijic's charming side streets offers beautifully presented dishes, many with an Asian twist...Read More

This trendy two-level outdoor restaurant on one of Ajijic's charming side streets offers beautifully presented dishes, many with an Asian twist. Diners can sit in the modern interior or chose to enjoy the upstairs patio, surrounded by trees and the night sky. Fabulous live piano music accompanies lunch Saturday and Sunday, and there's live music nightly. The bar offers special concoctions, such as a cranberry mandarin martini.

17. Restaurant Cazadores

This grandly turreted brick building was once the summer home of the Braniff family, former owners of the defunct airline. The menu includes...Read More

This grandly turreted brick building was once the summer home of the Braniff family, former owners of the defunct airline. The menu includes slightly overpriced seafood and beef dishes. The house specialty is chamorro, pork shank wrapped in banana leaves. A patio overlooks the boardwalk and is inviting in the evening.

18. Restaurant Montecarlo

This outdoor restaurant is one of a handful of eateries along the lakeside in Teuchitlán. While not fancy, it offers a variety of Mexican dishes...Read More

This outdoor restaurant is one of a handful of eateries along the lakeside in Teuchitlán. While not fancy, it offers a variety of Mexican dishes, including fish, molcajetes, and fajitas, and provides a grand view of the lake teeming with fish and birds—including herons and pelicans. There's also a fish pond where kids can borrow a homemade rod for some catch and release. As you turn into the street, don't feel pressured by the parking attendants at the other restaurants who will make attempts to get you into their locales.

19. Sacromonte

Elegant atmosphere, decor, and dishes make for a wonderful dining experience. This isn't the choice if you're looking for an atmosphere that...Read More

Elegant atmosphere, decor, and dishes make for a wonderful dining experience. This isn't the choice if you're looking for an atmosphere that feels Mexican—a significant portion of the other diners will likely be other English-speaking visitors—but the food's delicious anyway. The waiters offer menus in Spanish and in English. If you're into trying local favorites, this is the place to order la lengua—the beef tongue—or the chicken mole, which has a sweet twist. The pork loin and barbecue ribs are also worth a taste. For dessert, order the flan with cajeta (a local soft caramel sauce); it's homemade—literally made in someone's house and delivered nightly to the restaurant.

20. Santo Coyote

One of the most sophisticated restaurants in Guadalajara, Santo Coyote offers top-notch Mexican Fusion cuisine, like delicious "tacos el negro...Read More

One of the most sophisticated restaurants in Guadalajara, Santo Coyote offers top-notch Mexican Fusion cuisine, like delicious "tacos el negro" with lobster and traditional Mexican sopa de tortilla. Set in a wide indoor/outdoor space, the atmosphere couldn’t be more spectacular with outstanding lighting, a huge palapa, and a beautiful garden. This is the place you would take that date you are trying to impress. Perfect for romantic nights and all in all, an extraordinary gourmet experience.