Mexico City Restaurants

Mexico City has been a culinary capital ever since the time of Moctezuma. Chronicles tell of the extravagant banquets prepared for the Aztec emperor with more than 300 different dishes served. Today's Mexico City is a gastronomic melting pot, with some 15,000 restaurants. You'll find everything from taco stands on the streets to simple, family-style eateries and elite restaurants. The number and range of international restaurants is growing and diversifying, particularly in middle- and upper-class neighborhoods like Polanco, San Angel, La Condesa, La Roma, Lomas de Chapultepec, and Del Valle. Argentine, Spanish, and Italian are the most dominant international cuisines; however, you'll also find a fair share of Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and French restaurants. Mexico City restaurants generally open 7–11 am for breakfast (el desayuno) and 1–6 for lunch (la comida)—although it's rare for Mexicans to eat lunch before 2, and you're likely to feel lonely if you arrive at a popular restaurant before then. Lunch is an institution in this country, often lasting two or more hours, and until nightfall on Sunday. Consequently, the evening meal (la cena) may often be really light, consisting of sweet bread and coffee, traditional tamales, and atole (a hot beverage made from corn and masa and sometimes chocolate) at home, or tacos and appetizers in a restaurant.

If having dinner, most locals start out at 9 pm; restaurants serving dinner stay open at least until 11 pm during the week, and later on weekends. Many restaurants are only open for lunch, especially on Sunday. At deluxe restaurants dress is generally formal (jacket at least), and reservations are recommended; see reviews for details. If you're short on time, you can always head to American-style coffee shops or recognizable fast-food chains all over the city that serve the tired but reliable fare of burgers, fried chicken, and pizza. If it's local flavor you're after, go with tacos or the Mexico City fast-food staple, the torta (a giant sandwich stacked with the ingredients of your choice for about $3). Eating on the street is part of the daily experience for those on the go, and surprising as it may seem, many people argue that it's some of the best food in the city. Still, stick to crowded stands to avoid a stomach illness.

Also cheap and less of a bacterial hazard are the popular fondas (small restaurants). At lunchtime fondas are always packed, as they serve a reasonably priced four-course meal, known as the comida corrida, which typically includes soup of the day, rice or pasta, an entrée, and dessert. There are few vegetarian restaurants, but you'll have no trouble finding nonmeat dishes wherever you grab a bite. Vegetarians and vegans, however, will have a more difficult time, as many dishes are often prepared using lard.

Colonia Polanco, the upscale neighborhood on the edge of the Bosque de Chapultepec, has some of the best and most expensive dining (and lodging) in the city. Zona Rosa restaurants often fill up with tourists, so don't expect to be sitting with the locals here. The Condesa and Roma neighborhoods buzz with a younger crowd all week.

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  • 1. Contramar

    $$$ | Col. Roma | Seafood

    Come before 1 to avoid the long wait at this airy seafood haven, a power-lunch spot for the creative and celebrity sets since it opened in 1998...

    Come before 1 to avoid the long wait at this airy seafood haven, a power-lunch spot for the creative and celebrity sets since it opened in 1998 (there's often less of a wait for the casual outside tables). While the people-watching is prime, your attention will be on the food: start with giant, raw almejas chocolates ("chocolate" clams, for their shell color), then try the famed (and copied in every seafood joint in town) raw tuna tostadas, maybe some fish cooked al pastor, minced soft-shell crab para taquear (make-your-own tacos), or the huge butterflied pescado Contramar—and save room for dessert. And there are few better places to enjoy the Mexican tradition of sobremesa, lingering over drinks and conversation after a meal.

    Durango 200, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06700, Mexico
    55-5514–9217

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 2. El Hidalguense

    $$ | Col. Roma | Mexican

    This restaurant has been serving Hidalgo-style barbacoa to grateful Mexico City residents for over 15 years. On weekends only, fresh lamb...

    This restaurant has been serving Hidalgo-style barbacoa to grateful Mexico City residents for over 15 years. On weekends only, fresh lamb from owner Moisés Rodríguez’s Hidalgo farm is roasted for 12 hours over mesquite and oak in an underground pit, then served in charred agave leaves. An order of barbacoa comes with everything you need to make tacos you'll remember for days; be sure to order the consommé, flavored with meat drippings, chili, and lime, and wash it all down with a glass of pulque (the freshly fermented sap from the heart of one type of agave plant). Though this is barbacoa heaven, the mixiotes (pit-barbecued meats) another Hidalguense specialty, are fantastic as well.

    Campeche 155, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06760, Mexico
    55-5564–0538

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No credit cards, Closed Mon.–Thurs. No dinner
  • 3. Nicos

    $$ | Col. Polanco | Mexican

    This restaurant is a quick cab from the Polanco area, and a must-visit for fans of traditional Mexican cuisine who think they've tasted it all...

    This restaurant is a quick cab from the Polanco area, and a must-visit for fans of traditional Mexican cuisine who think they've tasted it all. In a barely adorned, simply elegant space, chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo (whose parents opened Nicos in 1957) is a stickler for ingredients sourced from small producers (he also has a small shop across the street, Nicolasa) and dishes that can seem nuevo but are all rooted in history. The sopa seca de natas—several crepes layered with cream, tomato, and poblano chili—is a 19th-century recipe from a convent in Guadalajara; octopus stewed in its ink with pecans, almonds, and pine nuts is a generations-old recipe from Veracruz; and the house salad has edible flowers, lemon verbena, and artisanal cheese from Chiapas State. There's no dinner, but it's open until 7:30.

    Av. Cuitlahuac 3102, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 02080, Mexico
    55-5396–7090

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 4. Sud 777

    $$$ | Col. Jardines del Pedregal | Contemporary

    Sud 777's Edgar Nunez has a different approach from the slew of Mexican chefs committed to rescuing and recontextualizing Mexican cuisine; his...

    Sud 777's Edgar Nunez has a different approach from the slew of Mexican chefs committed to rescuing and recontextualizing Mexican cuisine; his aim is to create his own contemporary, not-necessarily-Mexican cuisine while using Mexican ingredients (just like Mexican cuisine itself has long incorporated a range of global influences). Dishes like a remarkably subtle beef tongue on inky black beans with purslane blossoms and a morita chili sauce, or a salad of tiny heirloom tomatoes with chicharron (fried pork skin) and minced cactus in a Cotija cheese vinaigrette, aren't "Mexican" dishes, but scream Mexican soul. The gently modern space (southwest of Coyoacán) merges indoors with outdoors and is one of the sexiest in town. There's also a stellar wine list, and even a separate sushi bar within the restaurant, Kokeshi, which ranks among the city's best.

    Blvd. de la Luz 777, between Camino Santa Teresa and Paseo del Pedregal, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 01900, Mexico
    55-5568–4777

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
  • 5. Tacos Gus

    $ | Col. Condesa | Mexican

    This diminutive spot for tacos de guisados ("stewed," or premade taco fillings) will seduce you with its attractive young taqueros tending...

    This diminutive spot for tacos de guisados ("stewed," or premade taco fillings) will seduce you with its attractive young taqueros tending bubbling glazed earthenware pots filled with a dozen or more options. Vegetarian fillings are their specialty, and might include Swiss chard, roast poblano chili, or cilantro fritters in green salsa, to which you can add guacamole, beans, rice, and cheese. It's also an inspired breakfast or brunch choice, as it opens around 9 am. It's expanded to locations in Colonias Polanco, Santa Fe, and San Miguel Chapultepec.

    Ometusco 56, between Alfonso Reyes and Benjamin Hill, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06100, Mexico
    55-5271–6090

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner. Closed Sun.
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  • 6. Agapi Mu

    $$ | Col. Condesa | Greek

    Rambunctious Greek song and dance enliven this small, friendly bistro Thursday through Saturday nights. Tucked away in a cozy room of a converted...

    Rambunctious Greek song and dance enliven this small, friendly bistro Thursday through Saturday nights. Tucked away in a cozy room of a converted home, you'll hum along as you tear into traditional dishes like tiropitákia (meat, cheese, and olive pastries), kalamárea (fried Greek-style squid), and musaka (lamb-and-eggplant lasagna).

    Alfonso Reyes 96, between Cuautla and Cuernavaca, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06170, Mexico
    55-5286–1384

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, No dinner Sun. and Mon.
  • 7. Al Andalus

    $ | Centro | Middle Eastern

    Lebanese restaurant Al Andalus, in a magnificent 17th-century colonial building downtown, makes some of the best Arabic food in the capital...

    Lebanese restaurant Al Andalus, in a magnificent 17th-century colonial building downtown, makes some of the best Arabic food in the capital. Proximity to La Merced, the city's biggest and best market, means that the numerous menu options are made with the freshest ingredients. If you don't want to choose, order the mesa libanesa, a mixed platter with everything from hummus and kebbeh to lamb shwarmas.

    Mesones 171, at Cruces, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06010, Mexico
    55-5522–2528

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, No dinner
  • 8. Au Pied de Cochon

    $$$ | Col. Polanco | French

    Open around the clock inside the Hotel Presidente InterContinental, this fashionable bistro continues to seduce well-heeled chilangos (as...

    Open around the clock inside the Hotel Presidente InterContinental, this fashionable bistro continues to seduce well-heeled chilangos (as Mexico City residents are sometimes known) with high-end French classics. The oysters are flown in from France as well as Baja California; the roasted leg of pork with béarnaise sauce is the signature dish; green-apple sorbet with Calvados is a delicate finish. The extensive breakfast menu features both French and Mexican favorites. A fun indulgence at any hour, it's best for a decadent late-night repast, when the people-watching is at its best. (Another location, in the Hotel InterContinental Presidente in the Santa Fe neighborhood, isn't open 24 hours.)

    Campos Elíseos 218, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 11560, Mexico
    55-5327–7756

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 9. Bellinghausen

    $$ | Zona Rosa | Mexican

    The year 2015 marks the centennial of this cherished Zona Rosa lunch spot. The partially covered hacienda-style courtyard at the back, set off...

    The year 2015 marks the centennial of this cherished Zona Rosa lunch spot. The partially covered hacienda-style courtyard at the back, set off by an ivy-laden wall and fountain, is a midday magnet for executives and tourists. A veritable army of waiters scurries back and forth serving such tried-and-true favorites as filete chemita (broiled steak with mashed potatoes) and chamorro Bellinghausen (make-your-own tacos of minced lamb shank). Two slightly more luxe branches don't have the same historic charm, though the nearby relation, Casa Bell (Praga 14, Zona Rosa), a courtyard restaurant ringed by dozens of caged chirping birds, is a must on a sunny afternoon.

    Londres 95, at Niza, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06600, Mexico
    55-5207–6749

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, No dinner
  • 10. Bellini

    $$ | Col. Nápoles | Eclectic

    Revolving slowly on the 45th floor of the World Trade Center, Bellini maintains a formal, reserved character. It's definitely known less for...

    Revolving slowly on the 45th floor of the World Trade Center, Bellini maintains a formal, reserved character. It's definitely known less for the food than the views: romantically twinkling city lights at night and a pair of volcanoes on a clear day. Despite the name, most dishes here aren't Italian but rather Mexican and international, with lobster as the specialty. Colonia Nápoles is a lovely residential neighborhood south of La Condesa and La Roma.

    Montecito 38, 45th fl., Torre WTC (World Trade Center), Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 03810, Mexico
    55-9000–8305

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 11. Bistro Charlotte

    $$$ | Col. Polanco | Eclectic

    At lunch, regulars are greeted with hugs by Charlotte herself, a U.K. expat with an avid following. The ever-changing international menu could...

    At lunch, regulars are greeted with hugs by Charlotte herself, a U.K. expat with an avid following. The ever-changing international menu could include anything from coq au vin to shrimp in Thai red curry, and classic British desserts like Eton mess and banoffee pie. By popular demand, each Sunday the 11-table bistro offers a classic roast with Yorkshire pudding and horseradish sauce. Note that Charlotte closes at 6 pm to attend to her catering business, which serves visitors like Prince Charles.

    Lope de Vega 341-A, between Horacio and Masaryk, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 11550, Mexico
    55-5250–4180

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Closed Sat. No dinner
  • 12. Bistrot Arlequin

    $$ | Col. Cuauhtémoc | French

    Here you'll find everything you would expect from a petit bistrot: an intimate environment open to the street, comforting food, good music that...

    Here you'll find everything you would expect from a petit bistrot: an intimate environment open to the street, comforting food, good music that's not too loud, and excellent French wines. Start by ordering the house specialty, hailing from Lyon, France: fish quenelles with your choice of various sauces. A popular main dish is the carne bourguignonne, beef cooked in red wine and butter with bacon and mushrooms. If there's room for dessert, try the clafoutis, a French custard with cherries.

    Río Nilo 42, at Río Panuco, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06500, Mexico
    55-5207–5616

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, No dinner Sun.
  • 13. Bistrot Mosaico

    $$ | Col. Condesa | French

    This French-inflected local favorite serves as a second living room to a relaxed Condesa crowd. Despite their having expanded to four locations...

    This French-inflected local favorite serves as a second living room to a relaxed Condesa crowd. Despite their having expanded to four locations—including the airport—it retains its buzzy Parisian-bistro vibe. You may have to wait for a table on weekends, but one look at the handwritten chalkboard menu, and you'll be hooked. The salad of the day is always a good bet, as are quiches with fillings ranging from bacon to spinach to leek.

    Michoacán 10, between Amsterdam and Insurgentes, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06170, Mexico
    55-5584–2932

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, No dinner Sun.
  • 14. Café de Tacuba

    $$ | Centro | Mexican

    An essential, if touristy, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack stop downtown, this Mexican classic opened in 1912 in a section of an old convent...

    An essential, if touristy, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack stop downtown, this Mexican classic opened in 1912 in a section of an old convent. At the entrance to the main dining room are huge 18th-century oil paintings depicting the invention of mole poblano, a complex sauce featuring a variety of chilies and chocolate that was created by the nuns in the Santa Rosa Convent in Puebla. A student group dressed in medieval capes and hats usually serenades diners Wednesday through Sunday afternoons.

    Calle Tacuba 28, at Allende, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06010, Mexico
    55-5521–2048

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 15. Cambalache

    $$$ | Col. Polanco | Argentine

    This beef-lover's dream (with three additional locations in Mexico City, as well as branches in Cancún and Toluca) is popular with everyone...

    This beef-lover's dream (with three additional locations in Mexico City, as well as branches in Cancún and Toluca) is popular with everyone from businessmen to young families. The low-ceiling, wood-beamed dining room is hung with nostalgic pictures of Buenos Aires. Everything is grilled, from the Argentine beef to the lamb to the whitefish in a mild chili sauce. Desserts are large and inventive—try the riff on an alfajor, a typical dulce de leche sandwich cookie.

    Alejandro Dumas 122, at Masaryk, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 11550, Mexico
    55-5280–2080

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 16. Círculo Vasco Español

    $$ | Centro | Spanish

    Dating from the 1890s, this huge, high-ceiling restaurant basks in the faded glamour of the days when dictator Porfirio Díaz dined here regularly...

    Dating from the 1890s, this huge, high-ceiling restaurant basks in the faded glamour of the days when dictator Porfirio Díaz dined here regularly. Its founders were Basque, and though it has been run by Galicians for more than 20 years, the menu retains a Basque flavor. Look for rueda de robalo a la donostiarra (sea bass cooked with parsley and white wine) and a massive buffet on weekends, with seafood, roasted meats, and paella.

    Av. 16 de Septiembre 51, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06010, Mexico
    55-5518–2908

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, No dinner
  • 17. El Bajío

    $$ | Col. Polanco | Mexican

    Vivacious Carmen "Titita" Ramírez—a culinary expert who has been featured in various U.S. food magazines—has turned El Bajío into a true icon...

    Vivacious Carmen "Titita" Ramírez—a culinary expert who has been featured in various U.S. food magazines—has turned El Bajío into a true icon of traditional Mexican cuisine, with 11 locations throughout the city (the Polanco branch is likely to be most accessible to visitors). The labor-intensive 30-ingredient mole de Xico is a favorite; also excellent are empanadas de plátano rellenas de frijol (plantain turnovers filled with beans) and the tortas de huauzontles, fritters of a Mexican green (ask for the campechanas, or with both tomato and pasilla chili sauces). There's even a low-calorie—but still traditional—menu section. The decor and clientele combine Mexico old and new; business meetings happen alongside boisterous family outings.

    Alejandro Dumas 7, at Campos Eliseos, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 11550, Mexico
    55-5281–8245

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 18. El Cardenal

    $$ | Centro | Mexican

    In the ground floor of the Hilton Mexico City Reforma across Juárez from the elegant Alameda, this upscale venue concentrates on food over...

    In the ground floor of the Hilton Mexico City Reforma across Juárez from the elegant Alameda, this upscale venue concentrates on food over surroundings (you could be in any luxury hotel in any city)—and how. For lunch, try one of the Oaxacan moles—colorado, rojo, or almendrado (almond). But the real treat is breakfast, replete with frothy hot chocolate, enchiladas, and fresh-baked pan dulce (a sweet Mexican pastry). Other locations in Centro (Palma 23), San Angel (Avenida de la Paz 32), and Lomas de Chapultepec (Avenida Paseo de Las Palmas 215, near Colonia Polanco), share the obsession with quality and tradition, and in less sterile surroundings.

    Juárez 70, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06010, Mexico
    55-5518–6633

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, No dinner
  • 19. El Dragón

    $$$ | Zona Rosa | Chinese

    The former ambassador to China was so impressed by El Dragón's lacquered Beijing duck that he left behind a note of recommendation (now proudly...

    The former ambassador to China was so impressed by El Dragón's lacquered Beijing duck that he left behind a note of recommendation (now proudly displayed on one of the restaurant's walls) praising it as the most authentic in Mexico. The duck is roasted over a fruitwood fire and later brought to your table, where the waiter cuts it into thin, tender slices, though it's served with flour tortillas instead of the traditional Chinese steamed pancakes. Most of the cooks hail from Beijing, but they mix up their regional cuisines.

    Hamburgo 97, between Génova and Copenhague, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 06600, Mexico
    55-5525–2466

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 20. El Entrevero

    $$$ | Col. Coyoacán | Argentine

    A Uruguayan may own this friendly eatery on the main square of Coyoacán, but the menu will be familiar to fans of Argentine cuisine—the scrumptious...

    A Uruguayan may own this friendly eatery on the main square of Coyoacán, but the menu will be familiar to fans of Argentine cuisine—the scrumptious provoleta (grilled provolone cheese with oregano), for example, and the stellar steaks. Uruguay's Italian heritage appears on the menu as well, with excellent pizzas and gnocchi. The crema quemada (a version of crème brûlée) is sinful.

    Jardín Centenario 14-C, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, 04000, Mexico
    55-5659–0066

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

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